Feedback wanted – jacket for legs

[Steve O]

@Claudiu06 147304 wrote:

All in all, guys, thanks for your feedback (and for trolling us) but we are preparing to launch our Kickstarter campaign soon and we would really appreciate if you could take a look first.

What do you think? Is all clear there? Did we make any mistakes? What can be improved?

Did you also post to the Chain Link in Chicago? Bet they’d offer some interesting feedback as well. It rains there, too, I understand.
IMO your core audience is probably not the bicycling community: they already know all about rain pants and are unlikely to see a strong enough differentiation in your product from all the other water resistant/wind resistant/reflective striping/easily stored rain pants already on the market.

For me personally, I would be wary of a product with those long zippers. It’s just another thing to break, and once a zipper goes bad, they’re worthless.

[KLizotte]

Kudos to the original poster for having a good sense of humor and a thick coat of armor (maybe that is what you should sell!).

If I were a long range commuter I think I would be interested in the zipper concept because it would make taking them on/off on the side of the trail easier but alas I’m not such a commuter.

The one problem that exists for anything with long zippers is length. For people who are very short the pants will be too long and it won’t be possible to get them altered by a tailor. As a short person, I am all too aware of certain clothes I can’t wear unless I want to subsidize my tailor’s next Mercedes.

[vvill]

I actually don’t think it’s a terrible idea for those that actually want to wear rain pants regularly. I think I have two pairs of rain pants and have maybe worn each pair… once? I like the animated gif. Even advanced breathable fabrics just aren’t that breathable, in my experience (Gore rain jacket).

That said, I could see bikesnobnyc and outsideisfred having some fun with it.

[Drewdane]

From frustrating experience, I can say any rain pants you want me to buy need to be easily put on and removed without having to take off my shoes – a zipper going all the way from ankle to thigh, for example, and no stupid mesh liner to snag on my feet!

Your website appears to require a subscription to see your product, and I ain’t doing that.

[dkel]

@KLizotte 147310 wrote:

As a short person, I am all too aware of certain clothes I can’t wear unless I want to subsidize my tailor’s next Mercedes.

Maybe you need to find a less upwardly-mobile tailor. Just sayin’.

[vvill]

@Drewdane 147319 wrote:

From frustrating experience, I can say any rain pants you want me to buy need to be easily put on and removed without having to take off my shoes – a zipper going all the way from ankle to thigh, for example, and no stupid mesh liner to snag on my feet!

That’s the whole point of this product (I think) – if you click the latest link there’s an animated GIF showing it being put on.

[Crickey7]

There is a market for this. Anyone who really wants to commute 5 days a week year round needs something like this. And although these are not cheap, people would buy them–if they work.

I’d be most concerned from cycling standpoint about how they move around the knees, if they ride too low on the waist and if they come down low enough to overlap waterproof shoes covers.

[huskerdont]

@Crickey7 147325 wrote:

Anyone who really wants to commute 5 days a week year round needs something like this.

I commute 5 days a week year round and need nothing like this. I may not be typical, but these are not essential.

[Crickey7]

I tried commuting a few times in pouring 35 degree rain, and one time experienced really severe, nearly debilitating conditions in my feet. Even when I use waterproof covers, the water streams down my legs and gets into the shoes that way.

[Judd]

@huskerdont 147327 wrote:

I commute 5 days a week year round and need nothing like this. I may not be typical, but these are not essential.

This. I bought a pricey pair of Showers Pass rain pants that I have worn three times. They’re too warm except for the winter in which I typically wear a pair of softshell thermal leggings if it’s wet out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[huskerdont]

@Judd 147334 wrote:

This. I bought a pricey pair of Showers Pass rain pants that I have worn three times. They’re too warm except for the winter in which I typically wear a pair of softshell thermal leggings if it’s wet out.

For me, dry pants (even Goretex) are counterproductive since they make me sweat, so softshell thermals are what works for me as well. Can cover the tops of the booty covers with the thermals to reduce runoff into the shoes. Only problem I have is that the manufacturer felt the backs of the legs didn’t need the insulation the front has so if it’s windy and below maybe 15 degrees, the backs of my legs can get a bit cold. It doesn’t get that cold around here that often, but when I’m ready to replace them, I’m going to look for ones with insulation around the back as well.

[Claudiu06]

@Drewdane 147319 wrote:

From frustrating experience, I can say any rain pants you want me to buy need to be easily put on and removed without having to take off my shoes – a zipper going all the way from ankle to thigh, for example, and no stupid mesh liner to snag on my feet!

Your website appears to require a subscription to see your product, and I ain’t doing that.

we have our website http://www.legsjacket.com that does not require a subscription to view and also our campaign page on Kickstarter, which also does not require a subscription. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vear/1326349502?token=f9aa425b

And yes, our product has zippers from feet to waist on both sides and no mesh liner.

We developed this product to get rid of the frustrtating experience….

@Crickey7 147325 wrote:

There is a market for this. Anyone who really wants to commute 5 days a week year round needs something like this. And although these are not cheap, people would buy them–if they work.

I’d be most concerned from cycling standpoint about how they move around the knees, if they ride too low on the waist and if they come down low enough to overlap waterproof shoes covers.

They are reinforced at the knee and are stiched specifically for cycling. 😎

[Claudiu06]

Hi Everyone!

We just launched and wanted to let you know!
Here’s our campaign link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vear/the-legs-jacket-waterproof-and-breathable?ref=9t8xof

[peterw_diy]

@dasgeh 147018 wrote:

They are rain pants with zippers on the sides of the legs so you don’t have to step into them. Pretty cool, as long as the zippers hold up, and as long as the velcro waist thing works well enough to keep them up while you’re zipping.

I’ve owned a pair of rain pants with full side zippers for years. Remember the downsides of zippers (beyond added cost): increased weight, increased bulk, decreased flexibility of garment, increased likelihood of leaks.

My second favorite part of this is their “made to last you a lifetime” pitch. Rainpants do have an easier life than jackets, but, as somebody who’s used a bunch of different waterproof /breathable garments over the years, that’s hogwash. Sure, you can get a decade or more from really good stuff like Gore-Tex, but most of these fabrics don’t hold up well. This is especially true of fabrics with thin membranes bonded to the main fabric and unprotected by any other layer, which is what this product appears to use. I’m lucky if I get two seasons from rain jackets made from such stuff before the membrane gets worn away. Anyhow, their “lifetime” language suggests to me they either don’t know what they’re doing with the textiles, or they’re not being honest.

My favorite thing is what Dread pointed out – this isn’t a new product, it’s a new name for something that’s been around for decades, apparently marketed to people who know little about technical outerwear.

Also the waist velcro looks bad. Unless you’re really careful about alignment, the “male” portion is likely to abrade and damage other garments. My old full zip rain pants use snaps to avoid that risk.

The rain pants I use for cycling now have no zippers, just an elasticized draw cord at the waist. The ankles have velcro wraps but since the pants are a size bigger than usual (to slip over street clothes) I must use trouser straps to keep the ankles tidy – that’s the only thing I wish were different, and even in that respect this leg jacket product is no better.

[KLizotte]

Competitor or the same folks?

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