Adidas Agravic Alpha Shield Hoodie Jacket

I've got a new favorite running jacket--it's the Adidas Agravic Alpha Shield Hoodie. It retails for $159, but I ended up getting it for $60 with a 50% off sale, plus $20 coupon from Adidas, and a free shipping deal. Not bad! The jacket is lightweight (6.3 oz), breathable, wind-resistant, and warm. But not too warm. It has strategically placed special insulation--polartec alpha--with more in the front and less in back. This alpha stuff is extremely thin, but insulates well.

The thin hood is not detachable (or storable), but it has not bothered me yet. It has a pull tab on the back to cinch it tighter. The hood adds a nice bit of extra warmth when windy. It's only been a week, but I've run in it several times in temps from 28-45F. I think it would work down to 20-25F with just a basic long sleeve shirt underneath. With a thicker shirt, fleece, or double-shirt, it would keep me warm down to 10-15F.

The fit is about what you'd expect in a running jacket. I have a men's large and it fits my 6'3", 175 pound body well. Slim, but not tight. Sleeves are long with elastic cuffs. The jacket extends a little farther down in the back than front. Full zipper (with wind block). The waist hem can be adjusted tighter with two drawstrings (one on each side by the pockets). Oh yeah, it has two hand pockets and can be stuffed into a smallish ball for storage.

I haven't had the chance to test it in rain, but some comments on the adidas web site say it's not the best water-resistant jacket. In rather cold weather, I'm thinking it only needs to be snow/sleet resistant, not rain. Also, I haven't been able to judge it's durability (can it withstand scrapes, abrasions, frequent washings, etc). Time will tell. For now, it's easily my favorite running  jacket. Would I buy it at full price ($159)?  Probably not. $125? Yes. And anything less than $100 is a great value. I got a steal at $60. If you do a web search, you can typically find it from $75-$100.