Marmot Spire Jacket for men is a 3-layer technical Gore-Tex pice, fully waterproof and very breathable, suitable for highly aerobic outdoor adventures.
Key features & benefits
- 4 seasons jacket.
- Fully waterproof 3-layer Gore-Tex.
- Very breathable.
- Angel-Wing design for unrestricted movement.
- Pit zips.
- Removable powder skirt.
- DriClime lined chin guard.
- 4 pockets.
What kind of jacket is this
The Spire is a quite technical jacket with many useful features suitable for mountaineers and alpinists. You have a very durable polyester 4.9 oz/yd shell fabric here and this is a 3-layer type Gore-Tex material, very breathable as required for such intense physical activities. To fully appreciate the material used here and to understand how it works, I warmly recommend reading my text about Gore-Tex.
All seams are fully taped, so this with the mentioned membrane should keep you dry in any weather conditions.
Note that this is just a shell, designed to protect you, so there is no insulation but it is not designed to insulate you; one piece of a good fleece jacket will solve this issue.
The jacket is a regular fit so it allows for lots of layering and this is the feature which you will find great here. In addition to this, you have what they call the Angel Wing design so that the jacket makes no restriction to your arms movement.
The hood
The hood is helmet compatible, large enough for a climbing or ski helmet. It is equipped with a wire brim, and you have four adjustment elements, two on the sides and two on the back whete you have a toggle plus a Velcro tab, see the pictures.
Pockets
You have two pockets on the front, visible in the picture above, with water-resistant zippers, and positioned quite high so they remain fully functional even when you have a hip belt from the pack or the climbing harness on. Note that these pockets are with laser drilled holes to enhance breathability; for this to work you should unzip the pockets.
One pocket is on the left sleeve, with the same water-resistant zipper, and you also have an inner mesh zippered pocket. So 4 pockets in total, not bad at all.
Other features
The jacket is equipped with a removable powder skirt. It is there to prevent cold air for entering from below and also the snow if you are in skiing activities. It is with a zipper that goes around, plus two snap buttons on the front, so it is fully removable when you do not need it, see the picture.
On the hem, you have draw cords with adjustability on both sides. The cuffs are wide but with Velcro tabs, so you can dial in the fit, and can use this to fix them over your gloves.
The front zipper is with a storm flap and under the chin you have DriClime-lined chin guard for extra comfort. This is a nice detail, I have jackets with and without it and can tell you, you feel the difference. Note that the zipper is the two-way type, for extra venting and also suitable if you have a harness.
I mentioned excellent breathability, but they did not stop there, so you also have pit zips for extra venting when you need it, a very useful feature for aerobic activities.
Good and less good features & rating
Here is my short summary:
- Exceptionally comfortable.
- Allows for layering.
- Great quality.
- Durable and pleasant materials.
- Technical jacket with useful details.
- Expensive.
The price & rating
As of the moment of writing this text the price for this jacket on Amazon is in the range $280 – 400, so please follow this link to find the best option; you will notice the version for women as well. Here is my rating for this jacket, you will realize that the average value is very affected by the price:
My rating breakdown of the Marmot Spire Jacket
-
Protection & reliability - 9.3/10
9.3/10
-
Weight - 8.0/10
8.0/10
-
Features - 9.5/10
9.5/10
-
Colors - 8.5/10
8.5/10
-
Price - 7.5/10
7.5/10
Specifications
- Best use: mountaineering, hiking, climbing, winter sports.
- Average weight: 1 lb 9 oz (709 g).
- Regular fit.
- Shell fabric: Gore-Tex 3 layer polyester.
- Warranty: limited lifetime.
- 100% seam taped.
Marmot Spire Jacket vs Competitors
It may be useful to see a few features of this jacket side by side with some other top brands, so you can make an educated choice. See how it compares:
Weight, g
Layers
External pockets
Internal pockets
Two way zipper
Pit zips
Fabric
Stows into
its pocket
Roll away hood
Powder skirt
Marmot
Spire
709
3
3
1
yes
yes
polyester
no
no
yes
Arcteryx
Alpha SL
305
2
1
no
no
no
nylon ripstop
no
no
no
Outdoor Research
Revel
351
2.5
2
1
yes
yes
nylon ripstop
yes
yes
no
All jackets here are top quality but I think the other two are not a match for the Spire. If you are surprised with its weight, bear in mind it has more pockets, it comes with the powder skirt which includes a long zipper, and it is a 3-layer construction.
Final thoughts
So as you realize, the Marmot Spire Jacket for men has so many small but functional details. In particular, those aimed at increasing breathability are numerous and in the case you missed, they include:
- the Gore-Tex membrane,
- pit zips,
- laser drilled holes in the pockets,
- two-way front zipper.
The jacket is technical and consequently expensive, but go for it if you can afford it. If you need something different please visit my page with clothing and you will find many rain shell jackets described in detail. Check this Marmot Magus jacket which is built in a similar style or the Patagonia Torrentshell jacket. You might also want to check this list with hand-picked Arc’teryx jackets. If you need a stretchy hard-shell, check this Outdoor Research Interstellar jacket and also this Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Jacket. See also this OR Optimizer, a 3-layer Gore-Tex hard shell jacket.
Thank you for reading. Please let me know if you have any question or comment, there is a comment box below. I wish you a nice day.
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