Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket

Review by Erin Trail

The Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket is a super lightweight wind jacket that’s full of features and easy to bring with you on all of your adventures.

Technical Details

• Weather protection at the front body, shoulder, and collar
• Breathability at the back and underarms
• 20D stretch woven fabric in the front/shoulder/collar and perforated stretch plain weave in the back and underarms
• Super stretchy fabric that mimics body movement
• bluesign® approved fabric
• Weighs 4.5 oz
• Left Hand Pocket Doubles as Stuff Sack
• Reflective Logos for Visibility

Gear Review

Testing Conditions

• Several windy, 50 degree runs
• One cold, stormy MTB ride
• Late afternoon thunderstorm run
• Light layer for cool summer mornings and evenings

The fit chart for Outdoor Research places me between a small and a medium. I ordered a women’s size medium and I’ve found that the jacket fits me perfectly.

First impression is how LIGHT the Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket is.  And while being super lightweight, the jacket offers plenty of nice features.  The side pockets are plenty big enough to place your hands, a small wallet or phone.  The chest pocket is also big enough for a phone or sunglasses.  The wrists have a nicely designed taper, utilizing the same perforated fabric as the back.  This taper keeps the wrists from being baggy without using elastic or cuffs, while still giving me access to viewing my Garmin watch as I ran.

The styling of the Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket is a slim fitting, fairly traditional jacket. The bottom of the jacket hits me at hip level and the cut is fitted slightly at the waist. There is a nice amount of stretch to the fabric. 

As I write this review, I struggle to categorize this jacket properly.  I have other, heavier jackets that are water and wind repellent.  This jacket intentionally is not water repellant.  It does help with the wind, but because it is so light, you still feel the wind. I think this jacket is best as a lightweight layer that you can store in your pack for emergencies. I also think it’s a fantastic layer for when you want a little something on cool outings but don’t want anything heavy or too warm. I recently went to Spain and this jacket was the perfect thing to bring along in the evenings.  It easily fit into a small bag and was the perfect layer as we wandered along the beach in search of our nightly gelato.

I did have the Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket with me on two occasions when the weather turned inclement. Once was a hail/graupel/rain MTB ride.  The weather turned and it was more of the graupel kind of precipitation, so I grabbed the Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket from my pack and put it on and continued with my bike ride.  The jacket did a great job of keeping the bouncing snowballs off of me while keeping me warm enough, as conditions rolled in.  Once the hail started falling, however, I needed a sturdier, more weather resistant layer because the impact of the hail on my arms was getting painful.  Another day, I was running after work and we had a late afternoon thunderstorm.  The jacket didn’t keep me dry (per design), but surprisingly, I didn’t feel cold.  

My gear testing of the Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket has shown that this jacket can be just enough of a layer to keep you warm if you are caught out in a summer storm but it’s not enough if things turn to hail or a downpour..

I have really enjoyed testing the Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket.  The backside of the jacket has a perforated material, which breathes really well as you run or bike ride.  I wear a hydration vest when I run or bike, and the jacket fits very nicely beneath the vest. I also appreciate that this jacket doesn’t have a hood.  I rarely need a hood when I’m out running in a light rain because I wear a trucker hat, which provides enough head protection.  I wanted a hoodless jacket with a collar that didn’t get in the way as I ran. The collar of the Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket zips up to my chin, but the collar fabric is soft and pliable, so it doesn’t whack me in the face as I run and irritate me. I have MANY wind vests and jackets with stiff collars, so finding one with a pliable collar is a huge gear testing win for me.

Closing Thoughts

The Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket is an incredibly lightweight wind jacket that’s great for cool summer mornings or the occasional 50 degree cloudy summer day in Colorado.  I’ve been grabbing the jacket most often as a layer for early mornings when I head to the gym.  Most recently, I’ve packed it away as my jacket option for my trip to Spain.  The jacket breathes very well for more active pursuits and provides a little bit of warmth, should the weather turn south. It’s styled and designed well, with thoughtful pockets and venting, making it a great option for both active and regular wear.

The Outdoor Research Deviator Wind Jacket is available in both men’s and women’s cuts in a variety of colors.

Erin Trail