Fieldsheer Ladies Adventure Jacket Review

Eric Bass
by Eric Bass

Recent years have brought an avalanche of snazzy new kit for the ladies, including many technical garments, like Fieldsheer’s Ladies Adventure Jacket, that are thoughtfully designed for a woman’s physique.

Comfort is king, and this textile apparel is simple to self-tailor to one’s personalized dimensions. Velcro straps and zippered expansion gussets permit adjustment to the hip and waist area. A progressive set of three snaps apiece at both the bicep and forearm allows you to adapt the sleeves’ tightness to your preference, also securing the elbow armor properly in place. Mrs. EBass especially liked the 2-way zipper on the front of the jacket. “It’s a nice touch. I can unzip the bottom one a little to avoid the material bunching up when I’m in a tuck.”

Fieldsheer Ladies Adventure jacket.

True to its name, the Adventure jacket offers a James Bond-ian array of hidden compartments. I eventually sleuthed out two deep chest pockets, two shallow “hand warmer” pockets, and a large stealthy “fanny pack” pocket integrated into the lower back. And that was just on the exterior. More groping and fondling revealed another pocket and a cell-phone holder on the inside and an eighth pocket hidden between the storm flap and the main zipper. They also duplicated the interior jacket pockets in the liners, so you don’t sacrifice anything in the way of storage capacity when they’re zipped in. Talk about secret stash-ability. Anthony Gobert would love this thing!

The outer shell consists of 1000 Denier Teflon Coated Maxtena and sports a large back pad, and removable CE approved armor in the shoulders and elbows. It has a standardized 8-inch zipper connector for compatible pants, and Phoslite reflective material to keep nocturnal predators at bay. Unsurprisingly, Mrs. EBass found that, “the armor at first was stiff, but once I got on the bike I realized it was formed perfectly for being in the riding position.”

Road rash isn’t the only form of misery that the textile suit protects against. The jacket’s openings are sealed off against wind, rain, and cold by a storm flap over the main zipper, and gusseted Velcro-adjustable soft-lined sleeves. A detachable collar extender wraps around the rider’s neck and extends coverage right up to the base of the helmet. “It’s a bit bulky, but the full length liner is definitely warmer than others I have tried,” exclaimed Mrs. EBass.

A very thoughtful feature of the jacket liner is that it can be worn separately. “The casual appearance of the jacket liner is an especially nice value-add. When we stop to wander around town or into a restaurant I can just remove it and wear it ‘a la carte’. I don’t have to feel self-conscious walking around looking like an astronaut in a bulky armored textile suit jacket just to stay warm. Fieldsheer probably didn’t think that this was much of a big deal when they designed it, but women will really dig this feature.”

Heat management is taken into account as well. The jacket’s FS Rainguard shell material incorporates 100% waterproof, breathable membrane pores, which are smaller than a drop of water but large enough to allow sweat to evaporate and pass through. Vents at the collarbone and armpits are accessed by a zipper and Velcro system that alternately hold them open or seal them securely. There is a similarly accessed exhaust vent that stretches the width of the shoulder blades. Mrs. EBass wasn’t a huge fan of this system though. “It’s a bit more complicated than it needs to be in my opinion. There is no way that you can make adjustments with gloved hands, and I had to take the jacket entirely off to fumble with the origami-like Velcro seals, even on the front vents.”

Another new and good piece of gear just for the ladies.
This jacket will help keep you warm and safe on the road.

All things considered though, this robust piece of riding gear is a strong contender at its price point. Also available in a Men’s version, its design proved capable and comfortable under a wide variety of conditions. The Fieldsheer Ladies Adventure Jacket retails for $289.95 and is available in sizes XS – 5XL. Color choices are all black and black with silver, yellow, blue, or red trim.

Eric Bass
Eric Bass

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