Marmot Spire Jacket Review

Marmot has come a long way since its foundation back in the seventies. Back then, it was a small-scale company until an order of its jackets for a Clint Eastwood film catalyzed its path to success as an outdoor company. These days, Marmot is a world-famous producer of all kinds of outdoor gear, but you could argue that jackets have remained its flagship product.

It’s not surprising that, over the years, Marmot has developed a range of specialized jackets suited to various purposes, ranging from heavily insulated base camp jackets to breathable skiing ones. Here, we’re going to take a closer look at the Marmot Spire Jacket, a hardcore shell jacket, available for both men and women, with super-durable construction and designed for use in extreme environments.

Below, we’ll explore what the Spire is actually made of, as well as seeing how well it ranks in terms of some key performance categories to help you decide if it’s the one for you – enjoy!

Materials and Durability

Marmot has a solid reputation for using high-end materials in its outdoor products. The Marmot Spire was designed for extreme cold at high altitudes, but what is it actually made of and is it really up to the challenge?

So, the Marmot Spire is constructed from ‘GORE-TEX® Products 3L 100% Recycled Polyester 4.9 oz/yd’… but what does that actually mean? Well, GORE-TEX® fabric has been around since the seventies and is known primarily for its waterproof, windproof, yet breathable properties – sounds pretty good right? But it doesn’t stop there. GORE-TEX® fabrics can be combined in a huge variety of ways, giving rise to some of the hardiest outdoor fabrics.

Three-layer GORE-TEX® materials are comprised of a wicking base layer, which rapidly absorbs sweat from the skin so you don’t get damp and cold, a midlayer designed to trap precious body heat, and an external layer (or shell) that’s been coated with durable water repellent (DWR) that causes water to form droplets that roll off the fabric rather than penetrate it. As it’s a coating, it will eventually need replenishing, but this is the case with all DWR coatings, and at least this one can last several years before it needs touching up (depending on usage).

Aside from GORE-TEX® Pro, a high-end fabric with a high-end price tag, three-layer GORE-TEX® is about as good as it gets. Oh, and we love that Marmot has opted for a fabric that uses recycled polyester too, nice one. On top of that, the Spire features fully taped seams for added durability and protection, making for one durable jacket overall.

Weather Protection and Breathability

So, we know that the Marmot Spire is fully waterproof thanks to its durable GORE-TEX® construction and DWR coating, but does it have any other feature to protect you from the elements? And does its protection come at the cost of reduced breathability?

Weather protection

The hood is large enough to accommodate helmets, which means you can definitely fit a decent winter hat under there, which will go a long way to keeping you warm. On top of that, the hood has a wire brim to keep wind and moisture away from your face plus there’s a tall collar too to protect the bottom of your face and neck. The hood and collar are also super adjustable with dual toggles at the front plus a toggle and Velcro strap at the back so they won’t slip down and leave you exposed even in blustery conditions.

The drawcord-adjustable hem is a great way to stop any pesky drafts, and we love that there’s a powder skirt to stop any slush creeping up your back if you stumble but you can remove it entirely if you don’t think you’ll need it. There’s also a storm flap covering the main front zipper to further keep out wind and moisture.

So, all in all, Marmot has invested in heaps of mechanisms to make sure you stay dry and protected from wind and snow.

Breathability

Unfortunately, it’s hard to maintain breathability with something so protective. The dual pit zips definitely help when you’re starting to overheat, but they’re pretty small and only unzip in one direction. You can loosen the hem of the jacket or risk loosening the hood if you want some extra draft, but you might end up with more than you bargained for. We do like that the large front pockets have tiny holes to aid airflow though (when the pockets are open). The main issue is that the main fabric is not very breathable – but that’s what makes it so protective after all.

Overall, these features make this an excellent jacket for keeping you warm while hiking, but it might not be the best for activities that will really get your heart racing – you might find yourself overheating.

Mobility and Comfort

Whether you’re hiking, skiing, or climbing on a mountainside, you want to be comfortable while you’re doing it and not feel restricted in your movements. So, how does the Marmot Spire perform in this department?

Comfort

Available in sizes S-XL for men and XS-XL for women, you really can find the jacket that fits you best. Designed to be regular fitting, you’ll be bale to fit snuggly mid-layer under this jacket no problem, so in that sense you can be very comfortable while wearing it.

Mobility

Although this jacket features a so-called ‘Angel-Wing’ design to enable full arm movement, it’s not as effective as we’d like. This is partly due to the storm flaps on the pit zips that increase bulk and stiffness in this area.

The other issue restricting mobility is the fabric itself, although super durable and weather-resistant, it has very little flexibility and feels quite stiff. This makes carrying out activities such as climbing, where free movement is key, slightly frustrating in this jacket.

Overall, the Marmot Spire has clearly had to sacrifice some mobility in order to manufacture such a highly protective jacket.

Portability and Organization

Shell jackets offer a great balance of packability and protection – less bulky than parkas and puffers but keeping you safer than a mere raincoat. They also tend to be in the middle when it comes to organizational features such as pockets. So, let’s take a closer look at the Spire.

Portability

First up, this jacket is surprisingly heavy, weighing more than 14 ounces for a female size S. Its stiff nature makes folding seem slightly unnatural, but it does eventually form a compact bundle. Overall, it’s not the most portable shell jacket out there, but then again, it offers considerably more protection than most, so we guess that figures.

Organization

The two large front pockets that we mentioned earlier are not only perforated to boost breathability, but they’re also very strategically placed – you can delve into them even while wearing a climbing harness. The inner chest pockets is surprisingly large and makes a fantastic spot to keep a map or anything else you’d like to keep bone dry. The fourth and final pocket is in the left-hand sleeve, and is pretty small but perfectly placed for a ski pass.

Despite how protective it is, the Spire is still manageable in terms of portability, and its pockets are particularly thoughtfully placed.

Value for Money

So, how does the Marmot Spire perform compared to other jackets in its price range? Pretty well!

It can’t be faulted in terms of its construction and durability and offers an exceptional amount of weather protection for a shell jacket. As a jacket for limited activity, it’s an absolute steal and will last you for years.

Rating

With an overall rating of 90, the Marmot Spire has scored pretty well against our ranking system.

It lost points for its restricted movement and lack of breathability but did very well in terms of materials and durability and weather protection – a trade-off that makes sense, after all.

Verdict

So, what do we think of the Spire overall? It’s one solid shell jacket that offers considerably better durability and weather protection compared to most other jackets in its price bracket.

The lack of breathability and freedom of movement lets it down in terms of its use as an action-heavy skiing or climbing jacket; however, as a jacket for hiking or casual exercise, you won’t find much better for the price.