I recently purchased a new Flylow, Lab Coat and Chemical Pants. As you all know by now, I like to try different brands to see what’s out there and what is performing well. Its been a while since I owned anything from Flylow and I know they had made some improvements in their fabrics . I've been frustrated with finding a shell that fits me well and in exchanging emails with "Mia" at Flylow, I decided to give the Lab Coat a shot since it seemed like it might fit me better. She was right; the Lab Coat in large fits me better than any other large jacket. It has true athletic cut, with longer arms and longer waist, more of an athletic free ride cut. I typically wear size large in ski clothing but I end up with a lot of extra material around my mid-section. I have a 41.75” chest and a 34 waist but with larger size shoulders (even though I am thin) so mediums may work on paper, but are always too tight in the shoulders. The Lab Coat is made of eVents' newer material DXexpedition which is optimized for waterproofness but still provides exceptional breathability and windproof-ness. The jacket features articulated arms with adjustable sleeve openings which I appreciate for putting my gloves under the jacket sleeves. It also has a helmet compatible and adjustable hood, waterproof zippers with easy to find pulls and a powder skirt with snap-in attachments to FlowLow pants. The chin area is nice with a soft protective lining and its high enough to tuck your chin and nose down for coverage. Long pit zips are also there for dumping heat. It features two large hand pocket situated to the side (for packs), two chest pockets and an internal zippered pocket large enough for just about any phone or wallet. The pockets are very well-positioned allowing easy access even when on the lift or with a pack. It would be useful to have a mesh internal pocket and I know some of you want a RFID sleeve pocket, but I was able to comfortably fit my 16 oz soft water bottle, extra goggle lens, phone, ski pass neck gaitor and glove liners. Fwiw, I keep a snack or two inside the pockets of my mid-layer Proton jacket so they dont freeze.
Skiing in the Lab Coat is very comfortable with outstanding temperature regulation and total windproof-ness so far. I skied today in temperatures ranging from 9-13 degrees with 15-20 mph winds, (more test results to come) but the jacket’s performance in these conditions was excellent. I am comparing this jacket's performance to my Arc Teryx Sabre LT jacket and Arc Teryx Beta SL which feature Gor-tex fabrics. The Lab Coat kept warm me with same layering as when I was wearing the jacket with Gor-Tex Pro. Having tried earlier versions of eVent, I experience too much heat dump from the fabric in single digit, windy weather, however, this was not the case with the new DXepedition. The zippers work very well and the pulls are easy to find and use with gloves on. I can’t speak to water-proofness or even how the DWR works because of the temps but I will be testing that once we get into spring skiing. The fabric on the Lab Coat feels tough and burly but not overly stiff. I was skiing through a lot of tight evergreens and didn't notice a single scratch or mark from frozen branches.
The Chemical pants are classics and I had owned the prior version (many of you are still skiing in them) and I always loved the cut which is roomy and comfortable without being too baggy; they are more on the Free Ride side but certainly not like a baggy snowboard pant. I have a 33" inseam and a 34” waist. I normally fit in size medium pants and the medium Chemicals fit me well. The pants have a comfortable adjustable waist and a couple of pockets for anything you cant stow away in your jacket. They also have a cool snap-in feature allowing you to connect your pants to the powder skirt of their jackets. The Chemicals also feature articulated & reinforced knees, adjustable leg openings, reinforced kick patches and long side vents. Flylow changed the fabric this season and went to a burly, 3-layer hardshell Oxford fabric treated with a new Omibloq DWR that claims to be three times as water repellent. The pants are rated at 20K/20k. I didn’t notice any issues today sitting on snow-covered lifts but will update as I wear them more. They are very comfortable and windproof. They look and feel bomb-proof.
I bought the Shale/Rye color way in the jacket and pants. The different materials mean the colors don’t match perfectly but its close enough and looks really good with my Giro Jackson Helmet, Giro Goggles and K2 Recon boots. I think Flylow should make a pant with the same eVent DXepedition. More to follow as I get more days in different conditions but for now, these are a great combo I plan on wearing almost every day.
Skiing in the Lab Coat is very comfortable with outstanding temperature regulation and total windproof-ness so far. I skied today in temperatures ranging from 9-13 degrees with 15-20 mph winds, (more test results to come) but the jacket’s performance in these conditions was excellent. I am comparing this jacket's performance to my Arc Teryx Sabre LT jacket and Arc Teryx Beta SL which feature Gor-tex fabrics. The Lab Coat kept warm me with same layering as when I was wearing the jacket with Gor-Tex Pro. Having tried earlier versions of eVent, I experience too much heat dump from the fabric in single digit, windy weather, however, this was not the case with the new DXepedition. The zippers work very well and the pulls are easy to find and use with gloves on. I can’t speak to water-proofness or even how the DWR works because of the temps but I will be testing that once we get into spring skiing. The fabric on the Lab Coat feels tough and burly but not overly stiff. I was skiing through a lot of tight evergreens and didn't notice a single scratch or mark from frozen branches.
The Chemical pants are classics and I had owned the prior version (many of you are still skiing in them) and I always loved the cut which is roomy and comfortable without being too baggy; they are more on the Free Ride side but certainly not like a baggy snowboard pant. I have a 33" inseam and a 34” waist. I normally fit in size medium pants and the medium Chemicals fit me well. The pants have a comfortable adjustable waist and a couple of pockets for anything you cant stow away in your jacket. They also have a cool snap-in feature allowing you to connect your pants to the powder skirt of their jackets. The Chemicals also feature articulated & reinforced knees, adjustable leg openings, reinforced kick patches and long side vents. Flylow changed the fabric this season and went to a burly, 3-layer hardshell Oxford fabric treated with a new Omibloq DWR that claims to be three times as water repellent. The pants are rated at 20K/20k. I didn’t notice any issues today sitting on snow-covered lifts but will update as I wear them more. They are very comfortable and windproof. They look and feel bomb-proof.
I bought the Shale/Rye color way in the jacket and pants. The different materials mean the colors don’t match perfectly but its close enough and looks really good with my Giro Jackson Helmet, Giro Goggles and K2 Recon boots. I think Flylow should make a pant with the same eVent DXepedition. More to follow as I get more days in different conditions but for now, these are a great combo I plan on wearing almost every day.
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