So I’m on the market for a good multipurpose soft shell now, and considering my options carefully. I was really hopeful about my Prospector Pullover that I got from Sierra a few weeks ago, but the Inertia fabric turned out to be a disappointment. Why? Mostly because it wasn’t stretchy enough. I’ve determined that I really value a good flexible fit and superb freedom of movement, almost at the expense of everything else. So the question I submit, then: which soft shell fabric is the stretchiest?
I got really excited when I read what people have been saying about the GoLite Momentum, but from what I can barely remember about fondling some PowerShield in REI a few months ago, it wasn’t all that stretchy, maybe only a little more than Cloudveil Inertia. In any case, I solicit your wide range of collective experience with these wonder jackets. It may be helpful to note that I’m definitely small–5’6″, 145 lbs, 36″ chest, 30″ waist. I often find that even size small jackets are cut too large for me, particularly in the torso.
If you decide to recommend a particular jacket to me based on the stretch, please also include the other pertinent attributes that make it a useful piece; breathability, weight, water resistance, features, etc. Thanks much.
Addendum: In addition, I note that there are a few so-called stretch wind shirts on the market. Examples include the GoLite Stratus and Nitro, Montbell Stretch Wind Jacket, etc. Also available are a few jackets–like the Outdoor Research Razor–that make use of evidently typical non-stretch windshell fabric, but include cleverly-located stretch panels that (hopefully) make the user feel as though the entire piece was stretchy. I’ve never used any of these, and I wonder how much range of motion they really allow.
What I’m really after is something that has stretch on the order of Polartec PowerStretch. I love this stuff, but it’s clearly not suitable for use as a soft shell. I am unaware of whether or not there are any soft shell fabrics that offer stretch like the Polartec stuff. Please enlighten me.
