Black Diamond Recon Stretch Ski Shell - Men's reviews and deals for sale

Excellent

I am 6'2, 210 lb. Sizing is tricky, large is typically too restrictive in shoulders and thighs, XL is typically to baggy everywhere else. The sizing for these is slightly larger than most brands, and for me a Large fits perfectly. It has great movement, I can easily layer under it, but it is a nice slim fit. The perfect amount of baggy. As for the fit and finish, it is also excellent.… read more The material is not too heavy, but feels robust. The stretch is noticeable, and as assuming its has the 20k/20k rating written on it, that is all you ever need. The pit zips and pockets are all logically located, and the hood has great adjustability. I am stoked on this jacket.

First Couple of outings...

FIT : Longer in the torso than I am used to, but after using seemed about perfect , almost eliminating the need for the included (and thankfully removable) pow skirt. I think its a tad big in the body, especially considering the strecth in the fabric, but if layering heavily or not as thin as me it should be spot on. Arms perfect for a gorilla like me...perfect length without… read more interfering with glove fit. Hood seems very well designed, snaps tight over helmet with no buffeting, and no vestigal draw cords in front to mess with. FABRIC - Seems quite breathable, and very waterproof. Shed all snow on a good pow day with absolutely no wetting through (which it should when new). The stretch in the fabric really adds to the comfort and it has a nice soft feel, yet face fabric feels very durable. OVERALL : Not sure i would take this into the backcountry IN my pack, since it is a little heavy for such duty, but would likely work really well on a big snow day when you were wearing it from the car. As an inbounds/sidecountry ski shell it is hard to fault IMO.

Sizing

Grabbed the large per the sizing chart, was way too big, like swimming in it. Sleeves were about 3-4” too long! Jacket itself was everything I expected, great features with minimalist styling, love it. Returning for a medium, think that will do the trick!

Just...

...purchased this jacket. Had an opportunity to wear it on a pre-season tour of Alta Ski Area last week. Was great in the skin track, very breathable, great venting and the fit was ideal for the backcountry. Will follow this review up post-season with additional 411.

I see very obvious shoulder pockets on all colorways except for bluebird. Can anyone confirm if the bluebird colorway actually has one?