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Details
- Price $300 at havenshop.com
- Material 100% recycled polyester Polartec® Alpha® Direct
- Made in Canada
Overview
In recent seasons, my favorite mid-layer has been a Patagonia fleece cardigan that I got for half off at an outlet in Busan. When I saw the Ridge Liner, I thought that it could be an alternative or replace my Patagonia piece altogether.
Mid-layers like Ridge Liner have a place in my wardrobe to fill that “in-between” slot—when it's too warm for a down jacket, yet not enough to go without any outerwear. After all, the HAVEN Spectre Jacket quite easily overtook the top spot, previously held by the Outlier Ecstasy in the Rain.
HAVEN, a Canadian boutique-turned-brand, started by obsessing over garments the same way most of us obsess over gear. They don’t chase hype; they refine what already works. This is in line with my style philosophy and how I see my wardrobe. I hope you share my excitement as we dive in.
Style
The Ridge Liner comes in Black, Stone, and Umber. As someone who has been wearing exclusively black for many years, I went with Black—it’s forgiving and doesn’t scream for attention.
The silhouette sits low with a boxy cardigan-like shape and is oversized but not sloppy. At 6 ft and approximately 200 lbs, I got the size large which drapes over my yakiniku-fueled body in a relaxed way. I've read some reviews that say these are a little short, but they fit nicely on me.
Branding is minimal: just a discreet chest logo and clean zipper lines. The liner noticeably looks much cleaner when zipped up.
The stitching is tidy. No taper at the waist, just enough structure to layer without looking like a crumpled sleeping bag.
The inner pocket on the wearer's left shows through to the front, making it look like you have huge nipples which I thought was a little disturbing.
There's a subtle checked pattern across the fabric that I thought made it less versatile. Compared to my Patagonia fleece jacket, which looked complete as a jacket on its own, the Ridge Jacket looks like something you would wear at home or around a campfire and lacks the cleanness that I would wear to an upscale street, like Ginza Tokyo.
Material
Polartec® Alpha® Direct is a lofted knit with exposed fibers, making it breathable and fast drying. No lining means fewer layers between you and the insulation, which keeps the jacket lightweight and less bulky.
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It’s hydrophobic, meaning it shrugs off light rain but won't save you in a downpour. Compared to Alpha Classic, Direct is more compressible and softer on the skin—ideal for bare-armed layering.
The fabric weight isn't stated but it feels somewhere around 90 gsm, which is one of the variants offered by Polartec.
Usage
I use this mainly as a mid-layer under a hard shell or a standalone piece in more casual situations.
It packs small and isn't too thick, which makes it great as a jacket when I head to countries around Southeast Asia, where AC in the malls can be unexpectedly brutal. It's also nice for flights or moving through transitional weather.
The cuff has some elastic but I could feel the thread breaking when I tried to pull them over my forearms. While you can pull them up to your elbows, they feel tight and like they are restricting blood flow to your arms.
The breathability is great and the fabric is extremely comfortable. It feels ultra cozy; I can sleep in it.
Each pocket, apart from the larger inner one comes with a zipper. This is an underrated feature for someone who frequently panics when I can't find one of my EDC items. I have no replacements for them so the zippers give me a confound sense of security.
The inner pocket is large. Too large for smaller items, like even my iPhone 14 Pro Max. You'll have to reach too far into the pocket to fish it out for this to be considered as quick access. Considering the lightness of the jacket, you won't be able to use the generous space well as there isn't enough structure to support too much bulk or weight
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The pocket in the front seems more appropriate for quick access item although it might create an unsightly bulge if you put something like the Sony WF-1000XM4 in there.
The handwarmer pockets, like the liner itself, is extremely comfortable. It fits my large hands well and makes me want to keep my hands in all the time.
Conclusion
If you want a fuss-free mid-layer that handles sweat and chill like a pro, this is it. Not built to impress from across the street, but wear it once and you'll stop thinking about what else you need. Just don’t expect it to block gales or survive a monsoon.
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