Recently, United by Blue introduced The Bison Ultralight jacket, which utilizes a 50/50 blend of bison and traditional wool for the insulation. Since the insulation is wool, it maintains its warmth properties when wet. As a result, it’s 100% natural. Who doesn’t like that?
Bison Ultralight Jacket Review
I’ve been wearing The Bison Ultralight jacket for over a month now and can say that it is warm, durable, and has a great fit. The benefit of using bison wool is that the hair is hollow and provides fantastic warmth, it’s temperature-regulating, hypoallergenic, lightweight, and flexible. For the most part, bison fiber is primarily considered a by-product of the ranching industry. So, by creating BisonShield insulation, United by Blue is helping utilize an underutilized resource.
What I like about the Bison Ultralight jacket is that it doesn’t look like a traditional lightweight puffy. The body panels have minimal quilting, while the sleeves are smooth without quilting. It’s a classic silhouette that will be in style for years to come and is perfect for walking around town.
The outer material is made from a 100% recycled ripstop shell that utilizes a PFC-free water-resistant coating. Therefore, the PFC-free coating helps keep you dry without nasty chemicals.
Inside the Bison Ultralight jacket, they designed a large pocket that I like to use for my gloves if it gets warm. But the original design of this pocket is to transform your Ultralight jacket into a pillow – perfect for road trips, planes, or couch surfing!
This jacket is light! I have the XL version, and it only weighs 1.08 lbs.
Fit and Sizing
United by Blue believes that fit, function, and quality go hand-in-hand and that truly great products can be designed to be long-lasting. Also, they feel that the hands who make their products are as important as the ethically sourced and environmentally responsible materials.
The cut is excellent. I’m 6’ 2” tall and wear an XL. Since I have long arms, sleeve length is always an issue. The length of the sleeves on the Bison Ultralight is perfect and the body is slim. Often, I need an XL for the sleeve length, and the body is too large for me, but this is not the case with the Bison Ultralight jacket.
Also, I like how they used an elastic cuff on the underside of the wrist with an asymmetrical cut on top. This way, the sleeve snugs around my wrist, which keeps the cold out while maintaining a clean design line.
In addition, the hood doesn’t have a drawcord but is designed perfectly to keep cold drafts at bay while still allowing for freedom of movement and visibility.
Furthermore, to dial in the fit even better, United by Blue incorporated a drawcord at the waist hem.
4 Reasons to love the Bison Ultralight Jacket
- Natural insulation that was once considered a by-product
- Recycled nylon ripstop fabric
- Classic styling that will look good for years
- Light-weight – less than 1 pound!
Dislikes
After using the Bison Ultralight jacket for the past month, there is nothing that jumps out at me that I dislike. I’ve worn it in light rain, and the DWR (durable water repellent) on the exterior of the fabric works great. That being said, I haven’t worn it in extreme wet conditions, so I’m unable to comment on that aspect. In short, over the past month, I haven’t reached for my old lightweight insulated jacket.
Specs
- 50/50 BisonShield and wool insulation
- Recycled ripstop shell with PFC-free DWR coating
- Men’s medium weighs 15.8 oz!
- Zippered pockets in front
- Large interior pocket to stuff your jacket to create a pillow
Benefits of Bison
Bison once roamed the Great Plains of North America in the millions. They’re an icon of the West representing a wild and free spirit. By the early 1900s, there were less than 1,000 bison left. Thanks to reintroduction initiatives, there are now more than 500,000.
Bison are grazers who prefer to eat perennial grasses, and typically, don’t hang out around water and trees. Whereas cattle like to hang around water sources and trees and can have a devastating effect on the biodiversity of these environments.
Who is the Bison Ultralight Jacket for?
- People who want a classic insulated jacket that will be stylish for years to come
- Anyone who prefers natural insulation as opposed to synthetic
- Someone who prefers recycled fabrics as opposed to using virgin textiles
Bottom line
Check out the Bison Ultralight Jacket if you need a new insulated jacket. The benefits of natural insulation, recycled fabrics, and a classic silhouette make this a great jacket. Plus, for every product purchased, United by Blue removes one pound of trash from waterways. To date, they’ve removed 3,221,807 pounds of trash!
