Elevenate Review (Premium European Ski Apparel)7 min read

Hey! This is Ryan from Chicago and I was lucky to be asked by my friend and colleague Khoi, founder of Gentleman Within (this fine men’s style blog) to review some gear by Elevenate.

I’ve been skiing and snowblading for a good 25+ years, and recently picked up snowboarding. One of the most important things to me besides the equipment is the gear I’m sporting.

Is the material lightweight? Would I need to wear multiple layers and feel bulky? Does it allow a wide range of movement? Will it get destroyed after a seasons worth of use? And most importantly, is it easy on the eyes that also make people comment on your fit?

All of these things I’ve taken into consideration and so I will touch on these in the review, but first a quick background of Elevenate.

Elevenate Review: Jacket & Pants Field Tested (How Does it Perform?)

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About Elevenate

Originating from Åre Sweden, designer and competitive skier Sara Rönngren and UIAGM mountain guide a Jimmy Odén created Elevenate with the culture or the modern mountain resort – to provide well-tailored, long-lasting garments, with high quality fabrics that let you move freely and look aesthetically pleasing.

They’re also focused on being environmentally responsible which is pretty important to me – we have one world we live in and we should find ways to sustain it longer, especially since we have the opportunity to enjoy the luxuries of skiing.

Elevenate kindly provided me with three articles of clothing. The Backside Jacket, the Backside Pants, and the Agile Jacket.

The Backside Jacket

The Backside Jacket is a new style for this season. This free-skiing jacket is an all-seam sealed, 3-layer shell jacket made from 3L EPS. The fabric has a sustainability backstory, as it is 60% recycled material.

The jacket has a free-skiing cut, allowing plenty of movement, and is perfect for skiers who want to easily adjust their warmth using a layering system. With its superb fit and well-thought-through details it is a favourite for mechanized off-piste skiing.

The Agile Jacket

The Agile Jacket is a mid-weight down jacket that works as a warm mid-layer or a standalone jacket in dry, cold conditions. The fabric’s softness allows the insulation in the jacket to have more loft.

It is insulated with 95/5 white goose down with a 750 cuin fill power and synthetic fibres in strategic places, so you will stay warm and comfortable in cold conditions.

The Backside Pant

The Backside Pant is a new style for this season. This free-skiing pant is an all-seam sealed, 3-layer shell pant made from 3L EPS. The fabric has an sustainability backstory, as it is 60% recycled material.

The pant has a free-skiing cut, allowing plenty of movement, and is perfect for skiers who want to easily adjust their warmth using a layering system. With its superb fit and well-thought-through details it is a favourite for mechanized off-piste skiing.

And now onto how the gear performs.

Related: You might like this article on Best Winter Coats for men.

Test Driving The Gear

I was able to test out my Elevenate gear in Wisconsin – it may not have been the highest elevation but the snowstorm they were having definitely helped with a way to try it out against the weather.

I put the gear to good use based on my normal fit – base layer, top and leggings, followed by a lightweight sweater to keep my top warm, overall three layer pants and an oversized sweater that’s waterproof and wind resistant.

Taking all that into consideration, I wore the base layers along with the Backside Pants, a thin sweater and then swapping between the Agile Jacket and the Backside Jacket.

I also typically like to wear my gear a bit oversized so I can feel a bit bulkier and freer with my movement – if need be, i could always put more mid layers on so that the outer jackets don’t feel restricting.

For the good six hours I was out there, I would say that the gear held out pretty well. It did snow for the whole day dropping about 9-11 inches before stopping – while earlier in the day, the snow was much harsher and shifting to lighter and fluffier snow near the end of the day/night.

The Functionality

Agile Jacket

I started the day out with the Agile Jacket – opting to try out the mid layer earlier in the day while it was a bit warmer. Although the fit was a bit larger, wearing a sweater underneath didn’t seem to make me look bulkier or bigger. In fact, the jacket kept me nice and snug.

It did a really good job at keeping the cold and wetness away off my body which was one of my first concerns since it was snowing so heavily. The elastics and zipper linings were well protected from keeping any snow from invading the inside of the jacket.

I tend to wear bigger gloves that usually need to be tucked underneath the sleeve and I was a bit concerned that the elastic wouldn’t be able to keep my hands warm – suffice to say, it did a great job at sealing the snow away.

There are a decent amount of pockets in case you wanted to tuck a phone or wallet along the inside pocket but I’d advise against it since it isn’t really zippered. I feel the pocket functionality of the Jacket was meant for more of an everyday wear versus for a full day of being out skiing. All in all, the Jacket keeps me warm, keeps the snow out and keeps me a bit on the classy side.

Check Agile Jacket Price

Backside Jacket

The Backside Jacket is better built for rougher conditions as well as being out longer. It’s really well built and takes a lot of conditions a skier would run into for consideration (despite being a shell), it held out just as much or even better than the Agile Jacket.

Since this is an outer layer, it functions perfectly for that. From having a wide array of pockets for RFID lift tickets to even well protected pockets for your phone and wallet to even a well ventilated breathing piece that covers your mouth to extra insulation along the hip to prevent any snow from coming up in case of extreme powder of falls.

I was worried that the jacket was a bit stiff when I took it out of the packaging; however, the mobility did not disappoint. I was still able to ride as hard as I normally would without worrying my chest or arms being too tight. This is definitely a shell I’d recommend for those who like to wear multiple layers versus one jacket that fits all conditions.

Check Backside Jacket Price

Backside Pants

The Backside Pants completes everything. It is a shell and I did wear it longer than the jackets so I did feel a bit of wetness seep through as I sat on the chairlifts. However, it was pretty unnoticeable when I would go down.

The material is extremely lightweight and it’s very mobile. Those two are very important qualities for me as a skier and snowboarder. I noticed that there were belt loops but the elastic and Velcro straps along the waistline did a good enough job without needing a belt to keep the pants from falling.

I loved the three pockets it provided. One pocket provided a lot of protection for wallet and keys and the other two I used mostly for my phone – I didn’t notice the keys or the phone jabbing into my thigh so I appreciated that a lot.

The fabric was really flexible which allowed me to move pretty freely. The pants are a shell so if it does get colder, I would definitely recommend a base and sweats/thermals as well underneath – aside from that, I’ve definitely been wearing the pants more than just the test drive.

Check Backside Pants Price

Wrapping Things Up

Throughout the day, I was pretty impressed by how well the gear kept me warm and dry despite the outside being extremely wet; however to note, I did start to feel some of the wetness seep through but the gear was still dry inside (again, it was just the feeling of feeling wet).

I did feel at higher speeds in addition to the wind blowing that the Agile jacket would push up against my body – but it maintained mobility and flexibility for movement. As I switched over to the Backside jacket, I definitely felt more “me” aesthetically as opposed to the Agile jacket.

The Backside Jacket definitely did a great job at being more wind resistant and keeping the inside of my body dry and warm. Although the material seems course and restricting, I did not feel as if my movement was restricted by any means.

All in all, I’d definitely recommend Elevenate over the standard Columbia or North Face brands for those who are looking for new gear to wear.

A note: This review is not sponsored, but we were provided with the clothing for the purposes of this review. Gentleman Within holds all control over editorial content.

About Ryan

^{Ryan Siu is a Jack-of-all-Creatives – stemming from a Front End Web Designer to photography to dance – to name a few. He is heavily influenced by the elements of hip hop as well as the urban scene. When he’s not out creating, he’s actively engaging in skiing and snowboarding or enjoying new lore and genres related to being a nerd.}

What are your thoughts on the Elevenate brand?

Let’s continue the discussion over in the Gentlemen Within Private Facebook Community.

Looking forward to seeing you in there.