Gear reviews | Open Wear - Open One 3L Shell Jacket & Pants

As a direct seller, i.e. without intermediaries, sustainable products are to be manufactured under fair working conditions and at affordable prices for mountain sports customers. What sounds interesting on paper (or in the online marketing world), PowdergGuide has tested for you.

First impression

December 2017. As you would expect from small companies with direct sales, everything is delayed a little more than predicted. Unforeseen problems with production, quality assurance and ultimately customs mean that everything takes a little longer than planned. However, the customer is informed directly about any delays or the current status, and the boss does it personally. Likeable.

In January, the test material is on the doorstep. First impression of the color - ok, the Cabernet red is less intense than on the homepage, but Cabernet is Cabernet - as a wine drinker you should actually know that. The material feels elastic and pleasant and is also quite light. This immediately raises the question of whether the material keeps its promises in practice.

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Openwear uses a Sympatex 3-layer shell with a 45,000mm water column made from recycled and PFC-free material for the Open One series. The water-repellent zippers are from YKK. The finish is of high quality and the weight, including the removable snow guard, is a hand-measured 800 grams for the jacket and 500 grams for the trousers. Additional features include the Recco reflectors sewn into the jacket and trousers and the opening at the cuffs to easily read a GPS watch or smartwatch.

Test conditions and test report

The outfit has been tested since the beginning of January and has been used for just over 20 days of skiing in the area and on various tours. The combo had to prove itself on mild, damp snowfall days, in constant snowfall, in freezing sub-zero temperatures and on the march through some Ticino undergrowth. At 176 cm and 74 kg, size M fits me perfectly.

The cut of the jacket is neither too tight nor too wide. However, it is significantly longer than my previous jackets, which I personally like. An insulating jacket fits easily underneath without being bulky, but it's not too big if you're only wearing one layer underneath. The jacket has two Napoleon pockets and two horizontal pockets that can be easily accessed with a backpack on. It should be emphasized that these pockets are generously sized to easily stow a topographical map or hat, for example, and are therefore not just a design element.

Since the weather was often mixed on this year's tours, I often wore the jacket on the ascent. It was always comfortable to wear and the ventilation zippers under the arms make it easy to regulate the temperature with gloves, as they have sufficiently long straps. In very damp and wet conditions, the jacket always kept me dry and warm.

The cut of the pants is a little more sporty and less baggy than I'm used to with my other ski pants. Wearing a climbing harness should therefore not be a problem. Nevertheless, the trousers offer sufficient freedom of movement and don't constrict you when walking uphill. The ventilation options are optimal with two outer and two inner zippers, so that the temperature can be optimally regulated and excessive sweating is eliminated.

The relatively thin material seems quite robust, even though I don't handle it very carefully. Neither sharp rocks nor ski edges have left any visible signs of wear so far.

Conclusion

The best equipment is the one you don't notice when you're practising your favorite sport. The Open One series has done a perfect job for me so far. There are no zippers to fiddle with, optimum heat regulation, a well thought-out zipper layout, clever details, a clean design and comfortable material that hasn't shown any significant signs of wear so far speak for themselves. The sustainable company philosophy, fair pricing and good quality workmanship make the Open One series a real alternative in the outdoor clothing market for me.

Advantages & disadvantages

+ durable and elastic material
+ breathable
+ good workmanship
+ clever detail solutions
+ price
- trousers could be cut a little wider

Details

UPP Jacket €389 / CHF 439 Pants €329 / CHF 369
Ethically correct production
Sustainable material, 100% recycled and PFC-free
Multiple ventilation openings

Here is the link to the Openwear website with more information.

This product was provided to PowderGuide.com by the manufacturer free of charge for testing. You can find out how we tested it in our test statement.