Stoic Welder Insulated Softshell Jacket Review

When Backcountry.com announced the release of their Stoic line of outerwear and apparel, I was stoked. While some “house brand” products can be pretty ho-hum, Backcountry has a way of producing very technical and usable products for committed outdoors enthusiasts. Take the Backcountry.com Stoic eVent shell, for example. That jacket continues to be my top choice for ultralight all-season protection and can be found in my backpack on nearly every backcountry ski tour I take.

With those high expectations, I embarked on an adventure with the new Stoic Welder Insulated Softshell jacket. While this jacket leans more towards the resort side of the spectrum, it’s still built with a nice cut and all the features you’d come to expect from a hard-core outerwear manufacturer. Most noteworthy is the welded softshell exterior. While most jackets still utilize stitching, Stoic has chosen to weld nearly every seam on this jacket (hence the name Welder) for a more streamlined and lightweight feel. The seams are a little stiff, but you eliminate the need for taped seams and all the garbage that comes along with it, so the tradeoff is minimal.

If you’ve ever worn a Kjus jacket, then you know how comfortable a quality ski jacket can feel. Well, I’d put the Stoic Welder Insulated jacket pretty much on par, comfort-wise, to a Kjus jacket. Yes, it lacks some of the fancy bells and whistles that Kjus is known for, but for almost a third of the price, you’re better off going for this jacket.

The softshell fabric is stretchy enough to make all movements feel natural and comfortable while the lightweight insulation isn’t bulky at all, but provides enough warmth to keep the notoriously-cold bodies nice and toasty.

Of course the jacket has fleece-lined pockets galore with easily-grabbed zipper pulls (for use with gloves on) and pit zips. The pit zips are nice to have, but they are backed with a mesh lining that prevents full-on opening. This is good and bad, but I think mostly bad. The mesh lining prevents snow from entering, but it also reduces their effectiveness. So, for those of us who forget to zip up the pits before dropping into the waist-deep goodness High Ruslter at Alta, you’ll be stoked, but you’ll not be able to dump heat as well on the long traverse.

The overall function of this jacket is great and I look forward to putting it through its paces through the remainder of the season.

The Good

• High-quality feel without the huge pricetag
• Welded seams simplify construction and reduce bulk
• Fleece-lined pockets are comfy cozy
• Cut is just right… not super-athletic, but not baggy (I’ll call it form-fit)
• Zippers all zip up/down with ease with or without gloves on
• Pit zips
• Muted, classic styling
• A little extra backside coverage helps

The Bad

• Mesh-backed pit zips reduce ventilation
• Hood is a little difficult to adjust on-the-fly
• No powder skirt (not a huge deal, but some prefer it)

Final Thoughts: Stoic Welder Insulated Jacket

My final verdict is very positive on this jacket for inbounds use. It’s comfortable and extremely warm. You’d be hard-pressed to find its equal at this price.

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