Founded in Seattle, Washington, Beyond Clothing eschews traditional business practices to preserve the places and the ecosystems we all love to explore. They use sustainable production methods, using Bluesign®-certified and recycled materials that are free from harmful levels of more than 100 substances known to be a risk to human health.
Any overlander knows that a solid layering system is critical for staying comfortable on the road. Beyond Clothing creates durable and sustainable clothing designed for layering to optimize your time outside. I’ve been using the Beyond Stretch Alpha L5 Jacket for months now, and it’s become a favorite in my clothing system.
Beyond’s commitment to creating a sustainable business was immediately apparent when this jacket arrived. All the packaging used to pack and ship their products is either compostable or recyclable. Their order inserts and hang tags are even made with lavender and poppy seed paper, which means you can plant them, and they’ll grow into some of pollinators’ favorite flowers.
The Alpha L5 is as comfortable as a cotton hoodie but far more versatile. The stretch material makes it easy to wear when active, and the fleece lining makes it comfortable enough that you don’t want to take it off when you sit down. The stretch fabric keeps the hood secure on your head and conforms to fit over a hat as well. It has four pockets with secure zipper closures, two hand pockets, and an interior chest pocket on either side of the center zipper.
This jacket uses three layers of breathable weather-resistant materials to create a coat you’ll want to wear all day. I’ve used this jacket as my only layer when hiking, bike riding, and chopping wood on cold days. It breathes well during high-output activities so that you don’t overheat. The lightweight insulation still keeps you warm when you stop moving. It’s not as warm as a down parka, but it is warm enough for chilly nights. It also fits tightly enough to fit a larger layer over it.
The exterior material on this jacket is a water-resistant stretch softshell fabric made of Tweave® Durastretch® Nylon. The fabric is very durable; after months of wearing the Alpha L5, there are no rips or tears. It’s treated with a DWR coating as well, which has kept me dry on some rainy days.
It’s lined with Polartec® Power Grid® Fleece. This fleece material has rows of insulating fleece, which create small air pockets to trap heat. In between the rows of insulation is a thin and breathable polyester. This material lets the hot air out when too much builds up during heavy exercise. The fleece also feels good against your bare skin, unlike some jackets with slippery lining material.
In between is an extremely thin layer of Polartec® Alpha® insulation. At first, I couldn’t even tell there was insulation in this jacket. But after some digging between the interior and exterior layers, I was able to find the fine sheet of material. The Polartec does a lot more than I expected to keep you warm. As I said, it’s not as warm as down, but it’s pretty warm, considering how thin the insulation is.
$150 | beyondclothing.com
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