Merrell’s Spindrift jacket is a heavyweight softshell that’s equally at home on the streets and on the slopes. Read more for our review.
Here in Seattle, softshells are well used jackets. I tend to wear a softshell through most of the winter as they are perfectly at home in our drizzling conditions. However, all softshells are not created equal. There are lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight softshells that have a range of breathability and insulation.
The Spindrift is one of the softshells on the heavy side of the scale. It is well insulated for more chilly days when you might consider breaking out a fleece if it weren’t for the possibility of rain or snow. Seam sealing and waterproof zippers work well to keep out all the water you can throw at this jacket. If you happen to get a bit hot on a ski run, pit zips do well to vent out excess heat. We also found the zipper garages to be a nice added touch.
While I wouldn’t recommend this jacket for 60 degree weather due to the insulation, it really comes into its own around 40 degrees. I found the jacket to be plenty warm with only a t-shirt on underneath, even while sitting for extended periods of time. As of writing this article, it hasn’t gotten below freezing so I haven’t had the chance to test it in freezing conditions yet. However, it will be coming with me on a ski trip in a couple months for a bit of further testing.
With a MSRP of $199, it’s well priced against the competition and I wouldn’t hesitate to put it up against any of the other heavyweight softshells on the market.
