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SCOTTEVEST Transformer Jacket: The Travel Jacket+Vest That Doubles as Carry-on Luggage
by MIKE RICHARD
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OK, I admit to being a bit of a fan boy about SCOTTEVEST travel clothing. Even though, up until a few weeks ago, I’d never actually owned one. But if you’ve spent any time perusing the glossy travel mags, you’ve seen the ads: clothing that’s made to carry your most essential travel gear. It’s like a carry-on bag that you wear – the kind of getup MacGyver wouldn’t leave home without.
I through out a casual Tweet about how I was seriously considering buying one of their jackets. The company’s CEO, Scott Jordan, almost immediately reached out, kindly offering to outfit me with same. More specifically, he provided a sample of their latest bit of genius – the SCOTTEVEST Transformer Jacket.
THE SKINNY
There are two primary features that travelers will love:
#1: It’s a travel jacket and travel vest. This is accomplished with the incorporation of twelve magnets embedded in the shoulder seam, allowing easy conversion from jacket to vest and back again.
#2: It’s carry-on luggage that you can wear. On the outside, the jacket’s clean lines reveal nothing – it appears as any other travel jacket. The inside features 20 pockets for storing your mobile phone, wallet, keys, passport, water bottle, the sleeves and even an iPad. All at the same time.
IN DETAIL
The Transformer’s Transformation
First things first: the transformation. There’s not much to say because it just plain works:
In practice, it took me only two or three times to nail down the process. The magnets essentially “auto-align” meaning you don’t have to think about anything. Just pull the sleeves on over the vest and let the magnets do their magic. The whole affair snaps into place in a matter of seconds.
Design & Construction
We’re big fans of gear designed for the urban traveler: sleek, minimal lines, form follows function and all that. The Transformer Jacket is just that. The exterior is much like any other lightweight wind breaker style jacket. Appropriate sizing charts on the SCOTTEVEST website and Velcro at the wrists ensure a comfortable fit.
The real magic is on the inside. Now, cramming a ton of pockets inside a jacket isn’t necessarily groundbreaking. But the way in which the pockets are laid out is, well, damn near perfect. Heavier items (iPad, water bottle, camera) towards the bottom and lighter items (wallet, iPhone, sunglasses) towards the midsection/top of the jacket.
All of this ensures a nice, even weight distribution. Even fully loaded, I found the jacket to be quite comfortable. What’s more is that the smart design of each pocket means you don’t look like you’re sneaking around with $2K worth of gear on your person.
SCOTTEVEST Transformer Jacket (X-ray)
Features
A few other features of note: the Transformer even provides a pocket for stashing the sleeves inside itself. Two of the interior pockets feature clear-touch plastic so you can access your iPod and/or mobile phone’s touch screen without removing them from the jacket.
On the outside, the exterior is wind resistant with a soft, breathable lining. Lastly, the whole thing is machine washable. For travelers who like to put their gear through its paces (read: beat the bloody hell out of it), this and the fact that it’s available in black are essential features.
Pricing & Availability
Available now in ash (grey), blaze (red), or coal (black) for $160 USD directly from SCOTTEVEST.
BOTTOM LINE
I was a fanboy before reviewing this jacket; and now even more so. I can’t say enough good things about it.
Modern travelers who value paying a little more for well made gear would otherwise spend upwards of $200 USD on a high-end rain shell or similar lightweight jacket. That The Transformer offers the same comfort/protection and all of the above features for just $160 make it a must-buy for gear savvy travelers. Highly recommended.
Disclosure: Vagabondish.com received one SCOTTEVEST Transformer Jacket prior to this review.
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About the Author
Vagabondish editor, Mike Richard, lives in Rhode Island - a spit of land in the northeastern U.S. He is a professional web designer and travel junkie with an unhealthy addiction to backpacking, camping, hiking and seeing the world. He enjoys knit hats, small, declarative sentences and speaking in the third person.
March 7th, 2012Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Thanks for the great review! The Transformer Jacket is awesome- definitely one of our favorite jackets of all time. The entire line of SeV gear can be found athttp://www.scottevest.com.