REI Revelcloud Jacket - Women's Review

Name: REI Revelcloud Jacket - Women's
Brand: REI

REI Revelcloud Jacket - Women's Review (REI Revelcloud - Women's) — REI Revelcloud - Women's
Credit: REI

Price: $130 List

Manufacturer: REI

By Amanda Fenn ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Sep 25, 2013

OVERALL
SCORE

Comfort - 20% 6.0
Compressibility - 25% 8.0
Warmth - 25% 5.0
Durability - 10% 5.0
Style - 10% 4.0
Water Resistance - 10% 3.0

View at REI

Our Verdict

The Revelcloud Jacket is discontinued.

REASONS TO BUY

Made of recycled materials

Pocket for iPod

Inexpensive

REASONS TO AVOID

Boxy cut

Not as warm for the weight

One of the four lightweight jackets that we tested that had a quilted design, the REI Revelcloud was the most affordable within this subcategory, which also includes our Top Pick, the Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic Jacket - Women's, the Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover, and the North Face Blaze Jacket. Although we liked the Revelcloud jacket, it wasn't as lightweight as the Nano Puff, as comfy as the Thermostatic, or as flattering as the Blaze. We tested an older model of this piece and were pleasantly surprised to find that the new version has an integrated lumbar stuff pocket and a cool new quilting pattern. This piece didn't score as highly as some of its competitors, but it is comparable in several regards if you are looking to save a little money.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison

rei revelcloud jacket for women - here, you can see the revelcloud's boxy cut. this piece is less... — Here, you can see the Revelcloud's boxy cut. This piece is less expensive than jackets like the Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic, but it is not as attractive or as warm.
Credit: Amanda Fenn

Warmth

REI used 60g/m2 of recycled PrimaLoft insulation for this piece, which makes it more environmentally friendly, but just not quite as toasty as the Patagonia Nano Puff, which uses higher quality PrimaLoft ONE insulation. Like most of the jackets in this review, the Revelcloud has a pull cord at its hemline to seal in warmth. It doesn't zip up as high as the Helly Hansen Odin Isolator jacket, but its collar still comes up to the top of the neck. The Revelcloud also comes in a hooded version for extra warmth.

rei revelcloud jacket for women - a light layer that will keep cozy on a mild winter day, the... — A light layer that will keep cozy on a mild winter day, the Revelcloud is filled with 60 g/m2 of PrimaLoft ECO insulation.
Credit: Trish McGuire

Compressibility & Weight

The newest version of the REI Revelcloud compresses into an internal lumbar pouch — a great improvement over the separate stuff sack that was included with older models. This piece was the heaviest of the quilted jackets, at just over 10.5 ounces, even without some of the comfy features that added weight on the Thermostatic.

rei revelcloud jacket for women - the fall 2013 revelcloud compresses into its own pouch, but it is a... — The fall 2013 Revelcloud compresses into its own pouch, but it is a little bit bigger than the compressed form of the older Revelcloud.
Credit: Amanda Fenn

Comfort & Coziness

In regards to comfort and coziness, this jacket is pretty minimalistic…no fleece-lined pockets or chin guard on the Revelcloud. One feature that we did like about this piece was its external chest pocket with headphone port. This unique extra keeps your headphones tucked away and out of sight. Plus, the zippered chest pocket is just big enough for an iPhone.

rei revelcloud jacket for women - one cool feature we liked on the rei revelcloud was its integrated... — One cool feature we liked on the REI Revelcloud was its integrated headphone system. You can easily put an iPod in the exterior chest pocket and run the headphones up through the inside.
Credit: McKenzie Long

Durability

We noticed a few snags on the Revelcloud's quilting, but not as much as on the North Face Blaze. This jacket has a recycled Pertex Quantum shell, which makes it one of the more environmentally friendly pieces in this review. Additionally, this outer fabric proved to be similar in abrasion resistance to the Patagonia Nano Puff, a piece known for its performance as a workhorse rock climbing jacket.

rei revelcloud jacket for women - the rei revelcloud's outer fabric and insulation are both made with... — The REI Revelcloud's outer fabric and insulation are both made with recycled materials. We were pleasantly surprised to find that this jacket was fairly durable.
Credit: Trish McGuire

Water Resistance

Although the REI Revelcloud has a DWR finish, it was actually one of the least water resistant pieces in this review. When we sprayed the Editors' Choice Award winner, the Rab Xenon X and other highly rated water resistant jackets water beaded up and rolled off; however, when water hit the shell of the Revelcloud, it just sort of soaked in. We would only recommend using this piece in a super light rain.

Style & Fit

Like the Patagonia Nano Puff, the REI Revelcloud has a bit of a boxy cut in the torso, which wasn't very flattering on our slimmer testers. We did like the new sunburst-like pattern on the fall 2013 jacket, as well as the cool zig zag design on the hooded version. This piece is also unique in its sleeve design: it has raglan sleeves whose seams come all the way up to the collar, giving the Revelcloud a slightly different look than the other jackets. As for fit, the jacket's sleeves and torso were long enough for all our testers.

rei revelcloud jacket for women - trish mcguire puts the rei revelcloud to the test rock climbing... — Trish McGuire puts the REI Revelcloud to the test rock climbing. This jacket had good overall mobility and long enough sleeves for our testers, but it also had an unattractive boxy cut.
Credit: Trish McGuire

Best Application

This is a nice affordable piece for general outdoor use. Unlike the Best Buy Award winner, the Columbia Kaleidaslope II Jacket - Women's, the Revelcloud is lightweight and compressible, so it works well as an extra layer while hiking and other outdoor activities on cool days.

Value

At $149, the REI Revelcloud was one of the most affordable pieces that we reviewed. If you're hoping to save some money, it will likely get the job done, but if you have $50 extra to spend, you will probably end up with a jacket that has greater technical capabilities or better comfy features and a more flattering fit. On the other hand, the Columbia Kaleidaslope II is a great around town jacket for even less.

rei revelcloud jacket for women - the revelcloud compresses down quite small, making it a great extra... — The Revelcloud compresses down quite small, making it a great extra layer to throw into your pack if the weather unexpectedly changes.
Credit: Zach Smith

Other Versions

Hooded jacket, vest, plus sizes, men's versions.

— Amanda Fenn