Black Diamond  Approach Down Hoody - Men's

Nice jacket with a proper helmet compatible hood and two useful inner pockets. I fit a large in BD insulated jackets that are Slim or Regular fit, medium in Relaxed fit. The Approach is supposed to be Slim fit, but in a large it feels like it's a Regular+ fit compared to other BD down and synthetic insulated jackets. The arm length is good (shorter than other size large insulated jackets) but I'm not skinny and the sleeve size/volume is way more than needed. The volume across the chest/stomach is also more than needed but would accommodate fairly heavy layers underneath. It feels like a light-medium jacket that is sized like a parka.

Pros The jacket is very warm. I used it commuting in 40 deg weather The hood adjustment on the back works well Cons This jacket is not made for commuting. After a few weeks there were lots of dead spots on the shoulders and back. I tried washing then placing tennis balls in the dryer to fix it. The rest of the jacket puffed right back up but the dead spots remained flat.

A bit bigger than expected for size, had to return XL for a L at my cost :( but with the right fitting, wow. Super light, wind proof, snow proof, and warm. Not my first puffer but would never imagine a puffer could be so much windproof and rain/snowproof! T-shirt, fleece and this approach down hoody, good for -20C walk in Montreal. Was not expecting that much for something so light and thin.

This hoody is surprisingly warm for its weight. It packs down nicely, fits great, and the hood fits nicely over my ski helmet. I wear it around town, toss it in my pack on ski tours, and wear it at resort on cold days.

This is my go-to for bike commuting, a warm up lap on cross country skis, or hanging out outside with the kids. Versatile, very lightweight, and stuffs easily into a small pocket on a backpack.

Perfect isulating layer while keeping wieght to a minumum. The material is super soft and comfortable to wear and is very warm. This is replacing my synthetic layer for hunting and skiing.

I haven’t tested this as a mid layer in the context of sport. I’ve only worn it around town a few times and to show it off at the climbing gym. So far it’s great, warm and really nice.

Great addition as a layer or coat. Warm and comfortable with a fit that allows flexibility and movement. Love the light weight and packability. Tundra green was a beautiful surprise.

I love this jacket. It is super warm and cozy when it is cold out and the down insulation protects against cold winds. I highly recommend this jacket. :-)

Fits well and is warm, picked this up for when I need some something a little warmer than the solution. I am 5’8” 180 lbs and large fits me well.