I purchased this jacket for being in and out of the car, running errands and also for walking in town during cold weather.
The fit and look of the jacket are excellent. It is very soft, very easy and flexible to wear, one is perfectly comfortable having it on in the car. It is not bulky feeling or looking.
In very windy or cold weather you would layer under it. I was out yesterday in weather in the teens with a very thin shirt, a fitness fleece and this coat and was perfectly comfortable.
This jacket has definitely accomplished my needs. I was tired of always having to use layers and especially tired of using a crunchy, stiff shell as my outermost layer.
My daughter and I love our jackets! We've worn them almost every day for the last 6 weeks. Super soft, lightweight and versatile. Depending on how cold it is outside, you just add or subtract layers underneath. My daughter has even worn it under her H2Off Storm Coat during single digit temps with -teen to -20 below windchills and was toasty warm while staying outside most of the day. I wore mine during the same weather with a fleece-lined sweatshirt underneath and was also toasty warm. This is amazing for me because I am always cold- (In our 68 degree house I typically wear a long sleeve silk undershirt, Bean's double layer thermal crewneck and a wool sweater.)
Things we love: 1. The adjustable hood which easily slips over any hat and never blocks my vision when I turn my head. 2. I got some dark greasy looking stain all over the front and sleeves and it washed up beautifully! 3. While out in some freezing rain, the outside of the jacket did get wet, but it never penetrated the layers and I stayed nice and warm. 4.The big mesh pocket inside for storing hat and gloves so they don't get lost. 5. It zips up past the neck, so I don't always need a scarf. 6.The elastic that easily adjusts the hood around the face to keep the wind from blowing in.
All in all a very stylish jacket - not too casual looking, nice length, very warm - love it! Now if Bean would make this same coat in a below the calf length I would buy it in a heartbeat!
I love this jacket for everyday wear. It is very warm and light weight. You are also never short of pockets as there is plenty of room for whatever you want to bring along with you!
I've waited a long time for LL Bean to offer an insulated hooded jacket and now that they have, and I've ordered it, there are a few things that keep it from being great. 1) the hood is huge - twice as big as it needs to be, 2) the pockets are shallow and 3) limited colors. I'll keep it, though. Wore it today ice skating at our local glacier and I was warm, it's light and not bulky.
