The blazer is a style essential that all men need in their closet. And when it comes to casual, comfortable blazers, the Uniqlo Comfort Jacket is worthy of discussion.
What initially drew me to this particular jacket was its versatility. Essentially, the UNIQLO Comfort Jacket is a relaxed blazer or sport jacket that wears like a comfortable sweater. I knew that I would wear it often as it quickly became a staple in my wardrobe.
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In this Uniqlo Comfort Jacket review, I’m going to cover the style & design, how it fits, jacket quality, comfort & durability, how to care for it, alternatives worth checking out, and finally wrap things up with the pros & cons.
Let’s get started.
UNIQLO Comfort Jacket Review
I first picked up the UNIQLO Comfort Jacket (similar alternative from Amazon Essentials) over 6 years ago in the dark gray color and added the heather grey blazer more recently. My new jersey jacket has an updated design with a different make up of materials. There are some good and bad differences, which I’ll touch on in this review.
Now let’s start things off with the jacket’s style and design.
Style & Design
The UNIQLO Comfort Jacket is essentially a blazer that wears like a jacket, made with comfort in mind, hence the name. Its unstructured, unlined design makes it the perfect casual blazer. It wears even more casual than the already laid back blazer mainly because of the fabrics it’s made with.
It’s made with jersey knit material which makes it appropriate for either casual or business wear. It’s also got slim notch lapels, not skinny nor wide. Additionally, the jacket features a two button construction and 3 non-functional sleeve buttons. And it also features patch pockets, both relaxed and utilitarian in its design.
Here are a few style & design differences between the jackets:
Old Version:
- Ventless
- Fully unlined
- More fitted
Updated Version:
- Single back vent
- Quarter lined
- Small interior pocket added
- More of a relaxed fit
I think it was smart to add the single vent and quarter lining. While the original ventless design makes the jacket more sweater-esque, the single vent makes it lean more towards a sport coat. And the quarter lining adds further protection and durability without adding excess bulk to the jacket.
Overall, the comfort jacket is great smart casual blazer that you can easily wear over a solid pique polo or over a more refined button up shirt and necktie. And it comes in 3 of the most versatile colors, IMO — light gray, dark gray and navy. You can’t go wrong with any of these.
How Does It Fit?
The comfort jacket fits really nicely off the rack. It creates a streamlined and fitted silhouette, appearing not too loose nor too tight. It’s labeled as a slim fit, but wears more like a standard fit, though. There’s ample room to wear it over a button down shirt, sweater combination and it still looks great worn with just a plain t-shirt too.
Out of the two jackets that I own, the first one (comfort jacket) fits me better. It’s slightly more fitted in the sleeves and throughout the body. It’s worth noting that the updated design isn’t boxy or ill fitting by any means, but it feels noticeably looser when I put it on. Though visually they appear to fit the same.
I think the jacket is a good length, but the sleeves (of course) are too long for me. Instead of having a tailor shorten them, I simply roll them up one time and that usually does the job, although having a proper sleeve length from the start would be preferable.
And as I mentioned earlier, the two jackets fit slightly different. I’m not sure why they relaxed the fit with the new models, maybe it’s a quality control issue? The new design is slightly boxier than the original which can be a good thing depending on how you like your blazers to fit. Me personally I prefer a more fitted aesthetic.
Overall though, both have a nice fit and feel that makes for a perfect smart casual jacket.
Quick note: If you’re enjoying this review, then you’ll probably like this Uniqlo Supima Cotton T-Shirt review too.
Quality & Details
Sizes: XXS-3XL (I’m 5’6″, 135 lbs and wear the XS for reference)
With a primarily polyester (70%), cotton (30%) construction, Uniqlo’s comfort jacket isn’t made with high quality materials by any means. And at the $59.90 price point that’s to be expected.
Product Detail:
- With quick-drying DRY technology, it dries easily after you sweat or after washing.
- The slim cut showcases the stretchy fabric.
- Balanced length works great for both business and casual scenarios.
The product details mention that the updated jacket was to change the materials to be worn in any temperature. Basically they increased the amount of polyester over cotton by a few percent. There’s no discernible differences between my two jackets from a materials standpoint.
Materials & Care:
- Shell: 68-70% Polyester, 30-32% Cotton, Lining: 100% Polyester
- Hand wash cold
- Made in China
Comfort & Durability
As its name suggests, the Uniqlo Comfort Jacket is very comfortable, which shouldn’t come as a surprise because of its poly/cotton construction. It’s made with a soft knit fabric that’s lightweight and stretchy. I’d say that it’s ideal for spring, summer and fall wear. It’s a great 3 season jacket.
As for how they’ve held up, both of my comfort jackets have held up really well. Since I’ve had the dark gray one much longer, I’ll be referring to that one. Overall, the polyester/cotton material has proven to be quite durable. There’s no pilling of the fabric or noticeable fading.
You can wear the jackets time and time again and not worry about them falling apart on you. I haven’t had to wash the jackets much. I should mention that I only wash my garments when there are noticeable stains or if it doesn’t pass the smell test. I keep relatively clean and it helps the environment the less you wash and dry anyway.
Now back to the garment material; polyester in general is a very durable fabric and so it’s no surprise that the comfort jacket holds up well to everyday wear. You can literally wear these jackets daily and they’ll hold up alongside your favorite pair of jeans.
Quick note: If you’re enjoying this Uniqlo Comfort Jacket Review, then you’ll probably find my other writing on all things men’s style useful. Each week, I share updates, style tips and other things not shared on the blog through my free email newsletter.
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Where You Can Buy It
The Uniqlo Comfort Jacket can be purchased online through their website or in their brick and mortar locations all across the US and globally.
Comfort Jacket Care
As for how to care for your new comfort jacket, the washing instructions say to hand wash cold, line dry, and cool iron if needed. You can also dry clean.
I think you’ll be perfectly fine running this jacket through a gentle wash cycle and let air dry. What’s great about the jacket is that it’s quick drying and doesn’t wrinkle which makes it an ideal travel blazer.
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8 Comfort Jacket Alternatives
Here are 8 blazer alternatives that are comparable to Uniqlo’s Comfort Jacket.
1. Bonobos Italian Knit Blazer
The Bonobos Italian Knit Blazer has a beautiful textured, cotton weave and comes in 5 versatile colors. It has a very similar style and design to the comfort jacket, but the materials (100% Italian cotton) are much higher quality.
2. H&M Slim Fit Blazer
This H&M Slim Fit Blazer is made from 75% polyester, 18% viscose, and 7% wool fabric and has a sleeve lining of 100% polyester. It’s got a more fashion forward single-button construction. The jacket is more slim fitting than UNIQLO’s Comfort Jacket. Like the comfort jacket it’s designed to be worn more casually.
3. Zara Textured Weave Blazer
The Zara Basic Textured Weave Blazer is composed with 87% polyester, 9% viscose, 4% cotton, and a 100% polyester lining. It features a pointed lapel collar and long sleeves with buttoned cuffs.
4. ASOS Design Jersey Blazer
The ASOS Design Jersey Blazer has a similar look and feel to my comfort jacket, but is even sportier in its design. It’s cut shorter in the body and sleeves and fits slimmer, hence the skinny fit. Comes in about the same price point with a similar construction as well (75% polyester, 25% cotton). This jersey blazer is more contemporary and fashion forward.
5. Banana Republic Slim Pique Blazer
The Banana Republic Slim Pique Blazer comes in a heather gray color. It looks very similar to Uniqlo’s comfort jacket in style and design, but the lapels are super slim, a little too slim IMO. It’s features a pique polo type fabric that gives it a cool texture.
6. Uniqlo Kando Jacket
Uniqlo’s Kando Jacket is a little more expensive than their comfort jackets. It’s similar in style and functionality — it dries fast, and is very light and stretchy. It has higher performance with its 100% polyester shell and lining.
7. Uniqlo U Cotton Linen Jacket
The wider cut UNIQLO U Cotton Linen Jacket comes in just under $100 and features a looser fit and drape than the other Uniqlo blazers. It comes in navy or black colors. It’s made with 77% cotton, 23% linen.
8. J.Crew Wallace & Barnes Chore Jacket
J.Crew’s Wallace & Barnes Utility Chore Jacket is made with a cotton and recycled polyester blend. It’s a bit more expensive compared to these other blazer alternatives, but has a nice blend of sustainable materials and a stylish aesthetic.
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Pros & Cons
Pros
- Cost per wear is exceptional
- Versatile as any blazer you’ll own
- Quick drying and wrinkle resistant
- The perfect travel jacket
- Can conveniently shop online or in-store
Cons
- Long sleeves
- Might be too loose or boxy for some
- Needs to bring back the original Comfort Jacket
Conclusion
To wrap things up, this is a casual blazer that has quick-drying DRY technology, is wrinkle resistant, easy to pack and store, comfortable, stylish, and versatile. While there are other great casual blazers on the market, there aren’t many that can compete with the under $60 price point.
The only thing I ask of Uniqlo is to bring back the fit of the original Comfort jacket! The Jersey jacket just ain’t cutting it. Great news, the Comfort Jacket is now back in stock in glen plaid, wool and the basic cotton/poly model.
Amazon Essentials does offer a great alternative though.
I hope this review was helpful to you if you’ve been eyeing this casual jacket. Gentleman Within recommends the UNIQLO Comfort Jacket highly.
Onto you, have you tried Uniqlo comfort jackets?
Let’s continue the discussion over in the Gentlemen Within Private Facebook Community.
Looking forward to seeing you in there.
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David says
Hi Khoi, You are the reason that i finally decide to buy one. It’s great. I just wonder how should i care for the jacket? And is it durable? Thank you!
Khoi Nguyen says
David, glad to hear that my review was helpful! It’s pretty durable. The cotton material it’s made with makes it easy to care for, you can simply throw it in a gentle wash cycle and hang dry. Cheers, -K
Lukster says
I have been looking all over at different Blazers and was absolutely astonished to see the price on this one. This was definitely a helpful review Khoi.
Have you by chance tried out the “LINEN BLENDED JACKET” version as well from Uniqlo?
Khoi Nguyen says
Lukster, I’m glad that you found this review helpful. I haven’t had the chance to try out the linen blended jacket, but I imagine it wears similar to the comfort jacket, and more warmer/hot weather appropriate. Cheers, -K