A puffer jacket is nice to wear when it gets cold, but you prefer the perfectly relaxed fit of a poncho raincoat. How do you stay warm in winter climates while enjoying the restriction-free convenience you get with a rain poncho? We think the Cleverhood Snow Cape has figured that out for you.
Billed as a “cuddly, cozy workhorse of a winter garment,” it’s a literal cross between a poncho and a puffy jacket, giving you a large upper body cloak covered in those stitched pockets you find on a warm winter coat. That way, you can keep warm in cold weather while walking around in a unencumbered cloak, sparing you from the restrictive confines of those puffer jackets that can make stretching your arms and shoulders much harder than usual.
The Cleverhood Snow Cape is, basically, a puffy poncho, combining the loose and unstructured shape of the rainy day cloak with the insulated body of a puffer garment. It looks amazing and appears so much more relaxed than the traditionally bulky jackets of the winter season. Like a traditional poncho, it comes in a cloak shape that should cover your entire upper body, with a zippered slot in the middle for slipping it over your head. The poncho should cover your entire torso, both arms, and even a few inches below the waist, while the integrated hood lets you zip up to cover your entire head and neck for full upper body protection. It comes with waterproof YKK zippers.
Construction is recycled polyester for the shell, which is both waterproof and breathable, ensuring it can keep you dry during inclement weather and keep you from sweating during activities, while the inside is covered in a bio-nylon lining. Insulation is provided by an 80-20 blend of recycled duck down and virgin duck down.
The Cleverhood Snow Cape comes with snaps around the sleeves, so you can tailor the fit to your liking, as well as side adjustments if you want to raise the hem higher to make it more suited to shorter individuals (yes, they made it purposely long to cover more of the body). There’s a large interior pocket that you can use for storage, although its main purpose is to actually serve as storage for the poncho once you pack it down the moment you get warm indoors. That’s right, this thing is packable, making it quite the convenient outerwear layer to keep around during winter season.
Can you wear it during rainy days even when it’s not as cold? Probably, since this thing will shrug off rain with the best of them with both the garment material and the DWR treatment. However, this thing looks particularly warm, since they designed it as a winter layer, so you’d probably want to stay clear unless you’re fine with sweating more than usual. We mean… it’s like wearing a warm and heavily insulated blanket while you go about your day. And yes, it can be machine-washed, although they recommend sticking to gentle cycles in cold water.
The Cleverhood Snow Cape is available in two colorways, priced at $349.