Here’s something you don’t hear every day: a llama-insulated jacket. No, we don’t mean they butchered a llama and filled the jacket with the meat (I’m sure they’re keeping that in the back burner for a Lady Gaga collab), but the Kusa Jacket is the first outerwear of its kind to use llama fleece as the insulating material.
Made by Cotopaxi, the jacket is bound to garner interest just from that novel fact alone. How good is llama fleece for insulation, though? According to the outfit, it’s outstanding, since llama wool boasts a a 40 to 50 degree comfort range, a huge leap from the 15 to 20 degrees offered by most synthetic layers. If that’s not impressive enough, it’s also lightweight, moisture-shedding, and quick-drying, all while being naturally resistant to wind, flames, odors, and stains. So, yeah, that’s a whole lot of awesome things to have in your jacket’s insulation.
The Cotopaxi Kusa Jacket is made using 20D ripstop nylon with a DWR finish that’s, of course, reinforced with the llama-poly insulation. It comes in half-zip and full-zip models, both of which are fitted with a chest pocket, YKK zippers, snap buttons on the back, and Lycra comfort cuffs. The jackets are reversible, too, with the ability to pack into the chest pocket, for carrying convenience. Because of the unique material, the jacket retains full insulating properties even when wet.
If llama wool proves to be as good as Cotopaxi claims, they better prepare for some real competition for their supply sources down the line. The Kusa Jacket is available now, priced at $169 for the half-zip and $199 for the full zip version.