I have mixed feelings about this one. When the Gear Guard Vest first arrived, I was genuinely surprised — and not in the good way. It is small. Much, much smaller than expected. But then something unexpected happened: it became one of my go-to pieces for a very specific situation. Let me explain.
The Sizing Problem
I'm an adult large. Almost everything in adult large fits me just fine. This vest? Snug. Very, very tight. I definitely should have ordered an adult extra-large if I wanted to wear this on a regular basis as an outer layer. The sizing runs noticeably small, and it's something Rivian really should address or at least call out more clearly in their product descriptions.
My first thought when I tried it on was honestly to give it to my wife. That's how small it felt. I wasn't going to return it, so I kept it, figuring I'd find some use for it eventually.
The Bears Playoff Redemption Arc
Here's where the story takes a turn. I live in Chicago, and this past season I went to both Bears playoff games. If you know anything about January football in Chicago, you know it's cold. We're talking brutal, face-numbing, question-your-life-choices cold.
I ended up layering the vest underneath my other clothes as a base layer. Long-sleeved base layer first, then the Gear Guard Vest, then another layer on top of that, then my final jacket. And you know what? It actually worked really well. The vest is incredibly light — almost surprisingly so — and it added just enough extra insulation without any bulk. As a base layer under heavier clothing, the tight fit actually became a feature instead of a bug.
Here's what it actually looks like on. You can see what I mean about the fit being snug.
The Color
I'm an orange guy. I'm a Bears fan, an Illinois fan — orange comes naturally to me. I've got a decent amount of it in my wardrobe already. So the Gear Guard orange colorway was right up my alley. It looks great. The color pops, and the Gear Guard branding is a nice touch without being over the top.
When to Wear It
Here's the thing about this vest: it's light. Much lighter than my other vests that I wear regularly when it's in the 40-50 degree range. This is more of a 50-55 degree vest — throw it over a long sleeve when you just want a little something extra but don't need serious warmth. I've got a couple of other vests that handle the colder days better.
That limits how many days in a Chicago year this vest actually makes sense as a standalone piece. We go from winter straight to summer pretty quickly around here, so the window for a lightweight vest is narrow.
Pros & Cons
Final Verdict
3.5 out of 5 stars.
I almost gave this away. I literally thought about handing it to my wife and calling it a day. But it redeemed itself as an unexpected base layer for freezing playoff games, and I've come around on it. The color is great, it looks sharp, and it does serve a purpose — just not the one I originally expected. If the sizing was more accurate, I'd give it four stars. But between the tight fit and how light it is, there just aren't as many days in Chicago where this is the right call. Size up and you'll probably be happier than I was on day one.
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