Apparel Reviews

Review: Adidas Climawarm+ Jacket

Published

10 years ago

Nov 21, 2013

Pros: Unbelievably lightweight for the warmth it provides. It’s loose in the shoulders for mobility, but tighter around the midsection. That keeps it out of harm’s way during the swing.

Cons: The sleeve cuffs fit a little loose. Traditionalists won’t love its athletic vibe.

The Bottom Line: The Climawarm+ jacket gives golfers more warmth and movability than they’ve likely experienced from a jacket of its weight and thickness.

Overview

It’s common sense. When it’s cold outside, people stay warm by wearing more clothing. But as anyone who is or knows a serious golfer might expect, it’s another common-sense rule to which many golfers don’t subscribe.

In this case, however, golfers have a good reason for not practicing sound judgement. To many golfers, bundling up for a cold-weather round is like a surgeon performing an operation while wearing a pair of boxing gloves. That’s the same loss of touch many golfers feel they lose when they try to play in several thick layers of clothing.

Adidas’ new Climawarm+ jacket should help golfers solve some of their cold-weather problems. It is constructed from an extremely thin, lightweight fabric that’s surprisingly warm. The fabric, made from hollow-fiber yarn, was inspired by the fur of a polar bear and naturally retains body heat. Check out the promotional video from Adidas to see what PGA Tour players Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Martin Laird are saying about the jacket.

[youtube id=”lQcW77ZoRhA” width=”620″ height=”360″]

The Climawarm+ technology isn’t unique to golf. It will be used in several other Adidas products designed for different sports. But it might be most important for golfers, who unlike other athletes spend most of their time standing or walking: not exactly movements that get the blood flowing.

According to Davide Matucci, director of global product marketing for Adidas, the biggest difference between the Climawarm+ jacket and Adidas’ previous Climawarm products is the new jacket’s extremely light weight and the full range of motion it provides.

“In golf, it’s all about freedom of movement,” Matucci said. “So the problem we wanted to solve was how to keep golfers warm without having to bulk them up with thick, heavy layers that can restrict [their] swing.”

The Climawarm+ full-zip jacket weighs a mere 12 ounces, and is made from 95 percent polyester and 5 percent elastane. It is available in three colors: Vivid Blue/Black/White, Black/Lead/Solar Blue and Light Onix/Light Onix/Hi-Res Red in sizes small to 2XL and costs $80.

It is also available in a half-zip pullover ($75) and a quarter-vip vest ($70). Women have the choice of a Climawarm+ full-zip vest ($70) and a quarter-zip pullover ($75).

Performance

Above: The black-and-gray Climawarm+ jacket was brightened up with blue accents on the Adidas logo and on the seams on the chest, shoulders and arms.

The first thing golfers will notice when they pick up the Climawarm+ jacket is how light it is. It’s much lighter than similar jackets golfers are used to wearing, which might trick them into thinking that it can’t possibly be warm. But it is very warm, even when worn over nothing more than a standard golf shirt.

The first time I wore the jacket was an experience much like the first time I wore a cold-weather compression shirt. My hands and face were bitten by Detroit’s November cold, but my body and arms felt toasty despite the mid 40-degree temperature.

No matter how warm an article of clothing is, however, is has to be functional to be worn by serious golfers. Three-time PGA Tour winner Martin Laird said that he likes his outerwear to be fitted, but that it can’t be restrictive for him to wear it on the course.

“The sleeves can’t tighten up your arm and I can’t be restricted in my backswing,” Laird said.

The Climawarm+ jacket, when properly sized, will do neither of those things, laying loosely over a golfer’s shoulders, arms, back and chest. But the midsection of the jacket fits a little slimmer, keeping the “sag” of the stomach area to a minimum. That’s especially important to Laird, who uses a 45-inch counterbalanced putter that tends to get caught in baggier-fitting outerwear.

“I lot of times I don’t like wear zip-up jackets because they sag, but this one fits really nicely,” Laird said.

One of the few problem with the jacket is the sleeve cuffs, which fit loosely in my XL sample. If anything, I prefer my cuffs to fit slightly tighter than normal in a golf jacket. That allows me to pull the cuffs up a few inches, anchoring them to the thicker parts of my forearms. But since the cuffs of the Climawarm+ Jacket are loose, they take a little more maintenance. They will stay in place for most shots, but golfers will likely be pulling them up a little before every shot just to make sure they’re not going to slide down their arms in mid swing.

The two pockets of the jacket are a nice touch, as many jackets that are the thickness of the Climawarm+ don’t have them. They’re large and sturdy enough to hold hand warmers, and have the same cozy cotton-like feel as the inside of the jacket.

Looks and Feel

Above: The Climawarm+ Jacket in its most understated colors, gray and red.

The Climawarm+ jacket is offered in three colors, all of which have an Adidas logo on the front left chest, as well as three large Adidas stripes on the back of the collar and high-contrast seams on the jacket’s arms, shoulders and back. Those not-so-subtle designs reinforce the athletic look of the golf jacket, which is enough that gym-goers likely wouldn’t get a second look if they were seen working out in it. That gives the jacket versatility in that sense, but when I think of versatile golf clothing I think of apparel that can be worn for a night out with friends, not at the gym.

The Climawarm+ is an extremely comfortable jacket, however, which will likely have golfers reaching for it more than they should. The fabric on the inside is peached (think fuzzed), giving it a plushness that golfers might expect from a less technical fabric.

I also found that the textured finish on the outside of the jacket handles light rain reasonably well, which was unexpected. The Climawarm+ is by no means a rain jacket, but water seems to bead off the fabric rather than absorb directly into it. I certainly wouldn’t want to get stuck in a rain storm while wearing the Climawarm+ as my outer later, but if it was tucked under a true rain jacket on a cold day, the Climawarm+ jacket would be an ideal middle layer, radiating heat inward as the rain jacket moved water away.

The Takeaway

Traditionalists likely won’t go for for the Climawarm+ jacket, but those who can handle its athletic styling will enjoy its combination of warmth and light weight, which will be useful in a variety of different weather conditions.

In Detroit, for example, the jacket would work great for the cold, wet weather of the early spring, either as an outer layer or a layer underneath rain gear. On a warm fall day, it might be paired with only a golf shirt underneath, while on a cold fall day I might add a cold-weather compression shirt underneath and a wind breaker over it to help cut the chill of the wind and seal in even more heat.

There are a lot of similar items on the market, but few are as versatile or inexpensive ($80) as the Climawarm+. That makes it one of those apparel items that golfers who are short on outerwear should seriously consider adding to their closets.

[wrx_buy_now oemlink=”http://adidasgolf.com/Climawarm%2B–Jacket/DW-BE690.html?dwvar_DW-BE690_color=Z83878″ oemtext=”Learn more from adidas” amazonlink=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GKAKX74/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00GKAKX74&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20&linkId=QAPPOVFJ5TLDEF4E”]

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Accessory Reviews

Insider photos from Tiger Woods’ launch event for his new “Sun Day Red” apparel line

Published

2 months ago

Feb 13, 2024

Andrew Tursky

On Monday evening, inside the swanky, second-story “Coach House” event center in the Palisades Village, just minutes down the road from the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, Tiger Woods and TaylorMade officially announced their new apparel/footwear/accessory line, called “Sun Day Red.”

The Sun Day Red website officially launched on Monday night during the event, and the products are set to go on sale starting May 1.

The “Sun Day Red,” or “SDR” name will be self-explanatory for most golf fans, since he’s been wearing a victory-red shirt on Sunday’s for his entire professional career, but Woods explained the meaning of Sun Day Red at the launch event:

“It started with mom. Mom thought – being a Capricorn – that my power color was red, so I wore red as a junior golfer and I won some tournaments. Lo and behold, I go to a university that is red; Stanford is red. We wore red on the final day of every single tournament, and then every single tournament I’ve played as a professional I’ve worn red. It’s just become synonymous with me.”

The Sunday Red outfit has worked to perfection for his 82 PGA Tour victories, including 15 majors, so why not make an entire apparel line based on the career-long superstition?

As I learned at Monday’s launch event, the new Sun Day Red line includes much more than just clothing. To go along with a slew of different golf shirt designs and colorways, there were also windbreakers, hoodies, shoes, hats, headcovers, ball markers and gloves on display.

The upscale event was hosted by sports media personality Erin Andrews, with special guests David Abeles (CEO of TaylorMade) and Tiger Woods himself.

As explained by Abeles, the Sun Day Red brand is an independently-run business under the TaylorMade umbrella, and is based in San Clemente, California (rather than Carlsbad, where TaylorMade headquarters is located), and it’s run by a newly-formed, independent group. Brad Blackinship, formerly of Quiksilver and RVCA, is the appointed president of the new brand.

As for the logo itself, obviously, it’s made to look like a Tiger (the animal), and is comprised of 15 tiger stripes, which correspond with Woods’ 15 major championships. While the logo may need a 16th stripe if Woods adds a major trophy to his collection, it makes perfect sense for the time being.

The golf/lifestyle line is meant to combine premium precision and athletic comfort, while still having plenty of wearability and style off the course. Like Woods said on stage at the event, he wants to be able to go right from the course to dinner wearing Sun Day Red, and that was exactly the aesthetic on display at the event on Monday.

Following the official announcement from Woods and Abeles, they revealed multiple pieces of clothing, accessories and footwear for the event-goers to ogle (and photograph). Check out a selection of product/event photos below, or head over to our @GolfWRX Instagram page for video coverage…OR, head into our GolfWRX Forums for even more photos and member discussion.

Enjoy this exclusive look at Tiger Woods’ new Sun Day Red apparel lineup below.

See more photos from the Sun Day Red launch event here

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Apparel Reviews

Apparel review: Justin Rose Collection @ Bonobos

Published

3 years ago

Apr 10, 2021

Ronald Montesano

Bonobos? Bonnaroo? What do they have in common, besides being fun words to pronounce that belong to today’s generations? That’s a question for another story. We’re here to tell you about the latest addition to our curated polo collection, the Performance Golf Polo from the Justin Rose collection. It comes from Bonobos, so kick back to this 2020 Bonnaroo mixtape and read up on white anchors.

Professional golfer, Justin Rose, photographed for his Spring 2021 Bonobos capsule collection.

Bonobos has been working to reinvigorate its golf category that launched in 2011 and bring a fresh face and new thinking to their golf mix. The brand has been eyeing pro-golfer Justin Rose for some time, especially as he’s risen in the game and his style on and off course aligned with the brand’s aesthetic, it was a natural fit. Bonobos made the official partnership in 2019 and since then, Justin has worn Bonobos on the course during his tours, and in his everyday life, by choice.

In March 2021, the brand launched the Justin Rose Golf Collection, its first co-designed golf line with Justin consisting of an assortment of printed performance polos, pants, and shorts that are versatile for casual days on the course, to playing 18-holes and to the clubhouse afterward.

My fit arrived promptly, and I couldn’t help but throw it over my head and shoulders, and strut around the house. No matter the time of year nor the weather outside, a golf polo always works in the indoor arena. I had considered the slim fit, but opted for the standard. It was reassuring to realize that either one would have draped well over my torso. Plenty of room from shoulders to ribs to belly, both static and active. First box, checked.

The next task was no less arduous: wear the shirt in the out-and-about. A brisk day arrived, so I tucked a long-sleeved shirt beneath my polo, and went about my daily business, aka teaching. My students perked up when I entered the hall, and asked immediately about the anchors. “Ya know, just a new polo,” I replied. The company logo was apparent on my sleeve, so no need to ask about its origin. I’ve worn polos in the past that did not interface well with a shirt beneath. When you play golf in the wee morning hours or the evening gloaming, or the shoulder seasons of spring and fall, you often need to trick out your fit with another layer. The Bonobos Performance Golf Polo was comfortable beyond words on this day, and the collaboration with the long sleeve was a success. Second box, checked.

At this point, a little transparency will help matters. I looked good in this shirt, but when I read the added description about the model 40-inch chest, six feet two inches tall, size medium slim fit), I couldn’t help but feel a bit…inadequate? Then I looked in the mirror again, smiled, and winked, and I still looked good.

The final checkpoint was my new, Bryson-esque golf swing pitted against the Bonobos PGP. Having played golf with a gentle, consistent, non-violent swing since I picked up a club, I made the decision that 2021 would be the year that I would tear the cover off the ball. Why wait for a better time than the present, am I right? Swing after swing at the dome produced a variety of shot traces (Bryson wasn’t built in a day, after all), and my body still loved my second skin. Box three, checked.

In addition to the White Anchor pattern, something I would call the small-repeat, Bonobos offers five other patterns for purchase in this shirt model. Two floral patterns (Red Tropical and Teal & Pink) fall under the large-repeat style. The Green Sailboat Geo fills the entire top with a small-repeat, making it hard on the eyes for me. The Blue Lighthouses pattern is a medium-repeat; not as large as the Florals, but more sizable than the anchors, sailboats, and the last pattern (on a dark-blue shirt) the Navy Golf Bags small-repeat. Three white backgrounds, one blue, one red, one teal. That’s a pretty nice lineup from which to select a few new coller-poppers.

End of the day: Two happy shoulders (out of two) for the affordable ($69 retail) Bonobos Performance Golf Polo. If you’ll excuse me, I’m off to check out the rest of their virtual Guideshop. Peace!

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Apparel Reviews

WRX Spotlight: Adidas TOUR360 XT Twin Boa Golf Shoe

Published

5 years ago

Oct 10, 2019

Michael Williams

The Product

The new Adidas TOUR360 XT Twin Boa, available in North America now, selling for $250 at adidas.com (only available on Adidas’ website, this shoe will not be at retail).

The Pitch

From Adidas: “The adidas TOUR360 XT Twin Boa® is the epitome of performance golf footwear, designed to offer micro-adjustability in two separate zones. The first is the independent main dial with high strength Boa lace that when combined with the forged 360 wrap creates unparalleled power for your swing by locking the area between your midfoot and forefoot. The second provides micro-adjustability from the middle to bottom instep for a customized fit, feel, and support. The Boa Fit System activates both zones to deliver the ultimate in power, stability, and performance.”

Our take on Adidas TOUR360 XT Twin Boa

BOA technology, a ratcheting cable system that replaces laces for securing the shoe, has been around for a while now. It was a radical departure when it first hit the market and traditionalists viewed it with some skepticism, but those who tried shoes using the system became hooked on the ease of use, secure feel, and reliability of the system. I have had to replace shoelaces, but I have never had a cable fail in a pair of shoes with Boa technology.

With the TOUR360 XT Twin Boa, Adidas has introduced the next step on Boa technology (pun intended). The shoe has a sleek, technology-forward look that is associated with Adidas products. It even looks good in the size 13 that I sport. The color selection is limited, to say the least. You can choose from white with green trim or white without green trim. But the star of the show is the Boa technology, which is implemented in two dials located on the outside of each shoe, replacing the one dial on previous iterations.

Each dial controls the fit for a different part of the shoe, and the ratcheting dial gives the wearer the most precise fit available. The real advantage over laces is that the Boa system stays secure longer and is easier to tighten than re-tying shoelaces. It’s so easy to reach down and give a couple of clicks that it became routine for me to check on each tee box to make sure I had a good fit before teeing off. Equally pleasing is the quick release on each dial that gets you out of your shoes at the end of a round without the terror of facing a wet double-knot.

The shoe is waterproof leather, and it is light and comfortable enough to walk 18 on hilly tracks. I personally would have preferred a slightly wider toe box, but that is nit-picking.

Overall, the Adidas TOUR360 XT Twin Boa is a performance shoe that promises, fit, comfort and stability, and it delivers on all fronts. Not everyone has $250 to drop on a pair of golf shoes, but if you want the tech on your feet to match the tech in your bag, then the Adidas TOUR360 XT Twin Boa is perfect for you.

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