My Triathlon Journey

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Buying Options:

Inov8 – £160

Pete Bland Sports – £120

Runners Need – £160

Centurion Running – £150/£160

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Introduction

The Inov8 V2 Stormshell Jacket is my second jacket from Inov8. With this having a greater waterproof protection it acts as an upgrade in waterproof quality from the Inov8 Raceshell 1/2 zip, with a 20,000mm HH Waterproof rating compared to 15,000 HH for the Inov8 Raceshell.

I’ve had the jacket since the early spring and although wearing it less over the dryer summer days it is now an item of run gear I take with me on my wet runs over this autumn/winter period.

The jacket’s waterproof quality is helped by being fully equipped with taped seams making it suitable for racing requirements. With features like an adjustable hood and a pocket it provides enough cover to keep your top half dry as well as room for some small storage.

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Features

The Stormshell jacket is lightweight, coming in at just 149g, is waterproof, has taped seams and is packable to a small size. This makes it a good option for packing into your race pack to meet standard racing requirements for fell, mountain and ultra races.

The small pocket at the front, on the upper left hand side, acts as a pocket as well as the built in bag to fold the jacket into. This gives the jacket a practical storage system for packing away however this is the only pocket on the jacket, meaning storage isn’t that big and is only possible to pack a standard mobile phone, with a height of 19cm and width of 11/12cm.

With heavier items like a phone it bounces around and there is a lot of movement when running, then again if your are running with a pack this won’t really be a problem as you have storage options there and can be an option for lighter items.

The jacket traps heat better than the Raceshell, however is more designed to be worn over warmer, probably not waterproof, layers. The jacket’s waterproof quality is sufficient and will keep you dry from light rain and stronger showers, however in heavy rain the chances of some water getting through is greater and doesn’t completely keep you dry. This will make some clothes damper on the inside and if running in heavy or torrential rain better to opt for a heavier duty coat.

This jacket comes as a full zip, which is better than a 1/2 zip, for ventilation purposes and ease to put on, and has a press stud at the top of the coat for a securer fit.

The hood features an adjustable toggle at the back to adjust how snug a fit you want.

The sleeves feature a thumb hole as well, for an option to wear the cuff over your hand, giving a bit of helpful protection from the elements. The sleeve itself has an elastic cuff as well as the bottom of the coat which helps to keep rain and wind out and fit according to size.

Overall

Overall the jacket has fairly simple features, but this doesn’t make it a bad jacket.

Pros

It has a snug hood that doesn’t fall down and it covers the neck area to protect you from getting cold and wind coming in. The elastic round the cuffs and bottom of the coat provide a more snug fit for keeping the elements out and the taped seams and waterproof rating make it an ideal option for racing requirements. It is lightweight and packable to a small size which makes it practical for keeping weight down and taking up less room.

Cons

The pocket is small and there is only one, in the chest area, meaning not a lot of storage on the coat and is only suitable for a mobile phone size, but a heavier item like a phone bounces around too much.

In heavy rain some rain gets in making your clothes on the inside damper and if spending a while in heavy rain, it is no longer that waterproof.

General

The jacket is waterproof (to an extent), light and packable. This makes it a great choice for racers and I didn’t find it too hot on colder and windier runs. If wanting to take things with you on a run, a pack is required, if you have no other pockets due to its smaller size for storage, but overall this is a strong coat and its overall quality is leading over other jackets. The price is fairly expensive as £160 isn’t a small amount, but in terms of looking for a good jacket, purchasing a better quality one, rather than multiple cheaper and poorer quality jackets, is a more sensible investment and worth paying a bit more.

I really like the jacket and wear it in general life too and yes, I would recommend this to you to buy. Check the top of the page for some buying options, I recommend purchasing from Pete Bland Sports, based on previous experience with prices and products from them. If I were to rate this on a 5 star scale I’d give it at least a 4, maybe 4.5.

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Cheers