Helly Hansen Mission Jacket Review
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At first glance, the Helly Hansen Mission Jacket is just another insulated ski jacket but open it up and you’ll understand why it is a breakthrough product in this category. The inclusion of Helly Hansen’s proprietary H2Flow System Mechanical Venting gives the Mission Jacket versatility that takes you from front side to back country in a wide range of weather conditions.
Fit of the Helly Hansen Mission Jacket
Fit is paramount when choosing a ski jacket that will be your primary outerwear piece all season and the Helly Hansen Mission Jacket doesn’t disappoint. For me, I like a nice balance between technical, functional design and a bit of contemporary style. The Mission Jacket strikes a nice middle ground between these two. Well designed articulation of the arms allows freedom of movement and the hem is long enough to keep from riding up on the longer torsoed. The shape is fairly athletic but provides just the right amount of room for a mid-layer for the coldest days. There is enough space around the neck when the jacket is fully zipped up to avoid the claustrophobic feeling that can come while wearing a neck warmer. A big part of fit for me is the quality of the fabric and the Helly Tech Professional fabric with 2 way stretch is waterproof, breathable and high quality. I really don’t have any complaints about the fit of the Helly Hansen Mission Jacket.
H2Flow System mechanical venting adds warmth, breathability, and versatility
The key to the Helly Hansen Mission Jacket’s versatility and comfort is Helly’s proprietary H2Flow System that allows varying amounts of air to flow through the insulation. They call this mechanical venting because you can control it with how much you open the ventilation zippers. The main element to this technology is a perforated microfiber fleece that lines the back of the Mission Jacket and is behind a layer of mesh. When the vents are open, the holes in the fleece are big enough to increase air flow and allow hot air to escape. Conversely, they are not big enough that they take away from warmth when the vents are closed. I really like the lightweight and versatile nature of this system and applaud Helly Hansen for incorporating it. PrimaLoft Synergy 80g provides just the right amount of insulation for a jacket of this type. The biggest testament to the Mission Jacket would be that I wore it in a range of conditions and never felt like I had taken the wrong coat.
H2Flow System features a mesh and fleece back panel for air flow.
Close up of the H2Flow System.
Helly Hansen Mission Jacket Features
Helly Hansen has played around with its feature set in its jackets over the years and I think they did a great job with the Mission Jacket, giving it just what I wanted without over loading it. Pocket selection and design is excellent with two waist pockets, a chest pocket, an internal cell phone/music pocket, and a large internal mesh pocket for storing goggles and other things you want to keep out of the elements when not in use. Some may lament the lack of a headphone pass-through for the internal chest pocket but this doesn’t bother me much. The insulated hood is removable and helmet compatible. The integrated wrist gators are the most comfortable and best fitting that I’ve tried but I’m always wondering how practical the thumb loop is because they don’t fit inside most gloves. One of my favorite features of the Helly Hansen Mission Jacket is the button snaps for stowing the powder skirt when you’re not using it.
Summary
If you’re looking for a great ski jacket that can take you all over the mountain in varying weather conditions, look no further than the Helly Hansen Mission Jacket. The fit and feature set are excellent and the H2Flow System will keep you warm and dry and allow you to cool down when necessary. The Helly Hansen Mission Jacket is available in Ice Blue, Clementine, and Black. For more information, please visit https://www.hellyhansen.com/ or www.amazon.com/hellyhansen.
