When the autumn chill rolls in, zip up the Arc'Teryx Men's Covert Vest and start sharpening your ice tools, because winter's almost here. And when the icy gales come through, wear this comfy Polartec Thermal Pro vest out to the pub over your favorite sweater or as second layer for skiing.
Bottom Line: Mountain performance built for casual conditions.
I agree the collar doesn't want to stay folded down, but other than that there is not a lot to quibble about. The styling is more current than quirky, but the real appeal is in the details, and this vest offers more than most. The cloth trim on the outside of the pockets feels much sturdier than the typical fleece vest. The inside is lined (padded?) with a material that I assume is meant to wick moisture while maintaining warmth. Unzipping the pockets allows for venting of the torso. Wearing this under a light shell while hiking in low 20 degree temps was not a problem - no chills, and no overheating while pumping up the hills. I always thought of fleece as a poor man's insulator, but Arcteryx has changed my mind.
The styling is o.k. but it is unusually long compared to every other vest I have purchased. So it hangs out from underneath jackets. This is o.k. for an informal look but at work it doesn't look as good being so long. How long? It almost covers my butt. Fleece is different than most but I kind of like it. It lays down differently. It is about as warm as most fleece.
Price is high compared to most vests
If Arc'teryx wants to improve this upper $ vest they should shorten it and look into a wind resistant fleece fabric option too.
