Descente Bobo Link Jacket
Review: Descente Bobo Link Jacket
By Scott Mares | Published Jul 22, 2010
We Liked
True to Descente's word, this jacket hardly weighs a thing and is perfect for winter-like conditions. I was very impressed with how little the Bobo Link weighed, giving the same level of warmth as a heavy winter jacket without the added weight and bulk. While Descente only offers the jacket in black on black, it does have the classic rip-stop grid pattern that you would typically find on this type of fabric. The Bobo Link wind resistant rip-stop outer combined with the Thinsulate insulation and MegaHeat brushed fleece liner provide a winning combination against the elements. The Bobo Link takes after the classic goose down outdoor jackets, but with a modern twist such as red resin metallic pocket zippers pulls and industrial-looking zipper teeth. The jacket also has a slimmer profile, which prevents the dreaded "Michelan Man" look. Descente incorporated a heavy-duty plastic double zipper for the primary closure on the jacket. Once the jacket is zipped up, the double zipper allows you to unzip the jacket from not only the top down but also the bottom up. So why would someone want this? Well, if you need to get something from a layer inside the jacket you can unzip only what you need from the bottom up and not have to unzip the jacket all the way down. With a double zipper, the bottom line is that you only have to unzip what you need to. In addition to a full length double zipper, the Bobo Link has a wind flap that covers the front double zipper. The unusual thing about this flap, however, is that it uses magnetic snaps to seal the deal. After zipping up, all you have to do is move the flap over the zipper and the snaps lock into place, sealing you up.
We Didn't Like
After talking about zippers in the previous section, I have to say the front pocket zippers we were kind of a disappointment. To contrast against the black jacket, Descente had used metallic zippers. While the red resin and silver design looks very good, the zippers themselves were very rough to operate. Opening and closing the pocket zippers was not as smooth as we would have liked.
The Final Say
The Bobo Link is an excellent jacket. This is the first lightweight garment that I have seen that offers this level of warmth. Typical of Descente style, you won't be disappointed in the Bobo Link's performance and you will find yourself reaching for it time and time again. Style, function and warmth all in a super lightweight piece.
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Vitals
- Manufacturer
- Descente
- Model
- Bobo Link
- MSRP
- $150.00
- Website
- Bobo Link Jacket
- Materials
The outer shell of the Bobo Link jacket is made from Descente's Velom rip-stop fabric, which is a durable super-lightweight, micro-denier woven Nylon fabric. This fabric is water-resistant, wind-proof and very breathable. As an added bonus, the Velom material is quiet, eliminating that rustling sound that can be heard from miles away. Descente claims that they can make an entire jacket that weighs under 2 ounces. With all of these qualities, jackets made from this material are extremely packable.
The liner in the Bobo Link jacket is made from Descente's exceptional Megaheat fabric that has the unique ability to magnify the sun's energy into extra heat. With the Megaheat fabric, Descente states that the temperature inside the garment will raise between 2 to 4 degrees!
For insulation the jacket uses 100% recycled Thinsulate, which is a material that was first sold in 1979 and is now a trademarked product of 3M. Thinsulate fibers are around 15 micrometres in diameter, thinner than the polyester fibers normally used in other types of insulation. When using smaller fibers, you have the ability to have higher density of them, which then reduces heat loss. Translated, this means more insulation without the added bulk.
- Sizes
S, M, L, XL
- Fit
- Athletic
- Colors
- Black rip-stop nylon with grey fleece piping and blue fleece interior collar.
- Design
The Bobo Link Winter jacket has a hidden MP3 player chest pocket, headphone port, and three zippered front pockets with hip resin zipper pulls bearing the Descente logo. The jacket sports an additional hidden zippered back pocket so that you can quickly stash your gloves.
For added warmth, the Bobo Link jacket utilizes fleece in collar and main chest areas. Cool magnetic closures along the front windflap and lycra elastic cuffs offer the final layer of protection against sealing out the cold. Tonal stitching along the shoulder and lower back bear the Descente logos.
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