May 19

May 19 Haglöfs L.I.M. CROWN Jacket (2020)

Haglöfs L.I.M. CROWN Jacket (2020)

Type: Shell / Use: Active / Face: Nylon / Insulation: n/a

Technologies: 3-layer PROOF membrane fabric, RECCO reflector

The currency of Sweden is the krona, or “crown.” At writing, it’s 10.0 crowns to a dollar. You can thank corona for making it expensive. Or you can thank corona for the sales everyone’s running.

Either way, at writing, a L.I.M CROWN Jacket by Sweden’s own Haglöfs costs nearly 5000 of its namesake. Is that a good trade? By Kanye math, it’s a 5x premium. But if you’re the type of jacket fan who prefers Montane to Margiela, take your throne.

The L.I.M. CROWN is a church bell cannon – the armament of kings, as impressive in its function as in sheer significance. It’s not bad looking. It is badass.

And you fuckin’ bet it weighs, like, 7 ounces.

Haglöfs’ spring/summer heavyweight is, ironically, not heavy at all. At its core, the L.I.M. (“Less Is More”) CROWN is an ultralight running jacket. Fixtures are minimal (small zips, tiny tags). Features are sparse. Total weight: less than half a pound. These are the traits of Patagonia’s Houdini and the Arc’teryx Squamish, two legendary “weather-resistant” windshells that let sweat out and almost everything in. The CROWN is just like them. Except for that one little thing.

Behind a waspy 6-denier ripstop outer lies Haglöfs’ proprietary PROOF membrane, their in-house GORE equivalent used famously on the brand’s ski shells. Here, that waterproof tech is tuned for breathability.

Ok. That’s an understatement.

Here, that waterproof tech delivers 20,000mm of water resistance (more than the Nengal 3L ski shell; as much as Snow Peak’s Wanderlust) while exfiltrating an unholy 60,000g/m2 of vapor from the inside on out. That’s more than… everything.

Biking. Hiking. Running. Sunning. If an activity makes you sweat, the ultralight, ultra-breathable L.I.M. CROWN makes it comfortable when the weather turns. Most jackets claiming “waterproof and breathable” tend to just mean “waterproof,” leading to all sorts of clammy discomfort. Thanks to its lightweight design and obsession with airflow, the L.I.M. CROWN is truly both. Also, there’s a RECCO reflector in the hood. Because, if you didn’t know, there’s an entire branch of extreme backpacking dedicated to staying in the wilderness as long as possible with as light of a pack weight as possible.

The same qualities that make Haglöfs’ jacket a great choice for your rainy day runs also make it an ace in the hole for backcountry minimalists. Or the opposite way around. Either way: on pure performance, the CROWN is regal.

I’m a regular runner and part-time cyclist who’s had to depend on aerobic outdoors activity to get around Coronoland. Believe me when I say the CROWN is game-changing – a second skin, a functional extension, the kind of technical wear that makes you think those techwear people really do have good in their hearts. For rainy training days and stormy restock runs alike, there’s no replacement for a breathable, lightweight everything barrier.

But this specific one can be a bit of a hard sell.

For one, there’s the price. $450 new is $450 new. While that’s about standard for a versatile premium shell, it’s a heavy lift for a 6d ripstop wisp that – not kidding here – shouldn’t be worn with an overly heavy backpack. If you’re on the #twolaptopslife, you’ll either need another rain jacket for walking to work or you’ll just need another shell.

This is part and parcel with the aforementioned (and aforereviewed) Snow Peak Wanderlust. The “tearable yet lovely” trade-off is a hard pill to swallow when good-looking, athletic workhorses like the Dryzzle Futurelight can be had around half the price. But with the right aesthetic angle, we suffer for beauty.

In my opinion, the L.I.M. CROWN just doesn’t make that case.

The jacket fits me great, and in a vacuum, I find this particular colorway (Magnetite) quite capturing. (Get it? Like Pokémon!) However, I couldn’t wear it with anything. And I mean anything.

This is very much not an urban piece. The same details that make the CROWN look so cool on a trail or a wall make it goofy af with chinos. That slash pocket comes in right below the nipple. And the single contrast zip? I don’t know, dawg. The L.I.M. CROWN looks cool in a mountain town, or the exact moment you’re stepping off a bike. Otherwise, it’s less king, and more court jester.

Overall, the L.I.M. CROWN is a bananas performance piece with some of the most insane tech specs I’ve ever tried on. If you’re outdoorsy folk, find a way to sweat in one. Trail runners will especially love its jacked-to-11 take on the breathable waterproof shell.

Otherwise? Take a good hard look at what your coat rack needs and only shop on sale. Haglöfs’ featherweight function machine is an impressive piece. But if your needs are more crossover than cross country, perhaps another crown would fit better.