I wrote a review of the Kuiu Teton Insulated jacket shortly after I purchased it and thought it best to do a follow up review of it after wearing it out a few times.  If you’d like to check out the previous review, you can do so by clicking here.  I’ll try to keep this one short and to the point and only cover the topics that I feel are relevant to a follow up review.

 

Initial Thoughts

 

I actually really love the Teton Insulated Jacket from Kuiu.  For how great it is for the price point, I don’t think there is a better jacket out there, but it does come with some minor setbacks – none of which are detrimental to performance.  In fact, I would have no hesitation to pick another one up if it came in a solid color!

 

The Insulated Jacket is pretty dang amazing if you ask me.  When we see a “cheaper” product on Kuiu’s website, we tend to think “cheaper” quality, but that’s not the case.  The feel of this jacket is top notch and it’s freakishly warm and quiet.  I’ve stopped bringing a soft shell jacket with me on trips because this piece does the trick so well that an outer layer just isn’t needed.  It blocks the wind and warms me up once the sun goes down.  I’ve had it in high winds and fairly chilly mornings and haven’t once thought “oh no…this is why it’s cheaper!”  In fact, I really have no idea why anyone would buy the higher priced insulated jacket unless they want it to be down filled. 

 

Quality

 

Again, this Insulated Jacket is NOT cheap in terms of quality.  It’s not a hard shell, but no puffy type jacket is so who cares how “durable” the fabric really is?  None of my puffy jackets get abused like other jackets might, so for me, the Teton line is perfect.  The insulation is super warm and it’s crazy comfortable to wear around.  It doesn’t have that slick looking sheen to it that most puffy jackets have and because there is no sheen to it, it doesn’t reflect light in the woods. 

 

Fit

 

I happen to like my clothing to have a more athletic cut so one minor setback to this Insulated Jacket is that it’s not as trim as I’d like it to be.  I’m a pretty trim dude so it might just be my body shape but it seems to be roomier in the shoulders than I’d like.  It’s not a deal breaker though.  This is just me being picky.  The one thing I wish it had was a draw string at the base of the jacket to synch down and lock the heat in.  Right now it kind of just hangs loose, but again…this is me being picky.

 

Performance

 

I've already touched on this but I’ve yet to feel any chill when I have this jacket on.  Be it in wind or on a cold morning, it does its job well and I love wearing it.  I’ve yet to hike in it, but I’m not certain many folks actually hike in puffy jackets anyhow.  It seems to breath well enough because I can wear it in the sun and I don’t feel like it’s suffocating me.

 

Compression

 

Okay…here’s the deal.  This jacket is NOT the best at packing down small.  For this reason alone, I have to say that it’s the only con to the Teton Insulated Jacket, but that also comes with the territory when you fill a jacket with synthetic insulation.  When compared to down, synthetic just can’t compete with compression so if you’re worried about space, leave this item at home and get yourself a down jacket.  For my elk hunt this year, I was shocked at how much room I lost in my pack because of this jacket, but I made it work.  It’s certainly packable, but really…go with down if you need to save on space. 

 

 

Final Thoughts

 

After an entire summer and a 4-day backpack hunt with the Kuiu Insulated Jacket, I’m more than satisfied with it’s performance and I think my dollars were well spent.  It keeps me warm, cuts the wind, and is super lightweight.  While I don’t think it’s the best jacket for backpacking, I do believe it’s perfect for those day hunts where space isn’t an issue.  If Kuiu ever comes out with solid colors, I’d be one of the first to swoop one up!

 

If you’re in need of a top notch insulated jacket but don’t want to pay top notch prices, the Kuiu Teton Insulated Jacket is a no brainer. 

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this post!  Let me know if you have any comments or questions!

 

Stay safe and stay warm!

 

By Land,

 

Emory Ronald