Dakine Sawtooth GORE-TEX 3L Jacket Review

Jacket Reviewed: Dakine Sawtooth Gore-Tex 3L Jacket (Shadow/Andora)
Rider specs: 6’0″ 188 lbs jacket size: XL
Intended Use: Snowboarding, Snow Sports

Recommended for:
Anyone looking for a GORE-TEX shell to provide maximum protection against the elements.

Details From Dakine:

Fit: Tailored fit
Fabric: GORE-TEX 3L Polyester Plain Weave with a tricot lining.

Tech Features:

2 Year Limited Warranty
2-Way adjustable hood
YKK® AquaGuard water resistant zippers
2-Way center front zipper
Wrist gaiters
Media compatible chest pocket
Zip chest vents
Stretch mesh goggle pockets
Stretch powder skirt

Review Date: November – April 2018 in Idaho/Wyoming

Review:

Dakine built the Sawtooth GORE-TEX 3L jacket for maximum protection against winter’s worst weather. This season in the Teton’s offered quite a mixed bag allowing me to put Dakine’s claims to the test.
The Sawtooth jacket’s construction is made up of a 3L Gore-tex polyester plain weave with a tricot backer. The jacket also features YKK AquaGuard water resistant zippers and fully taped seams. Dakine states that the Sawtooth has a tailored fit and I found it to fit nicely in the chest/torso area but feel longer than most jackets. Available in 3 colorways, it’s sure to appeal to anyone’s taste and style. It has a simple design to it but paired with the tailored fit it delivers a great look.

The Sawtooth jacket has a stretch powder skirt with snap system to integrate with Dakine pants that keeps wind, rain and snow out. This was truly put to the test through intense powder as well as wet spring slush. The wrist gators are made from a stretch material and can be secured with the use of the thumbhole. In combination with the Velcro wrist closure, I never had an issue of snow going up my sleeve.

A unique feature of this jacket is the 12” diagonal vents. Most jackets have a standard pit vent to dump heat. The Sawtooth vents are larger than normal and are not lined, so they really allow you to dump heat. Warmer spring days and the fact that I run hot, made this a welcome addition.

The hood on the Sawtooth jacket has an adjustable cordlock at the back, and one on each side of the collar. On severe weather days, you can really cinch the hood down around your head or helmet and it offers an incredible amount of protection.

The Sawtooth jacket has a nice longer fit to it, which I found to really help keep snow out. It is a shell only and does not have insulation, so on cold days you need to layer. Even boasting a nice tailored fit, I was able to layer enough to keep warm and still have plenty of mobility.

The jacket does have plenty of storage, with two side pockets, a media pocket and a mesh lined goggle pocket. But keep in mind these pockets are not lined as this jacket is strictly a shell. It also has a pass pocket on the sleeve, although I found it a bit hard to zip back up with mitts or gloves on.

Overall the Dakine Sawtooth 3L Gore-Tex jacket offers maximum protection from wind, snow, rain or whatever else Mother Nature might throw at you. The large torso vents make this a great jacket for short tours as well.