Swix Myrene Quilted Jacket – Comfortable Cross Country Ski Jacket
Kate Agathon
For years, looking for a cross country ski jacket has been as daunting an experience as finding the right pair of jeans.
I needed a jacket that provided just the right amount of warmth and stretch, flattered my middle-aged body, and was comfortable. While my criteria wasn’t unreasonable, I didn’t find anything near what I was envisioning.
Among the available cross country ski jackets that I found, they were either too light, or the sleeves too long, or the stretch unforgiving to someone who doesn’t have abs of steel. Instead, my winter cycling soft shell did double duty during the occasions when I went cross country skiing.
Swix Myrene Quilted Jacket Review
This season my quest finally ended when I discovered the Swix Myrene Quilted Full Zip Hoodie (MSRP $110). Softer than I expected, the quilted Myrene is my upper layer of choice for spring nordic skiing.
Despite the highly aerobic nature of cross country skiing, I get easily cold so I bundle up more than most.
From past experience, I had learned that although wearing the classic base layer/mid layer/outer layer system kept me warm, it was often problematic because it added unwanted bulk that sometimes resulted in having nowhere to shed that extra layer. The quilted Myrene solves that issue.
Falling somewhere between a sweater, a jacket, and a mid layer, the lightly insulated Myrene is just the right weight to wear during the late winter months.
Frequently worn as an outer layer over a base layer, the Myrene provides me warmth without the bulk. This is also the first comfortable technical jacket that I’ve worn; a jacket that slips on like my favorite sweater.
While it does lack pit zips and other ventilation features that are commonly found on most cross country ski jackets, it was not a deal breaker for me because the rest of the jacket is fantastic.
Among my favorite features are the strategically placed panels: slimming black along the sides, and insulating quilted front panels that help disguise some unflattering tummy and waist rolls (being middle aged isn’t easy; I’m woefully self conscious about this).
Falling somewhere between a sweater, a jacket, and a mid layer, the lightly insulated Myrene is just the right weight to wear during the late winter months.
I also like the black and white snowflake print along the sleeves because it breaks up the monotony and draws attention to my arms and not my midsection. Finally, the full-wrap hoodie helps make it a standalone piece that can be worn around town or walking the dog.
Not to be mistaken by ski chic fashion that looks adorable, but whose purpose is more for indoor apres ski than for performance, Swix’s Myrene Quilted Full Zip is stylish, soft, warm, and ideal to wear during late winter/early spring.
Kate Agathon
Dr. Of Stoke
Freelance writer, bicyclist, outdoor recreation enthusiast, social justice advocate, and mom to her furbaby, Utah the Adventure Dog.
A Colorado native, Kate considers the outdoors her mother ship. She brings her passion for bicycling, the environment, and issues of diversity to her writing. Her primary outdoor recreation activities are mountain biking, fat biking, snowshoeing, camping, peak bagging Colorado’s 14ers, road cycling, and Nordic skiing. After suffering two major knee injuries within four years, Kate hopes to return to alpine skiing next season.
Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in History from Colorado State University and later an MSEd and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University. In addition to her education, Kate’s background serving on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and experience working for non-profits and bicycle sales well position her to bring depth and understanding to the complex changes currently taking place in the outdoor recreation industry.
We also heard she has a (slight) obsession for blue heelers.
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