ProView – Ultimate Direction Men’s Ventro Jacket
Recreating year-round requires a more diverse range of specialty apparel for activities during late fall, winter, and early spring. Central Washington, where I live, has an arid shrub-steppe for its local ecosystem which can be cold and windy in the winter but I have alpine conditions within an hour of driving. Given the wide range of elements, I face during this time of year I was excited for the opportunity to test the Ultimate Direction Men’s Ventro Jacket.
Ultimate Direction Men's Ventro Jacket
Product Description: The Ventro Jacket has the highest warmth-to-breathability ratio using award-winning Clo® Eco Vivo insulation, a breathable liner, and perforated materials in high-sweat areas. Built in and stowable Flip Mitts™ are also included for all-around best protection during extreme weather.
Offer price: $199.95
-
Quality
(5)
-
Features
(4)
-
Fit
(4)
-
Breathability
(4)
-
Durability
(4)
-
Warmth/Wind Protection
(5)
-
Eco-Friendly
(4)
-
Style
(3)
Summary
The Ultimate Direction Ventro is an excellent jacket for cold weather activities from the shoulder seasons to the single digits in the depths of winter. Ideally, I would like to see pit-zips in the Ventro as well as more color combinations offered by Ultimate Direction on future versions. As spring begins to creep into the Pacific Northwest and temperatures warm, I’m a little sad to have to see the Ventro heading to the closet, but come October it will be back in regular rotation for my frosty morning runs.
Overall
4.1Pros
- Excellent wicking and breathability
- Stowable Flip Mitts™ for hand warmth
- Perforated back and underarm panels for ventilation
- Recycled materials used for insulation
Cons
- Insulating material in sleeves from elbows down caused overheating
- Lightweight jacket material (question long term durability)
- Lack of pit-zips
- Lack of color choices
Fit/Comfort
My body structure is 5’7” and 185 pounds with broad shoulders/chest and I tested a size large of the jacket. An extra-large would have fit me better in the shoulder and chest but likely the sleeves would have been too long. Overall I found the Ventro jacket to be designed for a slimmer body frame than mine, so I found the jacket to be snug in the chest/upper back but not too restrictive. This is due to the material Ultimate Direction used to create the jacket with mesh stretch panels located on the axilla and sides of the jacket. I also never needed to layer with this jacket so the form fit was not an overall negative experience. The activities I tested the jacket in were running (road and trail), day-hiking, and classic cross country skiing.
Features/Construction
The Ventro Jacket is made up of a thin outer shell layer, which blocked up to 25 mph wind gusts for me while hiking, allowing the Clo® Eco Vivo insulation to retain heat during cold weather activities. The insulation in the jacket, Ultimate Direction reports, is 30% more breathable than traditional insulation and is made with 90% recycled fibers. Ultimate Direction placed grid fleece stretch panels in the axilla and sides to increase mobility and breathability. There are ventilation panels located on the back and axilla along with “cooling vents” in the upper back and chest areas. Combined with the main zipper, this does a great job at dumping heat during more strenuous activities. My personal favorite feature of the jacket is the stowable flip mitts™ that kept my hands warm during the first mile of my runs until they warmed up. Conversely, the warm fleece material used from the elbows to hands retains heat more efficiently which caused me to overheat in my forearms during the later portion of my runs. Overall I felt the optimal temperature for use of this jacket was on days less than thirty-five degrees (keep in mind I tend to “run warmer” than a smaller framed athlete). The last notable feature is the deep warm hood for early morning runs which again I utilized for the first one to two miles until I warmed up.
Eco/Social Responsibility
I appreciate that Ultimate Direction is proactively looking for recycled materials to incorporate into their gear designs. The 90% recycled Clo® Eco Vivo insulation was excellent at keeping me warm as well as wicking away moisture during my activities. After a morning of classic cross country skiing my base layers remained warm and dry while the Ventro jacket was damp when I took it off after skiing from the moisture it had wicked away from my body.
Ultimate Direction also has an excellent social responsibility platform including safe working standards for its employees and global factory partners, age verification of all workers to ensure no child labor, and practice environmental safekeeping. Ultimate Direction has had a well-established Social Responsibility Program since 1995 which is monitored and enforced to ensure safe working practices for all factory employees who produce the Ultimate Direction products.
The Final Word
The Ultimate Direction Ventro is an excellent jacket for cold weather activities from the shoulder seasons to the single digits in the depths of winter. Ideally, I would like to see pit-zips in the Ventro as well as more color combinations offered by Ultimate Direction on future versions. As spring begins to creep into the Pacific Northwest and temperatures warm, I’m a little sad to have to see the Ventro heading to the closet, but come October it will be back in regular rotation for my frosty morning runs.
Shop Ultimate Direction Men’s Ventro Jacket on Outdoor Prolink. Not a member? Apply today!
About the Gear Tester
Ryan Beachy
Ryan Beachy is a Physician Assistant and volunteer SAR member. You can find him outdoors hiking, running, biking, and shooting photography. He lives in Washington State with his wife, two daughters, and a feisty cockapoo. You can connect with him on Instagram at @cascadia_argonaut.
Your review is well done Ryan. Thank you.
We agree! Thanks for checking out Ryan’s review! 🙂