Radiance Jacket - Women's

Comments about Mountain Hardwear Radiance Jacket - Women's:

"This review is based on my testing of the Men's Refugium Jacket, which has the same powered system."
I felt the need to check out this new Jacket because it is unique and a brand new technology. I found that it does everything Mountain Hardwear and Ardica promise and does it well. The jacket looks OK and fit me comfortably in my normal size medium. My wife Karn tried the Radiance on, it fit her fine in a medium which is here regular size. I liked the lighter weight Taffeta Shell material as it will layer easily and comfortably under a rainshell when it's wet out or in extreme conditions. The mid-weight Thermic insulation will keep you warm in many situations without even using the heat feature.
Where it shines is the battery/heating technology. I plugged it in for a 4 hour charge then ran it on each heat setting. On the High setting the jacket reached a peak temperature of 138 degrees Fahrenheit and lasted for 3.5 hours. I tried it on while it was on high and pretty quickly I was cooking. This would be great for someone with Reynaud's or if you were really cold and needed to rewarm. I cannot imagine that you would use it on high for any extended period of time. On Low it ran for over 8 hours at a temperature in the low 80's, this would be ideal for light activities in cold climates. On the medium setting it ran over 7 hours in the mid to upper 80's which I think would warm most people in very cold climates even when inactive, say belaying or at an outdoor event.

I wouldn't hesitate to wear this at the ski hill, sporting event, ice park or around town. The battery pack is barely noticeable as it's small, light and flexible. When placed in the dedicated pouch on the upper back, I could hardly tell it was there. The heat level is easy to adjust with the built in control panel on the chest. A pack did not seem to get in the way of the control panel either. The heating elements are wire-thin yet integrated well with the jacket construction for toughness.

The real test was taking this outside in the first snowstorm of the season. I cranked it to medium and felt the heat rise. Even standing in the chilly afternoon with wind & snow, I felt adequately warm with my normal work clothes and the jacket zipped up. Now, I could have stayed out there for the nearly 8 hours and this jacket would have kept me warm, but I had other work to do.

I can personally endorse this jacket and the battery pack – it's comfortable, warm and does what it says it will. Enjoy!