Hardshell Jackets
Product 2022
Woman, Man
We tested this Verjari S.Café P4Dry jacket with the Verjari Air Pocket baselayer.
The jacket has amazing technical solutions. The first concerns what the brand calls S.Café P4Dry technology, which comes from recycled coffee grounds. We had no idea you could make a textile treatment from coffee grounds. Discovering this characteristic, we expected to smell a sweet Espresso smell as we set out… Joking aside, it didn’t!
The other great Verjari idea is packaging that biodegrades in boiling water (pasta water?). It is made from a polymer resin base decomposed by microorganisms. There is no plastic. It would be necessary look closely and calculate the environmental impact of having to boil water versus recycling packaging in the traditional way. But maybe this material can’t be recycled? We asked.
Now let’s look at the field test. This jacket is extremely comfortable because it is very stretchy in all directions, it moves without ever hindering your movements. We used it for trail running and loved it. Very comfortable around the neck and arms. When biking, you can wear it over a jersey even when the back pockets are full. That said, as it isn’t snug fitting, you do lose aerodynamics. For other outdoor sports such as fast hiking and trekking, it is very practical. It’s soft against the skin. The hood is very well designed, and it is also one of the few that stays in place and does not obstruct lateral vision. If necessary, there’s an elastic allows to adjust it even more.
It doesn’t have a high collar, it stops just under the chin. We lose in protection what we gain in comfort. The thumbs pass through openings and keep the top of the hands protected: fast, efficient, and comfy. How long will this area withstand the hands’ movements? It was fine after twenty-odd excursions.
This Verjari S.Café P4Dry’s other characteristics concern its amazing breathability, which took us by surprise. Generally, this type of jacket can become like an oven, so much so they even have zips under the arms to facilitate heat evacuation. We are usually very critical in our tests about breathability but here we are giving this one a brownie point. Even without the zips, this Verjari S.Café P4Dry regulates heat. The waterproofness is standard for this type of jacket, the brand lists 20,000 Schmerbers. It holds up in the rain and wet snow. After a while, like all jackets, the humidity eventually sneaks in.
Verjari didn’t forget to kit the jacket with real reflective strips, a very good point for night sessions. Last but not least, the Verjari S.Café P4Dry barely retains any odours.
Just the question of weight, 270 grams in size M. It’s not really super-light but it’s not heavy either. You must consider the relationship between waterproofing, toughness (especially tearing), breathability, and protection (hood), which all win points for the Verjari S.Café P4Dry. Ultra-tech runners looking for pure performance will go in search of a different product.
This Verjari S.Café P4Dry is surprising in more ways than one. Made using recycled coffee grounds, packaged in a sachet that can be dissolved in hot water, it is nonetheless very performant out in the action. This is one of the few jackets tested that can really be said to be “breathable”.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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