Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

One of my very favorite pieces of insulated outer wear. It's uber light, ( L is 9.3 oz. in BMW stuff sack) very lofty and very compressible. No cold spots. The little chest pocket is surprisingly very useful. Cut large enough to wear over mid weight baselayers, I use this year-round ( or will by the time Fall comes round) for backpacking, alpine climbing and backcountry skiing. It can only be improved by having the back cut lower.

As good as Patagonia's Micropuff Pullover is--this is better. 4.8 out of 5.

Edited by kdesign on 08/09/2005 12:38:01 MDT.

Rating: 3 / 5

First I do like the cocoon and I believe it will serve me well on my 700kilometer hike I'll start on Sunday. but..too short for tall people and I have this cold sport just above my belt.
Quote:
"The Cocoon pullover does not sacrifice weight by being offered in a size suitable only for supermodels or short torsos"...
Well I'm 6'3.....

Rating: 5 / 5

if a puffy white cumulus cloud was "reincarnated" as an insulated pullover, this would be the garment.

it's hard to believe that it's so light and lofts so high. i'm a bit incredulous each time i pull it out and put it on - it never ceases to amaze me.

got mine many months ago last year. more loft and seems a bit warmer than my Montbell U.L. Thermawrap Jacket - which is a close second. their wts. are about the same - both between 8.5 and 8.8 oz. no experience with the "puffball", so i can't comment/compare.

while i love the Montbell U.L. Thermawrap Jacket and have no complaints about it, the BMW Cocoon Pullover is my first choice when i need a jacket instead of just a vest. much too warm even at 20 deg F to wear while on-to-move on the trail - overheating with concomitant sweating would result.

zipper length is fine in this pullover = easy-on and easy off.

collar is very nice and provides good coverage for the neck and throat.

elastic wrists and waistband snug, but not tight, and certainly not too loose on mine.

the "Napolean"-style chest pocket is a nice touch. could wish it were just a bit larger, but it is quite functional just as it is.

mine is a size medium. perfect fit with room for layering over mid and base layers. since i'm so short, i don't have the problem others have noted, viz. that the torso length is too short for taller individuals. it's fine for me. the sleeves however are too long. if it were a fashion statement i was trying to make out on the trail, then this would be a negative. however, to my way of thinking, it's a positive attribute. if it gets real cold or windy, i can pull the sleeves down over my hands and possumDownGloves to keep them warmer, whether in camp or using trekking poles on the trail - good multi-use functionality. when i don't need them to cover and warm my hands, the elastic wrist closures keep the sleeves nice and tidy out of the way above my hands. the sleeves have never unintentionally slipped down over my hands.

with a wind/shell/rain jacket or anorak, the low twenties are no problem at all. early morning, low activity, mid-to-upper teens were fine too on the one occasion in which i used it at those temps. that time it was worn over merino wool mid-wt and base layers with a Montbell Wind Blast Anorak layered over it.

no matter where i'm wearing it (even to work), i wear a shell garment over it to protect the fragile, gossamer Quantum nylon fabric. therefore, i also can't comment on the DWR aspects of the garment. to me the DWR is not an impt feature since the shell garment handles that aspect nicely. however, its nice that it is treated in case the DWR windshell being worn over it wets through - just that little extra margin of protection.

the best of the best. a solid 4.95 (hey...nothing can't be improved on).

Rating: 5 / 5

This jacket is the "bees knees". So light, so warm. One off my best buys. Here in NZ we can only get the traditional down jackets. Whilst well made and very warm for our conditions, they are almost double the weight with equal warmth, and a problem if they get wet. The Cocoon is the envy of all my tramping (hiking) buddies.
One suggestion - colour options would be great, but hey it ain't no fashion show in the bush.

Edited by rlmckay on 11/26/2006 00:22:30 MST.

Rating: 3 / 5

First thoughts on the new cocoon vest:

1)The pertex quantum used has a finer rip stop grid pattern compared to the original cocoon pull-over, which translates, very subtly, to a stiffer hand and less silky feel, but it's still a very nice feeling fabric.

2)The armpit and waist elastic are snug enough to minimize heat loss, but not so tight as to be at all uncomfortable. (This is for a size medium, going over a 34 waist). General fit on me is comfortably snug in the shoulders, and generous in the torso without being too big.

3)For some reason, contact warmth is great--put this on, and you immediately start to feel warmer.

4)Length on me is perfect. I'm 5'9", but have a longish torso. If I reach up or bend over, the bottom of the vest stays put, both front and back. Others have said they wished the new cocoon pull-over had a longer tail, but I think one could be 3" or 4" taller and still find the vest OK in this regard.

5)The windblock channel behind the very smooth zipper is twice as wide (about 5/8") as on the original cocoon pullover, which seems like a good thing.

6)The collar is nice and high, and, because of Quantum's wonderful hand, quite comfortable. But this leads me to the vest's one, not insignificant, shortcoming--

7)The opening of the neck is unnecessarily large. For some reason, measured folded together flat, and compared to a first generation Large cocoon pullover, the neck for a Medium cocoon vest is 1" longer than for the pull-over. (equivalent to a 2" larger circumference.) I'm a bit afraid this is going to leak a lot of heat, and render the top 4" of the generously deep half-zipper redundant.

So, all in all, this vest is definitely a 5 until one comes to the collar diameter. If one consistently wears it with a hood, this probably won't be a problem, but without a hood,
a real opportunity for a very snug garment has been lost, unless I'm missing something--hence the 3 star rating. With a hood, 6 stars.

Rating: 5 / 5

This has been my favorite outer warmth garment since I got it from BMW several months ago. It's incredibly light and very warm. I'll still use it with an outer shell if the weather gets really nasty, but when I do it's just amazing how cozy I can be.

I have a medium size garment, and am about 5'10. The pullover fits me well, but I'm about average size anyway.

The chest pocket is a good thing and it seems the right size. It's a good place for lighters, Photon microlites or whatever.

Rating: 4 / 5

(This is a review for the hooded version)

Great materials and absolute minimum of features + weight. The hood is nicely adjustable, with both a simple velcro volume adjuster, and drawcords around the front.

Unfortunately for me the jacket is spoiled by a short & baggy fit through the torso and shoulders.

I usually wear a medium (5'8", 160lbs) without issue: the medium in this was huge. The small is still too baggy (eg much less fitting than my *medium* Montbell Alpine Light jacket), however I can't go smaller because it's also too short, which means it's constantly riding up too high. Some room for a certain amount of layering is ok, but this isn't sold as a belay jacket (it's too short at any rate) and yet I could fit a large puffy down vest under it.

The bagginess is not just a fashion problem: it means cold air gets pumped in and out under the jacket. On a cold wet night I was getting some water, wearing the cocoon under my rain shell. Bending over I could feel the rush of hot air coming out around the neck from the air spaces around my torso.

Frustrating because otherwise this is a fantastic simple ultralight piece.