Men's Airshield Monkey Man™ Jacket 3.8 5 5 5
On its way to becoming a favorite! Love the monkey fur / wind block technology combination. This jacket replaces a jacket from another leading brand that I had for 15 years ( Mountains of Argentina ). I shopped it against their current model and this jacket blows it away. I wore it every day this week as my primary winter coat with temperatures in the single digits and brisk winds.Bought it in the large and found the sizing is a bit roomier than typical MHW large. January 27, 2013
Good Value I like this jacket, it has all the features advertised. One downside: the monkey man fleece has great wrists that fit tightly and move with you. The windproof Monkeyman has sleeve openings that don't have quite the elastic or the form fitting feel of the monkey man. Still a great jacket, but not as nice as the original. December 30, 2012
Step back from original Monkey Man I am a huge MH enthusiast and have a ton of MH gear. They took a step back with the Airshield Monkey Man jacket though. Perhaps the best thing about the original Monkey Man is how cozy it FEELS against the skin. In other words, the same cozy fur is on the inside/sleeves as is on the outside. This is NOT the case with the Airshield. So instead, it's not cozy-feeling at all. Also, the rigid Airshield layer makes the material less soft and form-fitting. It's not horrible, but like I said, a big step down from the Monkey Man. The only real downside about the original Monkey Man is that wind goes right through it. In attempting to solve that problem, though, MH diminished the appeal of the original product. Back to the drawing board please, guys! Unfortunately I'll be returning mine. November 9, 2012
Bomber Fleece Armor This is a great and incredibly warm jacket. I felt the need to add a review to stick up for this guy since there is currently only one other review and I don't think it gives an accurate impression. I will say that when I took it out of the box it wasn't what I expected either. It was a good bit thicker (a solid 1/4") than I expected for one thing. At first I was a bit turned off but after wearing it in the cold I changed my mind. The construction seems like a softshell inside and a fleece outside. It enters the coat category of warmth with its level of thickness and warmth. It does not have the high loft material lining the inside which was a bit of a disappointment but does have conventional fleece lining that is comfortable. The other thing was the Duffel color is a very dark green not brown like the picture. That was a bit of a shock, but fortunately I liked the color.The fit is pretty much just as it is pictured and I like it. It is not an athletic cut but it is tapered and not super boxy like the other review makes it sound. I'm 5'11, 180 (40" chest and 34" waist) and the medium fits me well. Its a good "normal" fit with a little room where you need it so it won't stretch out over time and will allow for a thicker shirt underneath without being baggy.As for general impressions like the title of the review it feels like fleece armor: thick and wind proof to protect you from the elements. It looks great too. I got several compliments the first few times I wore it. The materials and construction are high quality. I checked thoroughly and found one thread that was not loose but untrimmed. The reason I did not give function 5 stars is because the zipper does occasionally get impeded by the "zipper backstop" material. Once you look out for that while you zip though its no big deal. MH you should put a smoother material there on the next model.This jacket is great for my windy mountain climate and I look forward to putting it to the test in very high winds. Again, its thickness puts it into the coat level of warmth. I would not recommend it for everyday mid layer use because it would be too thick and hot under a shell unless in extreme conditions. It is also not ideal for backpacking in variable climate as a shell and thinner fleece would be more practical. If you are looking for a thick fleece to keep you toasty in the wind it's the bomb. November 5, 2012
Not what I expected As an alternative to the R4 I don't feel like it competes well. The fit is the biggest issue. You can usually expect a trim body and long arms from MH but this jacket doesn't fit the mold. Boxy in the body and average arm length. The fit is more similar to Patagonia, but the materials used don't feel as high quality ( many loose threads too). They would have been better off sticking with the monkey man platform and just adding a windproof layer. Would return if I could. August 25, 2012