Simms recently released their newest piece of synthetic insulated jackets called the Kinetic Jacket. We were able to get our hands on one this past summer, and had the pleasure of putting it through an entire Alaska season. We’re pleased to announce that it survived, and today we thought we’d tell you what else we liked.. no, loved about it.
Introduction
We’ve long been a fan of ‘puffy,’ synthetic insulation style jackets. They’re light, warm, dry super fast, and pack down to next to nothing. They’ve become a staple in our layering system whenever fishing in cool weather climates, and we rarely hit the water without one.
With that said, sometimes puffys can actually be too warm at times, causing you to become clammy underneath when the fishing gets a little more extreme than anticipated. Sometimes, they can be a bit restrictive for the range of motion needed when casting, rowing, etc. That is until now.
Enter, the Kinetic Jacket.
Design
The design of the Kinetic Jacket is pretty simple. Stretchy fleece panels along the sides of the body and arms allow for greater breathability AND range of motion, while PrimaLoft insulation elsewhere offers all of the benefits we love about puff!
Warmth
The Kinetic Jacket features PrimaLoft Gold insulation, PrimaLoft’s highest quality synthetic insulation. According to Simms, even when wet its able to maintain 96% of it’s warmth. We’ve yet to run our own statistical analysis, so for the time being we’ll just say when it got wet (which is pretty common in Western Alaska) we stayed warm.
Layering
Layering is key to comfort on the water and puffys are an excellent component to any layering system. Their slick outer fabric slides freely under rain shells or wading jackets instead of binding up like traditional fleece. However, The fleece used on the Kinetic Jacket (Polartec Wind Pro for you true gear junkies out there), is much different than traditional fleece. It has a smooth outer texture that doesn’t bind up making for a super comfortable layer.
It Has a Hood
We love hoods on our jackets. They add extra warmth, keep our hat on while on-step, and serve as a helmet against errant casts. We found the design of the hood on the Kinetic Jacket to be well planned, easily buttoning-up tight over a hat without reducing visibility. It also nested perfectly under the hood of the Simms Slick Jacket. But we have a feeling that’s not a coincidence.
Summary
If you can’t tell already, we’re a huge fan of the Kinetic Jacket. It kept us warm, comfortable, and looking good on even the most heinous days of the season. If you’re looking for a super comfy yet versatile puffy, look no further. The Kinetic Jacket is currently offered in two colors, including ‘fury orange’ shown above and retails at your local fly shop for $249.95.
Here’s our product review policy and FTC disclosure.
Thanks for the lowdown in your update on the kinetic jacket. I’ve always been a low budget tech type until I read this article. This sounds exactly like what I need underneath my goose hunting camo.
Hey Chuck,
Glad to hear we could help. We highly recommend it! Thanks for stopping by!