Marmot Women’s MonoQuilt PrimaLoft® Insulated Vest

Review by Erin Trail

The Marmot Women’s MonoQuilt PrimaLoft® Insulated Vest is a perfect cool to cold weather layering option that’s well designed and warm.

Details

• Shell: REPREVE® 100% post-consumer recycled polyester
• Insulation: 60g PrimaLoft® Gold 100% recycled polyester
• Quilting pattern helps reduce cold spots and boost packability for improved heat retention
• C0 Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment repels water from face fabric
• Two zippered hand pockets for warming hands and storing phone, keys, and more
• Interior zippered chest pocket, spacious enough to store a phone
• Stuff-it pocket: Easily stows into the left zippered hand pocket with hanger loop for clipping to pack or harness
• Adjustable hem
• Weight: 8 oz

Detailed Review

I am a size medium on Marmot’s size guide and found that the Marmot Women’s MonoQuilt PrimaLoft® Insulated Vest runs true to size.  It has a fairly relaxed fit, leaving room for a bulkier layer underneath. The bottom hem hits be at the widest part of my hip with a little bit of room left for bottom layering. The arm openings are spacious, also intended for layering underneath.

I had originally planned on using the Marmot Women’s MonoQuilt PrimaLoft® Insulated Vest as a mid layer under a ski shell, but Colorado hasn’t provided appropriate testing conditions.  I have been mostly wearing the vest as a warm and windproof layer on daytime walks and hikes, as a layering option in my cold house, and as an outerwear layer as I’m out running errands or going to the gym.

The Marmot Women’s MonoQuilt PrimaLoft® Insulated Vest contact points (interior, collar, pocket lining) are a smooth polyester.  The top of the zipper doesn’t have a built-in fabric protector at the top, but the inside of the zipper is backed with the nylon lining and completely encloses the zipper when it’s closed up, preventing any zipper irritation.

The front hand pockets are enormous, taking up the lower half of each side of the vest.  The pockets are also placed behind the PrimaLoft® Gold insulation, which helps to keep your hands warm.

The quilting of the vest adds a nice functional style element to the vest.  The quilting is actually high tech and functional, keeping the 60g PrimaLoft® Gold in place, reducing cold spots, and making the vest easy to pack down into it’s own pocket.

The packability is a feature I didn’t know I needed until I used it.  The vest packs down nicely into a 10 x 6.5 x 2.5 inch sized package that squishes down even flatter with pressure.  This makes the vest a great option to bring on nearly any backcountry outing: I can envision putting the packed up vest into my ski hydration pack or clipping it onto my bikepacking saddle bag.

The only bummer is that the Co DWR treatment didn’t last on the shell.  Due to one very messy and explosive container of cinnamon rolls, I had to wash my vest twice to take the stains out of it.  On the good side, the stains came out, but on the bad side, the vest is no longer water repellant.  This issue is easily solved by spraying the vest’s outer shell with Nikwax Softshell Proof Spray-On, per Marmot’s FAQ,  The vest did wash well and air dry quickly.  Waterproofness isn’t a deal breaker for me, since the garment is a vest, leaving my arms exposed.  If it was raining/snowing, I would likely be wearing the vest underneath another jacket.

Closing Thoughts

The Marmot Women’s MonoQuilt PrimaLoft® Insulated Vest is a great option for those looking for a lightweight and packable option to keep your core warm during your active adventures.  The vest is available for both men and women. The men’s option is available in three colorways, sizes ranging from S to XXL; the women’s option is available in two colorways, sizes ranging from XS to XL.

Erin Trail

Trail Boss of Stoke

Erin Trail on her mountain bike at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race

Erin Trail on her running at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race