My Take on Eddie Bauer Stuff
So, I needed a new jacket a while back. Winter was coming, you know how it is. My old one was just done, threads hanging out, zipper busted. I started looking around, mostly online cause it’s easier.
I remembered Eddie Bauer. My dad used to have one of their down vests, wore it all the time back in the day. Seemed like decent quality, tough stuff. So, I figured I’d check them out. Went to their website, browsed around a bit. Lots of options, maybe too many.
Ended up finding this parka thing on sale. Looked warm, waterproof, all that jazz. The price wasn’t too crazy because of the discount, so I pulled the trigger. Clicked buy, waited for it to show up.
Getting it and First Thoughts
Package arrived a few days later. Pulled the jacket out. Felt… okay. A bit lighter than I expected, maybe? The material seemed alright, kind of standard nylon shell. Color was what I ordered, fit was pretty true to size, which was good.
Putting it to the Test (The Practice)
The real test started when the cold weather actually hit. First real cold snap, maybe freezing or just below, I put it on to walk the dog. It was… fine. Kept the wind out alright. Didn’t feel super toasty immediately, but walking around, I warmed up okay. It wasn’t like wearing an arctic expedition suit, but good enough for around town.
Then we got some wet, slushy snow. This was where I was curious about the ‘waterproof’ part.
- Walked through some light rain and snow mix. Stayed dry underneath, so that was a plus.
- Sleeves got pretty damp on the outside, but it didn’t seem to soak through right away.
- The hood worked okay, kept my head dry mostly.
I wore it pretty much daily for errands, taking out the trash, scraping ice off the car. Just normal winter stuff. After a few weeks, I noticed a couple of things.
What I Found Out
The main zipper started getting a bit sticky. Not broken, just… annoying sometimes. Had to fiddle with it to get it started right. Also, one of the pocket linings felt a bit thin, like it might tear if I wasn’t careful with my keys.
It definitely wasn’t the super rugged, last-forever gear I sort of imagined from my dad’s old vest. It felt more like, well, a modern jacket made to hit a certain price point. It did the job, kept me warm enough and dry enough for regular daily life. Didn’t try climbing a mountain in it or anything.
So, yeah. That’s my experience. It worked. Got it on sale, used it for a season or two. It held up okay, minus the slightly fussy zipper. It wasn’t amazing, wasn’t terrible. Just a jacket that did its job, pretty much like you’d expect these days.
