REI Co-op  650 Down Vest - Men's

I bought this vest right after having shoulder surgery. Donning a coat with sleeves was not going to work and I couldn't take my sling off and on every time I got hot. I like the fit and warmth of the vest but unfortunately the down leaked out badly on the one I purchased. So much so that I didn't want to take it off or wear dark clothing. I can't speak for all of them but the one I purchased was too bad for me to keep. Ultimately I had to return it. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars due to the fit and warmth but couldn't give it full score since it was unsustainable with the down leaking.

I was actually in REI looking for a vest when I found this one. The local Oly store didn't have a huge selection of low profile, low loft vests, except for this one. That is not to say this wouldn't have been a contender had they had. It's been great so far. Like I said, low loft, not bulky, and comfortable over my jackets. 12 or so wears in and it's looking good. Two zippered outer pockets, no inner. Fit is pretty true. 6'0" at 180lb and a large was perfect. Great vest.

I bought this vest to add a comfortable, lightweight, and warm layer to my arsenal in the battle against unpredictable Utah weather. It is, in fact, all those things, and the Red one I bought looks sharp. It's 650 fill, but loses feathers every time I wear it, so I don't dig that very much (-1 star), do more expensive garments do this too? I find this most useful when I get cold in the office, but don't want the sleeves of a full on jacket. Overall, I like it and would recommend this when it's on sale, or as an awesome gift.

This is a perfect vest for the fall/spring or during light winter weather. It is very thin but packs in the heat quite well. I love the minimal design on it too. I would definitely recommend it. If I had to pick a draw back though it is that there is no inner pocket with a zipper on it (but this isn't a major problem at all). There is a fairly large inner pouch pocket but I wouldn't feel comfortable keeping anything of value in it because I would worry about it falling out.

Living in Arizona, I have limited needed for a down vest but I decided that for some cold weather backpacking and the occasional ski trip, it might get some use. Enter the REI house brand down vest. For the money, it was perfect. On the backpacking trip, it was the perfect weight, same for skiing though I did learn that the outside material has zero water repellency as it was soaking wet when some fluffy Utah powder made its way down my collar.

I have problems with my body not the vest. I'm inbetween a medium and large. I first purchased the large but thought it was too big; I ordered a medium and it was too small. I love the quality and it is warm, it just didn't fit me as well as it could. The large is just a smidge too big but I'm keeping it anyway because I really like it. I liked it so much I ordered another one in grey. The only complaint is both sizes are a little tight in the armpits. I have had this problem with other vests so maybe it's just my body. The vest was on sale for $54.93 or something close. Regular price was about $90.00. I wouldn't pay full price given that it didn't fit perfectly, but like I said I did order another one at the sale price.

Ok....I have never been a “vest” person - they just didn’t work for me. But my wife thought I need one - so she bought me a vest that looked really old man like. I wouldn’t wear it. But then we saw this vest at REI - so I tired it on and I thought it worked for me. Actually, I liked the look. So I have been wearing it through the “polar vortex” and it really keeps me warm. I have even worn it with jeans and a nice shirt to work - and it looks trendy enough that get it gets compliments. I like this vest - and wear it all the time. It is a pretty full fit. I am a XXL kind of guy and it is a generous fit. I even tried dropping down to an XL - but it was a little bit too small.

I needed a light, packable vest for fair weather hikes and photography outings where weather goes from cool to warm, particularly for trips to NM where a day can hold a range of temperatures. This easily packs into an empty lens cell in my photo backpack, without over-smashing. First run was to DC to photograph cherry blossoms and street scenes. Went from a cool morning, to warm daylight and shadowed streets - worked very well. "Clover" is a nice bright green.

I received the Co-Op jacket as a gift and liked it so much I bought the vest to supplement it. It weighs almost nothing (feather weight/down...no pun intended) and packs down to a small package. I wear it with a sweatshirt or flannel shirt and it's comfortable down to 35-40 degrees. It blocks wind pretty well also. I wouldn't sit sedentary for long at these temperatures but if you're moderately active the vest really works.

If you're a weight freak like me, this is your vest. It does not have whistles and bells, side pockets only. So when stowed, it takes up just a tiny space. And did I mention it's super light! Layered under a 2.5 shell or by itself over a T, it's a crucial piece of my year-round gear. And, it was on sale.