L.L. Bean Ascent Hooded Softshell Jacket: Soft Shells Reviews
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
BARGAIN SOFT SHELL
The Ascent’s house-brand, fleece-lined soft-shell fabric is windproof and nearly waterproof. Raindrops beaded and poured off the stretchy face fabric for hours, while a three-point adjustable hood sealed out blowing snow. And when we picked up the pace, the core zips let us dump heat. So what’s the catch? It doesn’t breathe as well as other soft shells (hence the core zips), the hood barely fits over a helmet, and the bulky fabric and loose cut will overwhelm slighter builds. But these are relatively minor gripes. The Ascent costs half as much as similarly performing jackets
and never let us down in the field. 2 lbs;
Breathability: 3
Wind/Water Resistance: 4