FIND SOME GREAT DEALS AT KICKSUSA

**A Geek Daddy received the featured product for FREE to review ** 

My kids Spring Break from school was full of dreary cold, wet, windy and overcast days but we didn't let that keep us from getting out of the house for some fun visiting the local aquarium, science museum and zoo.  I'm glad to have picked up The North Face's Apex Elevation Jacket from kicksusa.com because it kept me warm and dry as we made the best out of the weather.  It arrived very quickly  when ordered online so I had it just in time for our week full of fun activities.  You never know how Michigan weather is going to be in April so I'm glad to have had this great jacket handy which was perfect for this time of year.

Whether I was being pelted with icy rain or blown around by chilly winds, The North Face's Apex Elevation Jacket kept me feeling warm.  Yet its relaxed soft-shell design didn't make me feel bulky and its breathable material kept me from feeling overheated when moving around. It really is a very comfortable jacket!

There are three aspects to this jacket that make it great to wear from the fall through spring on days and nights when the weather is brisk outside.   First, really thin insulation makes the The North Face Apex Elevation Jacket feel very light to wear. Yet it provides the warmth you'd expect from a heavier padded jacket.  Second, its shell is very water resistant so you don't have to worry about getting a damp or being chilled from rain or melting snow coming into contact with the jacket.  Finally, the material in the jacket does a nice job of blocking wind away from your body to avoid the chill cooling you down.

The key ingredient to making this jacket standout is The North Face's PRIMALOFT ECO which uses 70% post-consumer recycled material to create a high performing light weight insulation that reduces heat loss and promotes increased warmth.  I really have to applaud The North Face for not just using recycled materials but also improving upon the reused items to create a new extraordinary product.  From my experience wearing this jacket they really have done an outstanding job!

Also contributing to the comfort of this jacket is its WIND WALL fleece fabric which The North Face promises will reduce the effects of wind chill on your body by 80 - 95%.  I can't absolutely confirm that claim but can testify to walking around the Detroit Zoo when the temperature was in the 30's and the wind chill was supposed to make it feel like the teens, but the weather didn't feel cold at all to me as we wandered about.  Additionally, The North Face coated the fabric on this jacket with DWR (Durable Water Repellent) to make it super water-resistant.  We got caught in a downpour walking back to our car following our visit to the science museum and I didn't feel wet at all where my body was covered by my jacket and its built in hood.  The APEX Elevation Jacket kept me equally comfortable in an icy rain as it did on a cool windy day.

Because of this jacket's light weight, relaxed fit, and the freedom of motion it provides The APEX Elevation Jacket is as usable for a backcountry ski trip as it is for wearing to stay warm and dry on the sideline while cheering for your son or daughter's soccer team as they play a game in the pouring rain.  It also comes with zipping hand and chest pockets to securely stash things.  I always have to carry these awkward sized EpiPens with me when I'm out with my kids because of their food allergies.  Their EpiPens fit just fine into the chest pockets. You can also conveniently toss your phone in a pocket and run a headphone cord into the inside of the jacket and out your collar which is one of the little touches added to the jacket that are really nice.  Some of those other details include a hem cinch cord so you can tighten or loosen the waist as needed and internal gaiter cuffs in the sleeves that provide a nice weather-resistant seal around your wrists and a pair of gloves.

I discovered this jacket while browsing kicksusa.com which has an incredible variety of shoes and clothing at surprisingly low prices.  They really have some great deals you should check out!  While the primary focus of kicksusa.com is on urban teenagers and Millennials, they also have super deals on products from brands such as Asics, New Balance, Timberland, The North Face and UGG that are appealing to middle aged suburban dads like myself.

Shopping online for shoes and clothes can be frustrating because you can't try anything on before you buy it.  It can be such a hassle to try and return something that doesn't fit.  So I really appreciated the GET THE RIGHT SIZE feature on kicksusa.com.  Input your specifications and it will provide a size recommendation customized to you.  I wasn't sure to get an XL or a L.  This feature recommended the large size based upon my specs and it fit me just right.

I had a wonderful experience in both ordering my new jacket and wearing it once The North Face APEX Elevation Jacket arrived.  You don't need to climb a mountain to appreciate this jacket; it is just fine if you just want to use it for casual walks around the neighborhood as well.  Make sure to regularly check out kicksusa.com because they are regularly updating their website with great deals and if you see something you like don't wait to buy it because once they're out of stock the item is sold out.

KicksUSA has earned A Geek Daddy nod of approval for its great prices, handy website product sizing recommendation feature, swift delivery, and because the item I ordered was of top-notch quality.  Visit their website to see the brands they offer and make sure to check and see what they have in stock before buying from someplace else.  Based upon my personal experience, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Disclaimer:  A Geek Daddy was provided the featured product/service for free to review.  Opinions expressed are an honest opinion of my own experience.  Your personal experience my differ from mine and this review does not provide a guarantee regarding any product or service.