I bought this jacket as a replacement of a 3 in 1 of another popular brand which I had had for 9 years and it was perfect. But as you could imagine after 9 years of "love", it didn't look so hot anymore.
That said, this jacket had big shoes to fill. I had 3 requirements: 3 in 1 with zip out fleece; parka style; and a hood. I looked at a TON of other brands, and tried on many. I wanted the parka part to go to (or below) my mid rear-end (so many of these "parkas" only go to your waist!), and this jacket at LL Bean was the longest I had found over any other brand I tried.
My biggest gripe is that the insides of the fleece sleeves are sticky. When you go to put on the whole jacket, it will pull your shirt sleeves up. This is annoying, but you learn to hold your cuff. I think widening not only the fleece sleeves, but the outside liner sleeves would help. My old jacket's fleece had a slippery-type fabric inside of the sleeves to encourage your shirts to slide more easily. This would be a good addition.
The other thing I don't particularly like is that the sleeves are short. My old jacket went to mid-palm which made it nice under which to tuck gloves or mittens and then tighten the velcro strip. This jacket's sleeves stop right at my wrist (and I don't have abnormally long arms either!) and there really isn't that much extra width in to tighten anything with the velcro. This is ok, but I know I would prefer just about 2 or 3 extra inches of length.
I have the 2-tone blue and it's a fabulous color. I also like how the fleece is 2-tone.
Overall, it was the best I could find out there to fit my three requirements, and still be cheaper than those at exclusive ski shops. If LL Bean let me award half stars, I'd give this a 3.5. But a 3 star was "average", and given my other comparisons, this was slightly better than average...but not perfect.
I researched several winter jackets before choosing the Weather Challenger jacket. I wanted the versatility of a 3-in-1 jacket so I could enjoy not only a warm, insulated winter jacket but also a rain jacket and cool weather fleece. I chose the Weather Challenger not only for these benefits but also since it was more lightweight than more traditional 3-in-1 jackets. However, I was disappointed in other features of the jacket. First, the sleeves on the inner layer Wind Blocker were too long and pushed through the outer layer even when it was securely snapped to it. Second, the zipper on the Tek2 did not remain zipped unless it was positioned just right to lock it in place. Third, without a second zipper at the bottom of the Tek2, the jacket became too constricted when I was seated.
I chose to return the Weather Challenger and purchased the single-layer Boundary Jacket to avoid the frustrations of an inner layer. The Boundary also has 2 zippers to allow for adjusting the waist if necessary when sitting. The Boundary is warm, waterproof, and lightweight. Though it is not a 3-in-1, I will rely on previously purchased LL Bean gear to keep me warm and dry during warmer weather.
I have worn this jacket both with and without the liner and it is great both ways. Some of the reviewers have complained that you can't wear a sweatshirt with the fleece liner in the jacket. This is true, but one of the things I really like aboutt his jacket is that you don't need a sweatshirt to be warm, even in a wet, cold Connecticut rain. I walk my dog twice a day no matter what the weather and this jacket keeps me warm and dry wearing just a turtleneck or thermal shirt underneath. This is a great, versatile jacket!
This jacket holds up to its 3in1 feature. It definitely keeps you warm and the multi layer options allows you to wear it in different weather situations. It does get a bit bulky in the arms when you try to wear thick layers underneath.
Although this jacket is not advertised to be fire resistant/retardant...it seems it just might be...or maybe I was really just lucky. Is this the 4th feature? Earlier this year I was wearing this jacket when a fire exploded near me sending me to the hospital. The jacket protected my body, neck and part of my hands, limiting the amount of skin area that was burned. The jacket itself received little damage...the fleece singed a bit and the outer shell showed very little damage. I continue to wear this jacket but decided to buy a second one because of the versatility. And with the price so reasonable...why not?!
