I have been testing out the Overland Insulated Jacket from Tekkima for the last few weeks. I wasn’t expecting or needing a new addition to my jacket collection, but the fine folks at Tekkima sent one over to us to try anyway and I’m glad they did.
This jacket has served me well in a practical sense. It is warm and lightweight, I typically throw it on to go on my daily 2 mile walks and it holds up to the wind and cold temperatures while not feeling constricting or heavy. The tucked away hood would come in handy in case of rain, which I haven’t experienced yet but I’m glad to know it is there.
Where this jacket really shines is in its focus on details and sharp style. When I put it on, the first thing I noticed were both its elongated back and oblong sleeves. It’s an interesting style that I have never encountered before in a jacket and one I really like aesthetically. The elongated back looks cool and the sleeves feel distinctly modern because they wrap around in a unique way. The pockets are lined with a soft, warm fabric so that in the cold, when you put your hands in your pockets it really feels warm and insulated. I like that the pockets have zippers on them and that there are several interior pockets with zippers, velcro and buttons to secure them. Sometimes I buy jackets like this only to find out that they have not provided any sealable pockets, which sucks because I’m constantly afraid what I am carrying will fall out. Not so with the Tekkima.
The jacket is well made and things like the exterior zippers are heavy duty. Sometimes zippers can be really poorly constructed and hard to deal with. That is not the case here, the zippers are smooth running and feel like they will last a long time. The materials and craftsmanship throughout are of high quality.
The one thing I would say that could be construed as a negative (but for me was a positive) is that this is definitely a slim fit jacket. I’m not a big guy and the medium fits me very snugly. If you are a bigger guy, you’d definitely want to go a size up to make sure you get a good fit. That said, if you get a smaller size and it doesn’t work, it appears they have an easy exchange policy, so you can always get that sorted out if needed.
In summary, I feel like the Tekkima Overland jacket is sturdy, well made, with a great attention to detail and has some unique, modern styling. When I put it on and showed my girlfriend for the first time she said “wow, that’s actually a really cool jacket” and continued to compliment me on how stylish it looked whenever I wore it. That pretty much sums it up.
