Winter has fully hit Madison, Wisconsin, with snow on the ground, sub-zero temperatures in the air, and the offseason in full swing as the holidays approach. If you ask me, it is the perfect temperature to test some of the new gear that has hit the FIVE Ultimate store. I enjoyed the task of taking the new threads out for a spin in many situations, from playing Ultimate (duh), to running, training, sleeping, grabbing some drinks with friends, and even spectating at the local roller derby bout.
One disclaimer: I am not a small girl. I am rather lanky, have man-shoulders, and a really short torso. I am typically a hard girl to please when it comes to what I wear for athletics, because I find it difficult to wear comfortable, yet functional, clothing.
Style (4/5)
The garment can be worn to play Ultimate and transitions to your non-Ultimate life pretty easily. It looks classy, and the fit is universally flattering.
Fit (5/5)
The fit is actually pretty true to what I wear in other non-Ultimate garments. I tend to wear a Women’s Medium across the board in other brands and like the fit. I like that it is not baggy, but not too tight, especially in the sleeves. It helps keep the sleeves in place, and not flopping around on my throwing arm whether I am hucking the disc or breaking the mark.
Material (5/5)
The fabric is much more durable than the Hydro material for which FIVE is known. It still stretched with me as I moved, but was a heavier weight as an outer layer. It washes nicely, and air-dries quickly, like other performance fabrics.
Comfort (5/5)
Overall the garment was very comfortable, for two main reasons. First, the zipper has a fuzzy protector at the top. This protects your neck from being scratched or irritated when it is zipped up all the way. Second, I was surprised that the sleeves were long enough for me to be comfortable. It did not matter what I did with my arms, the sleeves stayed where I wanted them to be: they stayed down, keeping my wrists unexposed, or stayed pushed up on my forearm if that is where I put them. For those of you with long arms, you know this is a rarity.
Price (2/5)
The one place it gets me is the price. At $50 for the jacket, it can definitely be a pricey item for your average Ultimate player, especially of the college variety. I could see other less-expensive items being attractive, but the fabric is pretty durable.
Overall (4/5)
The FIVE Ultimate Duality Jacket seems like the ideal piece for Ultimate players to wear for prepping for a tournament or warming up for practice. It is lightweight enough that I wasn’t sweating a ton while going through a warm-up routine or tossing around, but also warm enough that I did not need a ton of layers underneath.
I would recommend this for a gift for someone, or for your team’s warm-up jackets this upcoming season. The garment looks classy, feels comfortable, and is actually functional for your life inside and outside of Ultimate.
Five Ultimate Duality Jacket (Black, Red, US National Team and MLU team branded)- $50
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