Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Convertible Jacket - Review

Pearl Izumi's Elite Barrier Convertible jacket is a versatile wind shell with concealed zippers that allow the sleeves to be removed should the weather warm enough to warrant a vest instead of a full jacket. Made from lightweight treated polyester fabric with breathable mesh panels, the Elite Barrier Convertible weighs only 72 grams, packs down small enough to stash into its own rear pocket, and can be easily stowed in the pocket of a hydration pack or other suitable space.

Trail Report:

A trip to Squamish, BC, in November gave me plenty of time to evaluate winter clothing. I first grabbed Pearl Izumi's Barrier Convertible jacket because I brought my smallest hydration pack and it was the only wind shell that I had laying around that would fit inside its diminutive main pocket. Turns out I used the jacket on a number of occasions each day to deal with zero degree morning temperatures and uncertain weather that swung from sunshine to rain in thirty minute intervals. The well-constructed Barrier jacket is form-fitting, so it works well under a hydration pack, but there is no binding when working steeps or tricky drop-ins that require decisive body English. If you carry your water and tools in cargo bib-shorts, though, you will want to buy up a size to ensure that there is additional room for those items



The thin polyester shell is well ventilated, so it never feels like a steam room while laying down power on extended climbs. When temperatures dip near freezing, however, it will keep the rain and wind out, but it does little to maintain heat. Pair it with a thermal under-layer, and as long as you keep moving, the combination maintains heat without producing the dreaded green-house effect.



Pinkbike's Take:

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