Speedy Summary Review
The Blue Morpho Jacket is super high reflective and somehow manages to be every hue of blue at the same time. The level of reflectivity is INSANE and in some angles the jacket looks bright glowing white its so reflective. Each jacket is fully stormproof from its rubberized waterproof zips to its storm flap main zip and high nautical collar and hood. You would be just as at home on a snowboard in the Alps as you would be deep in the Atlantic on a yacht in this jacket. It has four deep pockets, armpit vents that let you blow out the heat when working hard and adjustable hem, cuffs and collar to keep the jacket tight and the elements out.
The jacket comes up generously cut so even with the need for a few underlayers I would advise sizing one size down. All of Vollebaks gear sells out fast so if the pics and video do anything to make you go WOOOOOOOAH then I suggest buying sooner rather than later.
You can buy it here.
In Depth Review
Who would win in a battle between a Squid and a Butterfly?
In the case of the two different jackets from Vollebak the answer is the Blue Morpho which may now be my favourite jacket over the ‘darker brother’ Black Squid Jacket which I reviewed recently.
You might not want to take my word for it though because while writing this review I realized that everything I have in my life that makes me smile is a metallic shiny blue as well, from my Mini Cooper convertible to my Fender Strat, I’ve always had an affinity for shiny deep blue things. Whether its the cool blue sky when flying, or deep on the coral reefs of the Red Sea I’m happiest surrounded by deep blue hues.
The Vollebak Heritage – 3yrs of Batshit Mental Hi Tec Clothing
I’m a huge fan of the clothing company Vollebaks gear and have been since they started up. I regularly wear their gear and you’ll see it in many of the photos of me doing adventures on this website. I’ve reviewed pants that will last 100 years and a matching Hoodie made of Kevlar that is basically indestructible. I’ve worn gear that is highly reflective but black, and run races in clothing coated in ceramic that makes them incredibly hard wearing. I’ve used a hoodie that you can sleep in that comes with its own soundtrack, a jacket that glows in the dark, a shirt that is designed for literally everywhere on the planet and shorts with no seams that mean you never get chaffed again. I also ran a 365 mile loop in winter wearing their hybrid wool and synthetic Planet Earth Hoodie . Vollebak also made a Carbon Fibre T Shirt this summer.
Black Squid v Blue Morpho Butterfly
The two latest jackets from Vollebak are very similar in concept and design so its easy to compare them but what has surprised me is when I have them side by side I find I prefer the Blue Morpho for a few reasons, The Blue Morpho Jacket is brighter and reflects more intensely, has a built in ‘snow skirt’ round the waist and seems to be made of a fabric that is slightly lighter and more flexible than the Black Squid Jacket.
Glows like a Butterfly
The Blue Morpho Butteryfly is known for its vivid blue color which is produced from structural irridescence rather than pigmentation. The blue that is created through this structural coloration is visible in the jungle from over a kilometer away.
Outershell Material
It may just be me but this jacket feels like its made from a slightly lighter and slightly less stiff fabric than the Black Squid Jacket. The jacket and material have a look and feel of a very high quality Ski or Snowboarding outer later jacket. The jacket is cut generously so I would actually advise opting for one size down from your usual size. I opted for a small on this jacket even though I normally wear a size medium and this will still leave me with plenty of room for a number of winter layers beneath the jacket for warmth.
Vollebak is the only time in my life I’ve loved people asking me ‘WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WEARING?’.
Irridescent Reflective Blue that Looks like Liquid
The resin of the jacket has 2 billion irridescent glass spheres in it that reflect at an almost infinite number of angles to create a ‘fluid’ blend of blue from a matt surface to a high reflective blue that almost appears white. The effect is very dazzling and striking and somehow the jacket seems to reflect more actively than its darker brother Black Squid Jacket.
Its hard to describe what depth of light or dark blue the jacket is because its basically all of them at the same time. Each square centimeter of fabric has 40,000 spheres pushing back in every single blue hue you can think of simultaneously. At night it reflects so much it looks like it has its own source of power. Better still droplets of rain look like you’ve been splattered with blue paint and not water.
Warm Hands and Cool Armpits
The jacket has 4 very large zipped front pockets. They have a high quality waterproof rubberized zip on them to keep gear inside safe and dry from rain or snow. The main zip on the jacket is a heavy duty YKK zip that isn’t rubberized but has a storm flap that tucks in behind it to keep the wind rain and snow out.
The Armpits have a 2 way zip you can open to help vent heat and sweat out when you are working hard too.
Large Adjustable Hood and High Sailing Type Collar
The large oversized collar keeps the biting wind and rain off your face and even has 6 lazer cut holes in it to keep moisture from your breath steaming up goggles or sunglasses or freezing back on your face.
The jacket also has a toggle adjustable oversized hood to allow you to wear this even with a snowboarding or skiing helmet on.
There is also an adjustable hem to keep the cold out round the bottom of the jacket and it has an elasticated snowskirt which poppers together and helps keep snow out if you fall over. The Black Squid Jacket does not have this.
The cuffs have velcro straps on them so you can make the aperture smaller to keep the wind out and make the sleeves flush with any gloves you are wearing.
Care and Washing
This is a jacket you need to gently wash with little or no soap/ detergent. Do not iron, dry clean or tumble this jacket or you risk heat damaging the tiny glass spheres in the fabric.
Verdict
With Vollebak clothing you either ‘get it’ or you don’t.
If like me you have the reaction of a 7 year old and shout I WANT THAT NOW IT’S MENTAL, then welcome to a very small and unique group of likeminded people.
Reviewing this jacket got me thinking about other unique things I own and why I love them.
Vollebak make incredibly short and limited runs of all of their gear. My estimate would be less than 500 of any item is made and released. Their gear sells out in minutes, mainly to an exclusive email list of ‘Vollebakkers’ who get advanced notice of product release. So if you get bogged down with price or practicality you are missing the point of this cult clothing brand and by the time you decide to get something they are usually sold out.
Vollebak gear represents the actual cutting edge of whats possible in wearable tec, their clothing starts conversations, each garment is a statement piece and every item I own feels as much like a science museum curiosity as it does a useful piece of outdoor gear. I wear their gear regularly outdoors.
Where to Buy ?
At time of writing this review there are incredibly still some Blue Morpho Jackets Left. They will not last long. Grab a bit of James Bond like Satorial Tec by clicking here.
If you ‘get it’ I also strongly suggest you join their email subscription list to get a heads up in the future on other insane clothing releases. Click here to subscribe.
Specs and Details
- 3 layer fabric made from polyester, resin and glass
- Waterproof to over 10,000mm
- Fully seam-sealed for waterproofness
- Four large waterproof front pockets
- Waterproofed pit zips for ventilation with two-way zippers
- Heavy-duty waterproof front zipper with rubberised zip pullers
- Front zipper backed with an internal storm flap
- High front collar with chin-guard and 6 air vents
- Merino lined collar and back neck
- Velcro cuff adjusters
- Ocean-racing style marine hood with separate collar and hood construction
- Elasticated adjustments on both sides of the hood to fit a helmet
- Elasticated hem with draw cord adjuster to secure
- Shoulder and sleeve construction shaped for maximum range of motion
- Fabric built in Italy
- Hand wash with cold water
- Elasticated snowskirt
| CmInInchesCentimetres | XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fits chest | 83-90 | 91-98 | 99-106 | 107-114 | 115-122 | 123-130 |
| Fits waist | 71-76 | 76-81 | 81-86 | 86-91 | 91-96 | 96-101 |
interesting article man I really I like your article
Thankyou ! Its easy to write about such an interesting and unusual jacket
Great review! Would you mind sharing any info on the inside of the jacket? Any pockets, what material?
The inside is a basic lined fabric with the taped seams showing. there is one big zipped pocket with a headphone hole too. There is also the popper elasticated waistband bit that you can do up to keep snow out from beneath you .
How does it look like after a year? Any visible wear and tear?
Still looks good. If you look I posted a picture update on this blog of me standing in the snow that was taken in the last few weeks and its aged really well. As long as you wash it on low temps like you would any sports breathable waterproof fabrics, and avoid high spin speeds and tumble dryer the jacket is very resilient.