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Braden M.'s Review of Rab Resolution Jacket - Men's
I bought and compared a bunch of parkas, some of which were admittedly different styles (casual with fur ruff versus more technical like the Resolution). My objective was to find the warmest parka I could find that didn't look like a snowman/pear. I tried the Arc'teryx Ceres SV, the North Face McMurdo II, the Eddie Bauer Superior Down Parka, the Mountain Hardwear Glacier Guide, two sizes of the Fjallraven Arktis, the Sorel Caribou Parka, the Canada Goose Chateau, Carson, and Expedition parkas, the Nobis Yatesy, and the Rab Resolution (whew). Yes, I got a little carried away and shelled out a heck of a lot of money; but in the end, I am confident that I chose the best for my goal in the Resolution. Second place went to the Canada Goose Carson, which fits great, looks stylish, and has a great hood; but in the end, it had cold spots in the shoulders and arms and it cost me about $500 more than the Resolution. For that much more money, it needed to outperform everything else, and it didn't.
The Resolution is super warm, the only possible warmer one being the Yatesy. But the Yatesy just looked a little odd frankly, and though I initially like their magnets for the storm flap seal, they quickly began to annoy me, sticking when I didn't want them to and not sticking when I did. Anyway, the Resolution does not seem to have cold spots, at least in my testing. Fit is fantastic, close to the body and flattering but still leaving room to layer. I'm 6'0" and 148 lbs. with long arms. I bought a Small, and it fits beautifully. The sleeves are plenty long. I was initially concerned that the Resolution has no cuffs, but the sleeve length is so good (a bit extra) and the Velcro cinches so good that I felt the lack of cuffs became a non-issue.
The adjustability of the Resolution hood is excellent. The Ceres SV is a very similar parka, but the hood was just ridiculous huge. Both are obviously designed for helmet use, but only the Rab adjusted well enough so that if you wear it without a helmet, it cinches around your head to where you don't feel like it's come kind of design compensation (as with the Arcteryx). Now, the parka still looks like Robbie the Robot with the hood on, and that's where the Canada Goose (and other) designs beat the Resolution in terms of style. But hey, when it's that cold, I'm not so concerned with style as with staying warm. I will miss the ability to have the "snorkel" experience with those style parkas, with their long hoods with fur; but in the end, the Resolution's hood is very warm, well insulated, and I think unless the wind is blowing a gale, I will be just fine in it. I also appreciate the small wire in the hood, though it doesn't do as much as I wish. They should probably make it longer, like maybe twice as long. Then you could really do a lot more with it, but it's a minor quibble.
The length is excellent. The weight is excellent. The 800 fill power down should not be overlooked, as it will pack down small for trips, which is huge, whether it's an expedition or on a plane for urban touring. All the other parkas on my list had lower fill power down except for the Ceres (which didn't feel as warm) and the Caribou, which definitely didn't feel as warm. I've also read that higher quality (fill power) down will actually last longer, because the clusters are more resilient over time. That is worth taking into consideration when you spend a lot on a parka. You want it, and its warmth, to last.
One thing I don't like is the reflective feature on the front pocket. I bought a black one, and that just looks silly. If I were high on a pea, lost in the dark, maybe I'd appreciate that, but I just think it looks odd. But oh well. It still looks good.
So needless to say, I highly recommend this parka. It has many excellent features.
The Resolution is super warm, the only possible warmer one being the Yatesy. But the Yatesy just looked a little odd frankly, and though I initially like their magnets for the storm flap seal, they quickly began to annoy me, sticking when I didn't want them to and not sticking when I did. Anyway, the Resolution does not seem to have cold spots, at least in my testing. Fit is fantastic, close to the body and flattering but still leaving room to layer. I'm 6'0" and 148 lbs. with long arms. I bought a Small, and it fits beautifully. The sleeves are plenty long. I was initially concerned that the Resolution has no cuffs, but the sleeve length is so good (a bit extra) and the Velcro cinches so good that I felt the lack of cuffs became a non-issue.
The adjustability of the Resolution hood is excellent. The Ceres SV is a very similar parka, but the hood was just ridiculous huge. Both are obviously designed for helmet use, but only the Rab adjusted well enough so that if you wear it without a helmet, it cinches around your head to where you don't feel like it's come kind of design compensation (as with the Arcteryx). Now, the parka still looks like Robbie the Robot with the hood on, and that's where the Canada Goose (and other) designs beat the Resolution in terms of style. But hey, when it's that cold, I'm not so concerned with style as with staying warm. I will miss the ability to have the "snorkel" experience with those style parkas, with their long hoods with fur; but in the end, the Resolution's hood is very warm, well insulated, and I think unless the wind is blowing a gale, I will be just fine in it. I also appreciate the small wire in the hood, though it doesn't do as much as I wish. They should probably make it longer, like maybe twice as long. Then you could really do a lot more with it, but it's a minor quibble.
The length is excellent. The weight is excellent. The 800 fill power down should not be overlooked, as it will pack down small for trips, which is huge, whether it's an expedition or on a plane for urban touring. All the other parkas on my list had lower fill power down except for the Ceres (which didn't feel as warm) and the Caribou, which definitely didn't feel as warm. I've also read that higher quality (fill power) down will actually last longer, because the clusters are more resilient over time. That is worth taking into consideration when you spend a lot on a parka. You want it, and its warmth, to last.
One thing I don't like is the reflective feature on the front pocket. I bought a black one, and that just looks silly. If I were high on a pea, lost in the dark, maybe I'd appreciate that, but I just think it looks odd. But oh well. It still looks good.
So needless to say, I highly recommend this parka. It has many excellent features.
This review was written in the old system and had content requirements that are different than reviews written today.
Would Recommend:
Yes
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