Mountain Hardwear Alchemy Jacket

I got very drunk one cold, windy night about a year ago and purchased this coat at 3am. All while cursing the weather and my 300 weight fleece's failure to keep me warm. I had been searching for a good soft-shell jacket, but had not seen this one until that night. After reading some of the reviews I said, "screw it, I'll buy it and give it a shot." (It was on sale no less!)
Best drunk purchase ever.
This soft-shell jacket has exceeded all of my expectations, and then some. Sure it's got a few flaws, but it's flexibility easily outweighs it's cons. This jacket is a perfect example of a "jack of all trades, master of none" ... or should I say "jack-et of all trades" har har.

I wear it so much that I find it very difficult to wash during the fall through spring seasons here in Kentucky. Casual cycling around town, I wear it. Bar hopping with buddies, I wear it. Hiking up a mountain, I wear it. Trekking across the Daniel Boone Nat. Forest, I wear it. When I find a time that I do not wear this piece of basically body-armor, I'll be sure to let this board know.

It does two things very well:
-Stops wind. Pretty straight-forward.
-Looks attractive. This jacket is perfectly at home on the mountain, in the woods, or at a bar relaxing. It looks and fits well with a variety of shirts and vests and though it is somewhat baggy in the stomach, I've discovered that I can fit a thick down vest under it.

It does reasonably well in other areas too...
-It is somewhat insulated, but in a small way. The inside of the coat is lined with a very thin layer of fleece that is concentrated on the chest and stomach (to create the pockets). Enough to be over a t-shirt on a chilly day, but not so much that it needs to be shed indoors.
-It really excels when combined with a decent base-layer. I typically wear a Capilene 2 shirt paired with a thin wool sweater underneath this coat. That combo lets me move between 20F or 30F outside to 75F inside and back again without having to take anything off.
-Repels rain. Apparently some soft-shells have a problem with rain, this one not so much. Even after a few dozen washings it resists light to medium rain and drys surprisingly fast. I've had no problems with rain, though I would probably avoid a heavy downpour in it.

But it does have problems...
-THE CUFFS. Holy cow these are annoying. There is a bit of fleece around the inside of the cuff that keeps wind and snow from rushing up the sleeves. Though its very handy and I like the feature, it makes it very difficult to keep shirt sleeves from bunching up around one's forearms. It also makes it very hard to roll the jacket's sleeves up adding to it's possible breathing issues. After a year I have stretched the cuffs out enough to achieve a little more room, but still not enough space for my tastes. I have thin wrists too so this could be a major prob for some of you...
-STAINS. This coat is a stain magnet. While it machine washable, god forbid you rest your elbows on something with any kind of liquid spilled on it. Even a pool of water will leave a noticeable mark on the sleeve, ESPECIALLY the gray sections of the coat...Which is really odd to me since it sheds light to medium rain relatively well. Go fig.
-Some have said it has breathing issues. I agree to a point. It might be a little bit of personal preference...I find that rolling up the sleeves/unzipping enough to expose my wrists and neck is more than enough to vent it. The side pockets help in this regard as well. I have only had sweat problems during heavy exertion above 30 degrees F or while wearing a backpack (my pack is pretty crappy so that could be one or the other or a combination of the two). Either way the wind blows (haha) it can be compressed down to about the size of a nalgene bottle and therefore never leaves my side.

Pros:
-Stops wind.
-Resists rain.
-Looks good.
-Somewhat warm.
-Doesn't get ripped easily.
-Little helpful things like waist and neck cinches, cuff walls, welded pockets, flap on the inside of the zipper.

Cons:
-Cuffs, though helpful, are irritating for layering.
-Collects stains like a dog collects fleas.
-Requires a good base-layer in sub-freezing temps, unless one wears something over it.
-The fit is really wacky too. I wear a medium shirt with long sleeves. This coat is long in the arms, tight in the shoulders and chest, and baggy in the stomach.(I bought a large) Maybe I'm abnormal.
-No good for skiing unless you wear bibs.

I have not owned many soft-shells, but I do know that it is hard to out-perform this jacket. It has survived a variety of different challenges that I have put it through and come out with flying colors.
Sorry for the long review. :/

This jacket is the best jacket I have own so far. Looked at it forever and others jackets like it too and finally just decided to go with it. It stops the wind. PERIOD. No ifs ands or buts. It is a very warm jacket with a large range of temperatures due to it being windproof. I love how I can come from ~30 F outside to temps of ~65 F inside and still wear the jacket fully zipped and still be comfortable. It is very breathable so you won't overheat. It sheds light rain well, a torrential downpour might leave you S.O.L but that what shells are made for. Dries very quickly. The powercuffs and the cinch cords for the hips and neck help to keep heat in when it is cold and windy. I love the athletic fit and a shorter torso b/c I'm 5'8" athletic. I like how the arms are a tad long so when you reach up while climbing the sleeves stay still. It might not fit well when you first put it on, kinda stiff, but you have to break it in. Sounds funny for a jacket, but its true. Afterwards, it fits perfectly and moves very well with my body. I was able to layer with a t-shirt and 100-weight fleece pullover okay. I tried a heavier fleece, it worked, but was kind of tighter and restricting fit. Pockets are intelligently place with a nice inner chest pocket. The two front one are VERY large and are awesome for gloves and any you can cram in there with out starting to look like and idiot hahaha. I use it standalone or with my REI Taku shell and I am just about ready for anything Colorado can throw at me. Very durable and lightweight and packs down very small. No reason not to own this jacket. Its a go anywhere, do anything jacket. It is worth the money, especially if you can find it on sale for clearance. Gets a lot of compliments too. I suggest the peat moss.
Adventure On!!!

Initially I was looking for a jacket for my fall/winter runs, the MHW Alchemy is not it (much too heavy), am still looking. However, it is a very versatile softshell. Hence it is only a shell w/ a fleece lining. It's very soft inside and out and will provide protection against wind and rain along w/ some warmth but should not be considered a heavy coat. Once the full brunt of winter comes along you may need something heavier. Although it's stated as water resistant (completely windproof) it repels water much better than most other soft shells that are in the same line (Marmot Leadville, TNF Apex, etc.). It has a small outside pocket, perfect size and placement for your cell phone and a large inside pocket, perfect for your wallet. The two side pockets are placed rather high (I suppose for hiking w/ a pack)for my taste but are lined and quite deep. I'm 5'6 135lbs and the medium fits well. It's not too long as a coat but not too short where you'll be exposed if lift up your hands. Some taller reviewers had issues w/ the length. Whereas I'm vertical challenged you should know that this jacket is a trim fit as far as length, so you may have issues if you're nearing 6 feet. The cut is somewhat athletic and snug but not too tight. The wrist gaters took a little getting use too but function quite well. They do tend to get a bit hot when in warmer weather or being active but do not allow wind or snow to get through. A good solid jacket that's stylish, versatile, and that'll keep you reasonably warm.

I consider myself a little biased when reviewing products, because Mountain Hardwear is my trusted brand for gear. This jacket is the latest addition to my large collection of MHW gear. I just got this jacket and luckily I had tried it on at a store before I bought it. I found that this jacket, along with the other softshells from MHW available at this particular store that I was at, were sized differently than other products from MHW. I'm 6'1" 190 lbs. and normally size L fits me perfectly, but in this jacket it was way too short. The fit of the L on me was ok, maybe a little on the snug side, but I simply could not put up with a jacket that short. I tried on the XL, and the length was perfect, but the body was a little loose. I suppose a little room in the torso area is ok for layering. If considering this jacket, visit your local outdoor gear provider that stocks this jacket to get a true fit before you buy. Other than sizing, the jacket seems to be a very well-constructed piece of clothing. It's got a nice design, fleece lining is fantastic, and roomy hand pockets. Chest pocket is rather small...I'm not really sure if it's truly needed.

Great jacket. I took my time and got it for less than full price and it was well worth it. During winter hikes in Wisconsin and northern Illinois, I used the Alchemy with a wicking baselayer and was perfect. It was my goto jacket all winter. I stopped bringing my shell because I never wanted or needed it with the Alchemy. The draw cords at the hem and collar lock out wind. The internal chest pocket is great for a wallet and ipod. The front pockets can double as venting/pit zips.
The cut is athletic, but the jacket stretches and moves with you quite well. The side panels are very stretchy. The cuffs' internal powerstretch liner works great but makes it a bit tough to get gloves to fit just right. At 5'9" and 135, the small is a great fit but if I were any bigger, I would want a medium.
Overall, the Alchemy, is a great jacket. It blocks wind and is highly waterproof. In a downpour, grab a hardshell but for anything less, the Alchemy is just fine. Warm, comfortable, and stretchy.