Down and Primaloft jackets under $100. I found a promo code of "BAUER64" that dropped 15% off and the shipping was lower too. Got a 13oz down sweater for $89 including shipping & tax :)

http://www.eddiebauer.com/EB/Men/Outerwear--Blazers/First-Ascent/index.cat

"EVEREST" promo code gives free shipping on 1st Ascent stuff

I've been looking for a good deal on a lightweight down jacket. Thanks so much.

Cheap insulation is the hardest thing to find, IMHO. There's lots of rain gear floating around and tons of fleece, but finding good quality down or Primaloft stuff at a bargain price is tough.

I looked at these jackets when they first came out, but they were too rich for my taste. I have synthetic stuff for wet weather, but the compactness/weight/price, this should be a great cold/dry addition to my kit and a good boost to my summer sleeping bag.

Thanks for the link. I've been waiting for these to go on sale since I first saw them in the store last winter. I got a sale advertisement in the male yesterday so stopped by the local shop today but they only had XL left. Then I get home and see this thread and try the website and...success Medium Tall on the way to me.

Thanks for the heads up. I have been waiting for these to go on sale as well.

Dale, where were you last Tuesday??

I already ordered one. I have to say that EB/1st Ascent have the very worst customer service I've found from a US company. I've emailed them three times to enquire about shipping and sizing and haven't received a reply at all. This is over a three week period.. I don't actually know what they have charged me to ship yet, and I put my order in four days ago, and it has shipped. I don't know what service they are using, or have a tracking number for it.

I've NEVER had this from a US company before, and I have to say, it's so bad it's pretty comical. I'm just hoping their product is better than their shopping experience.

I looked some over in a physical store a few weeks ago. Pretty good detail. Oddly enough this was in a shopping mall that also contained an REI. The First Ascent stuff looked like no one had ever checked it out-full racks. I wouldn't be surprised if it all gets discounted eventually . At the EB outlet stores (or factory let me out stores as I call them) they reduce things up to 75% off to dump them.

Got one a couple weeks ago. The stores just ended their promotional pricing and tried to charge me $160. After jumping around and calling another store, then going in that store, having them call another store, and picking it up in that store, I finally got them to match the online price.

Now I'm wondering if a medium tall would be better than a medium. Anyone know the difference between these sizes? Medium fits me well--almost perfectly--but I would mind it going just a *little* but lower down my waist and the sleeves could stand to be a tad bit longer. It fits great as is but it leaves no room for "growth" and I except to gain a bit more healthy weight/muscle over the new few years. If the medium tall has just slightly longer sleeves and longer torso, then great!

*Note: for anyone else wondering about sizing, the medium fits me pretty well. 6' 150lb. If you don't have a belly, when zipped the jacket poofs around your belly--it's not made to fit a slender person.

Got the jacket yesterday. Happy camper! Scale weight for an XL is 13.6 ounces.

Sizing is "full" rather than "athletic," which in my case is a good thing.

BAUER64 is still working ==> 15% off.
BAUER618 also works ==> 15% off.

Thanks for the tip. I have no problem accepting 800 fill down for less. :)

HJ

Clicking on the Downlight Vest showed a price of $39. Applying one of the 15% off coupon codes posted above would bring the price down to $33.15.

Edited by Feather on 07/05/2010 22:54:44 MDT.

Only the code BAUER618 seemed to work this morning at 940AM CDT for the 15% off.

Thanks for the heads up!

You might be able to get an additional 5% off using Bing cashback too. I wish they had my size in something other than red. :(

I picked up a couple vests and got free shipping to boot!

BAUER618 is still working.

Got 2 vests, not bad for 7 oz!

Used code BAUER618. Had to pay sales tax!

Picked my wife and I up both a down vest.

She already had a quality down insulating coat so got her an ignitor coat.

I already had a quality snythetic coat, so I picked up a the 13 oz down coat. Pretty good to get it all for just over $200 when just the coats were going for $180 new!!! The BAUER64 didn't work for me but the BAUER618 did.

Thanks for the heads up

These were so cheap I could afford to order one for my dog (Eddie Bow-wow-er).

OK, so that's not true, but I did get a jacket and a vest.

Is it possible to combine the Free Shipping code along with the discount?

Free shipping requires entering "SHIPJULY" in the box for the code; once you enter the 15% code, there's not a second box. For anything above $40 or so, the 15% discount is better. (For a jacket and a vest, I paid 8.95 in shipping, but received a discount of $18.52. The savings just about covered the sales tax.)

In either case, there was also a $3.00 fee.

The last time I looked, Jackets in medium and large were gone, vests in medium still available (7:00 PST).

Edited by swimjay on 07/07/2010 19:46:23 MDT.

Thanks for posts, Dale, and others.

I picked up a XL vest in black, used 15% off code, and will see it within the week. I'll report back when it arrives.

I was just notified that the jacket which I'd purchased is actually not available. Shouldn't have made that remark about Eddie Bow-wow-er, I guess.

Could you tell us which one you ordered that turned out to not be in stock?

A friend ordered a tall medium and if Eddie Bauer is going to cancel the order, he might be in a somewhat tight spot since a trip is coming up quick..

Dunno where in Northern CA you are, but I was in the Eddie Bauer store at 845 Market Street in SF two days ago - they had both the down sweaters and the Igniter jackets in stock and on sale. They don't take the extra 15% coupon but it's still a good deal.

Dont & Jason--I ordered a medium, regular length, full zip jacket. When I placed the order, blue was available, black wasn't. The next day I got an email from EB saying no go.

The downlight was reduced to $69-$89 today. Not sure what sizes were still available, but The medium tall and large tall were still available in blue and cardinal red. I ordered both a medium tall and large tall....I will return the one that doesn't fit to the store or sell it on gear swap for what I paid. Great deal, and the 15% off coupon still works. BAUER618

Edited by spavlock on 07/09/2010 17:02:30 MDT.

In regular length, the downlights are sold out in medium & large. I was able to get a medium tall in blue (cardinal was also available). We'll see if this works.

The Fedex man showed up at the door today. He clutched a shredded plastic bag in his arm, the dark brown of a down vest protruding. Of course I wanted to see the damage, so I tried to pull at the bag to reveal the exposed tear, but he wrestled it away from me. Darn signature. I refused the package.

Called up Eddie Bauer and told the nice southern lady what happened. She offered to send a new one out, and we had a laugh (tempered by the fact she was being recorded) about how she had to up-sell two additional items before hanging up.

I can't understand why they send clothing in those plastic bags and not Tyvek.

Got mine today (a First Ascent in XL regular.)

I do not have a scale, but can confirm that these things are "gutsy." Were I to gain another 50 pounds of stomach girth, This vest will keep fitting just fine.

If I had purchased the jacket, I might have gotten this item in the "tall" version for that extra 2" in arm length, but instead of a size XL, tried a large.

Thanks again for linking to this deal!

The medium tall down jacket arrived today, and I think I like it. It fits snugly enough in the torso, the sleeves are just slightly too long (usually, on me, medium sleeves are a bit short), but interestingly, the torso goes down past my butt--which means the kidneys, which can lose a lot of heat, are totally insulated. I think this is going to be a great jacket for around camp, and for sleeping in--no danger of the jacket riding up during the night.

I measure the weight at 12.4 oz, which is less than spec for the regular medium, so it may be short a bit of down.

James,

I believe they've all come in under speced weight, even in Will's review. Maybe they weigh the largest size or something.

-chris

1. Whatever you do, don't pull the hem cord tight at all. Leave it loose. Or you will do what I had to do twice, return the jacket because the material down there is thin and the cord ripped through it.

2. If you're looking at synthetic insulation (and since this IS a UL forum) you don't want to buy the Igniter jacket. Yeah the price is right and it is one hell of a warm jacket, but it's really heavy. As soon as I got my hooded NanoPuff, I compared the two. The Igniter is much heavier and more bulky and slightly overbuilt. But you have to keep in mind, Eddie Bauer did make this stuff to go to the top of the world.

I've thought about getting rid of my Igniter jacket, but it did keep me warm this past winter being the only jacket I wore.

Went to the site this morning, and everything is listed as "Pre-Order" with higher prices...must have cleared out last year's gear to make room for the new launch...bummer.

If anybody bought a medium downlight in any color that they decided they don't want, let me know, and I'll take it off your hands for what you paid plus shipping.

You've got to go into the Clearance section, and even then it's easy to click the wrong thing and end up in the full price section. I just ordered a vest for myself and a sweater for my wife.

Found it thanks!!

Has anyone tried the Igniter pants? I'm thinking of getting some, but wanted some thoughts on quality, and fit.

James, could you help me out? I'm 6ft tall, 175lb, 42in chest and am on the fence between the available Medium Tall and Large Tall - are you near those measurements? I'm tempted to order one of each and just return the one that doesn't fit but it would be nice not to spend the extra $6 in return shipping.

Thanks,
Jared

Jared, I am 6'2" and 175, I purchased the Large Tall and it fits great. Just right around the chest/waist. I was glad I went with the tall- it fits my arms and covers my butt.

Hi Jared--I'm 5'9, but have a long torso, 34 1/2" arms. I wear either a 40 or a 42 jacket--I think the chest would fit you fine, or be slightly tight if you're a large 42. Jacket length, measured along an edge from shoulder seam/arm junction to bottom, is 28". Along middle of back, from collar seam to bottom, is 28.5". Hope this helps, and hasn't come too late. Just saw your post.

Edited by swimjay on 07/31/2010 10:51:35 MDT.

They keep dropping the prices. I was tempted into getting a vest too-- $39 ($51 with shipping, handling and taxes). The remaining jackets are going for $59. Small, XL, and XXL left at this writing. Woow woow!

http://www.eddiebauer.com/EB/Mens-Outerwear/Winter-Outerwear-Clearance/index.cat

Dang, I should have ordered that Medium-Long! Sounds like it would have fit.

Ended up getting only the Large-Long and had to return it to the local Eddie Bauer store because the sleeves looked like accordions on my arms and the bottom hem of the jacket fell way over my back pockets, almost past my inseam.

The jacket looked really good and the red was true to the photos. Oh well, I'll keep an eye out for Mont-bell stuff now and start the Fall season with my down vest instead.

Edit: James, those measurements are spot-on for me - thanks! I just reordered the jacket in Slate Med-Long and saved $40 over last week's purchase!

Edited by Village on 08/05/2010 08:24:45 MDT.

Just got myself a down sweater for $70 shipped. I hope the small is not too small, I am 5'7"/145 lbs and I wear small with North Face but medium with Mtn Hardwear. Any input?

Does Eddie Bauer have the same return policy as REI? Lifetime satisfaction?


http://www.eddiebauer.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?sectionId=296

I'm 5'8"/155 and went with a medium. It's not "too big", but there's definitely room underneath for a few layers even. I could probably zip into a small but not be very comfortable or have an easy range of motion. If I had to guess I'd say the SM will work for you, but maybe only light layers will fit underneath.

And their return policy is good.

I was at an Eddie Bauer store here in Seattle looking at a jacket and the sales woman told me you can bring anything back....regardless.....just like REI she said.

Noel,
I wear the small downlight sweater and i'm 5'6" 135 lbs. There's plenty of room underneath for additional layers. I think the small would fit you great.

Also, mine came in at 11.1 oz on my scale, a little under the spec'd weight. Thanks for heads up again Dale.

Edited by gnawd87 on 08/05/2010 13:13:01 MDT.

EB has a dropdown sizing chart (in kinda fine print) by each pop-up item.

Looks like 'Tall' adds 2 inches to a shirt ( & jacket I assume) + 1 inch or so to the sleeves. FWIW I always go Tall when a mfr offers a choice.

Thanks guys,
I wonder how it compares to Patagonia or MontBell's down sweater in terms of warmth and compressibility.

Edited by akatsuki_the_devil on 08/05/2010 21:15:34 MDT.

From what I've seen in stores, Patagonia's down gear tends to cut toward the 'generous' big-boy waistline. I have not seen a Patagonia down product that was anything but Regular, IE no 'Tall', 'Long' etc.

EB's size chart for the First Ascents says they are cut to be trim and snug. A lot of us are about to find out, including me.

> Thanks guys,
> I wonder how it compares to Patagonia or MontBell's down sweater in terms of warmth and >compressibility.

BPL's State of the Market Report for lightweight down jackets (just recently published) reviews this jacket. It's a great article worth the $8 or whatever they charge for a single article, or $25/year (IIRC) subscription if you're looking for a down jacket.

One of my favorite features of this jacket is that it stuffs into its own pocket. So many manufacturers don't do this, sometimes giving you a stuff sac (extra weight) and other times not at all.

Edited by StephanCal on 08/05/2010 21:26:42 MDT.

erased

Edited by eahoppe on 12/11/2012 21:53:06 MST.

I just ordered and received the Downlight Sweater in an XL Tall, but it's a little big on me. They are out of L Tall so I thought I'd see if anyone bought and L Tall that they would either want to trade from an XL Tall or sell. Great jacket. Bought the vest also, L tall is perfect on me. First time I've had a vest that comes down to my hips.

I went into the EB in Tysons Corner last night to order an XXL Tall. They dropped the price again to $49.99. The woman on the phone matched the price AND gave me an additional 20% off as part of some promotion they were running that day if you ordered via phone through a store.

All in all, an 800-fill down sweater that was normally $169 for $39.99 and shipped free to my house. Even if it leaks a little bit of down you can't go wrong at that price.

Just got my XL Tall jacket and L Tall vest. I'd say these run at least one size Large. The EB sizing chart says they run 'snug'; but I'd say just the opposite.

For anyone looking to order in future, I'm 6' and 185 and the XL Tall jacket swallows me up like Jonah and the whale. I have 35/36 sleeves and the XL Tall jacket sleeves can come down to my fingertips if I loosen the elastic wristband to let 'em fall. The bottom hem comes way below my jeans back pocket bottom seam. And it's cut really roomy in the waist/torso; I could fit a big fleece jacket, a hydration pack, a couple of fanny packs and about thirty-forty more pounds under the XL jacket easily...no exaggeration.
I'm going to try and swap the XL Tall jacket for a L Regular and the L Tall vest for a L Regular.
Workmanship on these is great and they're superlight. Good product, worth buying. But sized really Large when most down manufacturers seem (to me) to size small, especially on length. I'd say no need to 'size up' with Bauer's First Ascent stuff like some of the other makers, and for me at 6' and 35 sleeves, 'Tall' was overkill.

I just received my jacket in Medium-Tall after returning a size Large-Tall. The Large-Tall was huge, draping much like you described the XL-Tall. The Medium-Tall however fits almost perfectly. There's a big difference in size between the two. I'm 6ft even, 175-180lbs, and 42in chest. The only problem is when I cross my arms, the armpit seams are snug against my lat muscles (and I'm thin up top!). The point of my post is that the EB sizes seem to vary greatly from industry comps. I really like the jacket though! Can't wait for cooler weather.

My experience is a bit different. I'm 5'-10", 38 chest, 33 waist, 155-160 lb. My Downlight vest in medium fits very well except that it's a bit snug in the upper chest. It's OK over a T-shirt and a flannel shirt, but I wouldn't want to wear much more under it. Length is great - same as a parka.

I'm 6'3" 210lbs. Found the xl tall too tight in the chest. Got an xxl, much better but not perfect, the arms seem huge. But for the money...

Mine was snug in the chest as well. The XXL regular fit really well except for the snugness in the chest which is why I am trying out the XXL Tall. Hopefully it will provide just a little more breathing room (literally) in the chest. Otherwise the XXL is tolerable for what it will be used for, primarily around camp and for sleeping.

Edited by mak52580 on 08/13/2010 13:59:02 MDT.

Called Bauer's 800# today about exchanging down to smaller sizes. Helpful rep confirmed website is correct & most sizes except XXL are sold out.

BUT, she told me the website & her inventory screens only reflect Bauer's central warehouse, not inventory in local stores, which she can't see. So, call around your local stores & see what they have. After Marc's tip I called around & found a smaller vest for even exchange. (Going from Tall down to Regular makes a big diff).

Store manager says the closeout sale is because the First Ascent line is being slightly redesigned for the Fall. Also says Labor Day will mean bigger sales than usual because it's been a rough recession summer season.

I've got one for sale that is new with tags. It's a mens size small and blue in color.

Jimmie, I might be interested in that. You don't have PM setup though.


email me javan.dempsey at gmail.com

Definitely check your local stores for sweaters and vests. Buddy just picked one up and reported that they had all sizes (maybe not in all colors) and lots of them.

Where at specifically? I know mine in Tysons Corner, VA had XL and XXL remaining, but they said they could do store-to-store swaps if needed.

I spoke with the store manager briefly when I was there and he said he was so sick of having them in his store and having to look at them. He said they didn't sell that well because no one trusted them (I think this has to do with the feelings of others as stated on this board that EB "sold out" to become more mainstream) and also because of the high price tag. He was glad to see them go although already not looking forward to receiving the 2010 version and repeating the process.

Small fits great. I think they needed the sale to put more of their brand out there. 1st ascent line is pretty new and having the cloth out there will bring more people to check them out. However, by selling them at such a big discount, it shows how much of a margin they are getting and maybe some people will wait for their sale.

I saw this thread a little late but I still managed to run into my local store today and pick up an XL Tall vest for $29 and while I was there I also fell for the fleece that was on sale. Not very ultralight but ultracomfortable and it will be nice for skiing and day hikes. I might order the igniter jacket online then return in store if I don't like it.

I am a little over 6'3" and 215lbs. Athletic build and the XL tall fleece and vest fit me great. I could have worn the L tall but it didn't give the same mobility or comfort that the XL does.

Edit: I ended up ordering the frontpoint jacket online. Hopefully it will be here in a couple of days and I can comment on it.

Edited by MarkR11 on 08/30/2010 01:17:48 MDT.

this stuff is beautiful and legit. I tripped out on it at the Boulder store a few months back. Totally gorgeous well made product. Didn;t buy of course cause I'm a cheapskate! Maybe I'll take the chance now...

Any working Eddie Bauer/1st Ascent coupons out there? I tried BAUER618, but it no longer works.

HJ

Edited by hikin_jim on 08/28/2010 21:15:34 MDT.

FR2PANTS gets you 20% off your order (clearance items excepted) if you buy a pair of pants.

The downlight vests on clearance were shown as sold out yesterday but are back today.

HJ

My frontpoint shell came in the mail and first impressions are great. I tried layering it over the down vest and over the point success fleece and it seemed to work out very well. I will probably wear the shell to ski in addition to taking it on hikes. Everything seems well made and is very comfortable.

...downlight vest in L and special edition sweater in XXL available now. Also, see mountain guide lite pants in XL.

Anyone have a set of mountain guide lite pants care to comment on sizing? According to the size chart, I should use a large, but am considering the available xl's.

--edit-- meant to put this in the downlight sweater clearance thread. I really should finish my morning coffee before posting.

Edited by roguenode on 10/27/2010 05:44:54 MDT.

The daily updates are getting smaller and smaller- so if you see something you want, grab it! I looked this morning at 8 AM CST, and everything posted was already sold out. First time I've seen the Downlight Limited Edition, too.

I've not tried the Mountain Guide pants, but I did buy a pair of Igniter pants. They serve a different purpose, so you probably can't draw a direct comparison... But the Igniter pant I bought was HUGE. I wear XXL in everything else I've tried from First Ascent, and an XXL in the hiking pants I own by Mountain Hardware, etc. The XXL Regular Igniter I bought was way, way too big. My usual inseam is 31", so I get 30" or 32" depending; inseam on the Regular height is supposed to be 32". Seemed more like 36"- even when hiked up as far as possible, I had inches of fabric past the bottom of my shoes and the knee reinforcements were at the bottom of my knees. Maybe it makes sense with platform mountaineering boots, but I couldn't figure out any situation in which I'd be able to wear them without doing some serious tailoring.

Anyway, fortunately returning them was such a trivial matter, as it always is with EB. If you get a pair, I'd like to hear how the sizing works out for you- I was debating a pair of the Mountain Guide pants myself.