686 Plexus Hydra Jacket Review

686 Plexus Hydra Jacket Review

Function: If you're looking for a waterproof, windproof, and breathable shell for your days on the mountain, 686 has you covered. The 686 Plexus Hydra is a lightweight shell without insulation, perfect for layering. I really prefer a shell jacket over more bulky fully-insulated jackets. This gives me more options on the mountain based on whatever the weather happens to be that day. For really cold days a thick fleece and thermal base layer underneath will serve me well. For slightly warmer days a thin fleece can be worn. On those warm spring days you can ditch the layers all together and just wear the shell over a tech tee or similar. With fully taped seams and 686's INFIDRY-20 (their highest waterproof and breathability rating), the Plexus Hydra will keep you dry and protected from the wind without cooking you like a sauna. For those of you who value the numbers, it's 20,000/15,000 rated. This thing should keep you dry even when you're charging pow in a dumping blizzard.

Fashion and Features: The jacket comes in 3 different colorways from the bright orange and royal blue (with neon yellow accents) to the more subdued, classic black. All have subtle multi-directional pinstriping for some added flair. I find the colors to be fun and different but not too flashy. They're bright enough for your friends to find you on the mountain without screaming "look at me" like some other designs I've seen.

If you get your normal size, the fit is more tailored and long, but not trench coat length. I'm a fan of the fit and cut. It allows for freedom of movement and room for layering underneath without being overly baggy. The length was spot on for what I like in a snow jacket. It's long enough to look good and keep the snow out, but not down around your knees. The jacket has an internal audio pocket, a powder skirt with jacket-to-pants connectors, a mesh internal pocket, 2 external fleece-lined pockets (one of them with a key connector), thumb loops, underarm zippered mesh vents, brimmed hood, and a zippered chest pocket that's perfect for your phone. I'm sure the pants connectors are designed for 686 snow pants, but they matched up perfectly with my Burton pants as well. The asymmetrical zipper is either a love-it or hate-it affair. It's really just a style thing. So far as I can tell, there's no functional advantage to it, and it can be hard to zip up all the way at times. It's got a unique look zipped or unzipped, but it personally wasn't a selling point for me. The brimmed hood on this one isn't the expandable helmet-compatible one found on the Bionic jacket so it tends to rub the helmet when the jacket is zipped up all the way. I wear an XL helmet though so it might not be an issue for people without huge heads like mine. It was only a minor annoyance for me and unnoticeable when skiing.

Overall: I recommend this jacket for people looking for a lightweight, high-performance shell jacket for layering. Keep in mind this has no insulation, so look to something else if you're searching for the warmest jacket possible. For the price, you're getting a high quality, durable garment with lots of technical features. 686 has been around for quite some time, yet I'm only recently discovering their products. So far everything I've seen of theirs has been quality. They make solid kit at varying pricepoints. I find you get a bit more for your money with 686 over some other brands. You'd be doing yourself a favor checking out their stuff.

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