Carhartt Bad Axe Jacket review

I have my share of jackets in my closet and all of them have a role. One thing I didn’t have was a work jacket for all those DIYs and outdoor projects that shred lighter weight fabrics. When I was asked to review something from Carhartt, I jumped at the chance.

Carhartt is the go to name in work-duty outdoor wear. They’re the construction workers choice as they’re built to last. You tend to pay a premium for them, but that pays out in the long term. To some that means it lasting them for decades and to others that means picking them up for a steal second hand.

The Bad Axe jacket is a waterproof breathable jacket. It has a Nylon shell (with durable water repellant finish) and a 3-layer breathable/waterproof membrane. It’s seam sealed so you’re not going to get moisture in it. All of the zippers are water resistant which will keep just about all water (except when swimming!).

As for the breathability let’s start by stating that there is no such thing as a jacket that’s 100% breathable AND 100% waterproof. That said, the jacket doesn’t suffer from the sauna effect that some jackets suffer from. To increase breathablity, Carhartt adds full length pit zips.

The jacket’s pockets are huge. There are two waist pockets, an exterior chest pocket that they term a “map pocket” (which gives you an idea of capacity) and an inner pocket for your wallet or other. There’s even an internal media port so you can put your mp3 player in your map pocket and have the earphones snake out through the inside and over your ears.

What I liked about this jacket apart from the other things was that it uses heavy duty Coralast reinforcements in typical wear zones  around the shoulders, elbows and cuff.

The MSRP for the jacket is $280 and that’s the typical price that you see it at. It’s a high price for a jacket, but as anything carhartt, you’re paying for the quality, which as many people will tell you lasts decades, if not a lifetime.

So, what Carhartt gear o you own and love? Would you buy this jacket new? I’d love to see your comments down below.