Customer Reviews

Rain Shield O2 Breathable Rain Jackets

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I thought this jacket was too good to be true when I bought the hoodless, cycling version, and indeed, it was. Yes, it's inexpensive, light, packable, keeps rain out, surprisingly breathable, and even U.S.-made. The fuzzy liner keeps the jacket from sticking to your arms. However, for regular, rainy-day commuting (as in Seattle), this jacket is just way too fragile and barely lasted me a couple months. The outer, pored layer is extremely thin and fragile. Unlike ripstop nylon, once it starts ripping, it's hard to stop, and it's easy to rip this stuff. Let's just say you should make sure to have your fingernails filed before handling it, and I recommend against tossing it in your pannier without the protection of a plastic bag. Given its short useful life, I'm not really sure if this jacket is good for anybody's needs...definitely not for commuters. I bit the bullet and went for a Burley jacket and couldn't be happier...well worth it.

Few products meet the expectations you have when initially purchased. For the elite few, you don't forget them. This jacket is one of mine...

I bought this jacket two years ago as I was reducing the weight of my backpack equipment but not willing to spend hundreds of dollars for designer label. The jacket is unbelievably light, works as expected, and is more breathable than any jacket I've ever worn. It performed well during an all day drizzle and at various times of heavy rain.

You won't want to wear it as a fashion statement.

An interesting aside: My wife found it in my closet one day and used it on a day trip to the zoo. It took me two months to wrestle it back from her.

This is a great jacket to stuff in your bag to have on hand. Extremely lightweight and VERY waterproof, but also breatheable, so you don't get horribly hot when you wear it while biking. At the same time, it keeps you warm on a chilly morning. The only (and rather serious) trade off for this deal is that the jacket rips pretty easily. The material is not terribly sturdy so if you wear this jacket a lot, you are likely to shred it within a season as I did. At the price, it isn't hard to replace each season, but I wish I didn't have to replace it all the time.

Last year, I spent a week in Maine cycling around in the rain. I got wet and cold, and all my "rain gear" failed me. At the end of the ride, I marched myself into a local bike shop, ready to spend whatever it took to get a waterproof and breathable jacket.

Claims that a jacket is both "waterproof" and "breathable" are usually empty promises when it comes to cycling apparel. Waterproof jackets are not hard to find, but you simply generate too much heat and moisture for the "breathability" of the fabric to keep you from overheating.

Nonetheless, the shop informed me that of all the jackets they sold, this one came the closest to the ideal. I was more than skeptical, but for the price, I thought it worth a try.

I live in Southern California, where it doesn't rain often, so the jacket sat in my drawer for months before it got its first use. I finally had a chance to use it on a 80 mile bike ride with over 10,000 feet of climbing, most of which was in a steady rain.

Here's the bottom line. The jacket IS windproof. It IS waterproof. And it IS breathable. More breathable than any jacket I currently own. And all that without pit-zips, a two way zipper, or adjustable cuffs. I was astounded.

If you're someone who spends a lot of time in the rain, this jacket is not for you. The material looks fragile ... almost like a paper towel with plastic sprayed over one side, so I don't think it would last. But if you're someone who needs a great performing rain jacket for occasional use, I don't think you can do better than the Rain Shield 02.

We have taken this rainjacket into the Amazon jungle for a few years now and it's the best type of rainjacket for that climate! It's lightweight so it's not hot and stuffy but waterproof and sturdy enough that it last for years compared to ponchos and plastic jackets. My only suggestion would be to make it in other colors besides yellow!

The only con is that it doesn't have any pockets, which I knew before I made the purchase. Another color might be useful.

This jacket is very light and not very durable but is very nice to have along on a bike or kayak trip. It is a good jacket for the price.

I got this for the 2009 Portland winter. So far it has been pretty good. However I will share a letter I sent to the owner of RainShield, the maker of the O2 jacket.

I am posting this review because I have not heard back from this US Mail letter I sent in January (it is now mid-March 2010).
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January 27, 2010

RAIN SHIELD, INC.
5110A Cedar lake Road
Minneapolis, MN 55416
Attn: Adam Ziskin

Dear Mr. Ziskin,
I want to convey my disappointment with your company. I have gotten bike grease on my 3Flow Performance Series Jacket and was hesitant in using any chemical products to remove it for fear of damaging the waterproof properties.

I have emailed asking about this problem and did not hear back. I then left a voice mail and did not hear back. When I finally was able to talk to a live person on the phone she relayed the answer of "We don't know for nobody had this issue before." I find that astounding since the product is a bike jacket and that it is your company's product.

This shows me that your company is poor in customer service in not being able to provide a convenient way of getting a question answered, not responding to my email and poor in not being able to provide a solution to my problem.

I chose your product because of positive reviews of those customers who have used your product. I am happy with how your product performs but unhappy on how your company responds.

Sincerely,

I would not recommend this product. The material the jacket is made out of is rather flimsy and looks like it could fall apart very easily.