Earlier this year, we stumbled into a new company – Foehn – that was looking at entering the running game. We checked out a few items this year – both in their running sphere and a lightweight fall top, but are back again for a new option now that the weather is officially cold . Read on for our review of the Elfin PrimaLoft Insulated Jacket and Keats Merino Neck Warmer.
More about Foehn:
The name, originating in the Alps, is a mountain airflow that brings sudden warming. Foehn creates its own wind of change in performance sportswear, merging meticulous design and materials engineering with of-the-moment citified style. “We started Foehn, because we were always sacrificing either performance or aesthetics with the options available,” says co-Founder Ingrid Sirois. “We decided that we could fill that void ourselves with the skills that we possess and share our creations with the world.”
Read our other posts on Foehn here.
Looks:
Initially hearing a combination of words like “PrimaLoft” and “Insulated”, I initially thought the Elfin PrimaLoft Insulated Jacket was going to look heavy and puffy. I was actually quite wrong, as this full-zipped jacket is a surprisingly lightweight option that looks both like a running jacket AND as a casualwear option as well. It comes only in black and provides a classic sporty/casual visual that is ready for anything.
The Keats Lightweight Merino Neck Warmer looks pretty standard. There’s nothing too fancy about the look – and really in a neckwarmer, the real important stuff lies within its fit and function.
Fit:
As previously mentioned, I anticipated this jacket to be much thicker than it actually is. It is thin and lightweight like a running jacket needs to be and the light layer of microfiber provides just enough insulation to keep chilly winter runs manageable. It fits tighter to the body, so if you feel you want or need additional layering underneath, you are probably gonna wanna size up.
The neck warmer sits high up on the face – over the ears and nose. It has a nice snugness to it that keeps it from falling down without super annoying compression on the face.
Function:
Generally speaking, unless you reside in (or travel to) Central or Eastern Oregon, you aren’t usually met with a lot of below freezing temperatures in the State. However, the first few weeks of Autumn has greeted with a lot of blue skies in the Valley – as well as sustained temperatures in the mid-30’s. Thus, both of these items have been quite handy.
I utilized the jacket on multiple morning and evening runs and found it a nice balance of breathable and warm. Sometimes running jackets fall on one side of that line – either they are breathable but don’t provide enough warmth, or they keep you toasty but you overheat because the airflow isn’t there. I think this jacket from Foehn does a really admirable job at toeing that line.
I don’t think most PNW runners need neck warmers on their runs, but this one definitely comes in handy from time to time. Serious outdoors people / winter sports enthusiasts, may disagree, but overall I find them to be a little overkill sometimes. However, given these chilly autumn temperatures (and potentially chillier winter ones), I may have to reassess. My first test of this item – an morning run in mid November – came complete with mid 20’s temperatures. It was a run that I would generally pull the plug on and meander over to the treadmill, but it was actually made bearable with both the jacket and the neckwarmer.
The jacket is designed for cold temperatures (4°F-32°F) as the quality of the insulation makes activity in cold conditions ideal. The neckwarmer is unsurprisingly not ideal for extreme cold, but tackling temps in the 20°F-50°F range will work quite well for nearly all PNW outdoors-minded individuals. Thus it may actually be super appropriate for those colder, but not bitter cold, activities.
Overall:
Foehn continues to impress us with their gear. After three reviews now, we can honestly state that these items have been go-to’s in our closets for all of our needs.
Foehn
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Products & Price:
- Elfin PrimaLoft Insulated Jacket | $124.95
- Nylon fabric of 60% recycled yarn
- Keats Lightweight Merino Neck Warmer | $22.47
- 89% merino wool, 11% nylon
Thank you to Foehn for providing us with test items. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
