Looking for the perfect winter jacket? The one that provides warmth and technical features while still looking stylish? Snowboarding behemoth Burton may have just what you’re looking for and during the Winter Clearance at your local ERIK’S there’s no better time to pick up a sweet jacket at an unbeatable price.
Burton has been an industry powerhouse for years; they released their first snowboard in 1977 and have continued to drive the popularity of winter sports through a commitment to designing quality products for all your wearing needs.
We’re going to zoom in and look at a prime example of Burton’s lineup; the [ak] 2L Swash.
The sleek, subtle and stylish Swash
The [ak] 2L Swash is a serious entry in Burton’s high end [ak] line, boasting ultimate waterproofness and serious insulation all while meeting bluesign® standards. bluesign® is a third party system focused on removing harmful chemicals from the manufacturing process. As their somewhat dry vision statement puts it, their goal is to “link chemical suppliers, textile manufacturers, and brands together to foster a healthy, responsible, and profitable textile industry.” Despite the yawn-inducing text, this is a really good thing as the insulation and fabrics used in performance wear were traditionally derived from petrol-chemicals (read: oil) and often produced byproducts that were toxic. Burton’s commitment to bluesign® approved materials and processes ensures that the jacket you buy to hit the slopes in isn’t contributing to the poisoning of the planet.
The [ak] 2L Swash is fully waterproof; with fully taped interior seams and a waterproof rating of 28000 mm; which is a big number that probably doesn’t mean much to you. What that means is 1 square inch of fabric from the [ak] 2L Swash jacket can withstand over 28,000 mm of water putting pressure on the fabric before it starts to leak through. To put that in perspective, that’s the equivalent of putting the pressure of over 60 feet of water on that square inch!
Several things to notice: the left and right stash pockets, the powder skirt and the insulation all combine to make up one heckuva jacket.
But even the most waterproof jacket in the world isn’t much good in the winter time without insulation. The Swash has 60g Primaloft, widely considered the best non-down insulation in the industry, configured in a vest pattern; keeping your core warm and toasty while freeing your arms up for sweet grabs and ultimate mobility. In an earlier post I talked about Primaloft’s levels of insulation; the Swash has Primaloft Silver, which is slightly heavier than their Gold level, but given that winter sports are mainly focused on using gravity to go down large hills, a couple extra grams doesn’t do anything except make you go even faster. Now, outdoor winter crazies enthusiasts might point out that 60g is not that much insulation; and that’s true. Burton does offer jackets with double that amount of insulation; 120 grams. Without climbing up on my soapbox, allow me to give my .02 cents. In my experience, I prefer several layers while snowboarding; generally a base, one or two midweight layers and then my outer jacket. This allows me to unzip and/or disrobe once my heart rate gets going and I warm up. The Swash is not a jacket that you would only want to wear a t-shirt underneath of when hitting the powder. But the strategic placement around the core makes the jacket much warmer than one might expect.
Finally, fit. There has been a trend in snowboarding apparel that skewed baggier and looser for a while and although having freedom of movement while snowboarding is no doubt a good thing, we don’t all want to dress like we’re 19 years old (absolutely no offense to any 19 year olds reading this…) Thankfully, Burton has three levels of fit; Slim, Regular and Relaxed. The Swash is a Regular fit, meaning it fits more like a regular winter jacket. Most of the [ak] line has a fishtail parka-style dropped rear tail, functionally designed to keep snow out of your nether regions when you take a dive. The Swash does away with that as well as reducing the taper from armpits to hem, making for a more casual looking jacket.
No drop tail means this jacket works as well for going to the coffee shop and it does on the mountain top.
There’s no doubt about it, the [ak] 2L Swash from Burton is a mouthful to say but a joy to wear. Take advantage of the reduced prices at your local ERIK’S during our Winter Clearance Event and pick one up today!
