A good shell jacket can be a game changer in the level of comfort you experience while exploring the outdoors. The Helly Hansen Odin 9 Worlds Jacket review below shares all the usual tech and specs while also sharing real world feedback. Named after the Norse god, Odin, a powerful god who travelled the 9 worlds for extended periods of time, the jacket by the same name makes travelling through the elements of our terrestrial world as comfortable as possible.
Life with the Odin 9 Worlds Jacket
The Odin 9 Worlds Jacket arrived and was an immediate go to for late fall hikes. The trim fit, the huge pockets and it’s solid wind/waterproofness make this jacket a godsent in the wet and windy season that is fall and early winter in Canada. Now that we’ve played and explored the Bow Valley, the Odin jacket has held up to everything I’ve thrown at it. When you live in the mountains, you can have all 4 seasons in one day. Our outdoor gear needs to be able to handle that while also working with our bodies to maintain warmth and moisture. Helly Hansen’s fabric meets the demands of the mountains and life is a lot more comfortable and happy with the Odin Jacket!
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Photos by: Jenna Brake (follow @jenbrakee in IG!)
Specs
Fabric
- HELLY TECH® Professional fabric is similar to Gore-tex but designed and built by Helly Hansen. This version of waterproof, windproof and breathable has been around since 1984. With Helly Tech keeping you dry and sheltered, the Odin Jacket has been an award winning jacket since 2008.
- There are 3-layers in the Odin Jacket
- Layer 1/Outer – 100% polyamide (a.k.a. Nylon with some elastane) 70D ripstop fabric with DWR C6-treatment
- Layer 2/Middle – waterproof, breathable 100% polyurethane membrane
- Layer 3/Inner – breathable cotton/poly blend that has been heat-laminated to the polyurethane layer
- Rated to withstand 20,000gm WP & 15,000gm moisture vapor permeability which to you and me means “great for highly aerobic, extremely wet or unusually long-lasting activities in extremely harsh conditions”.
Features
- Helmet compatible hood – more on this below….
- Backpack and harness compatible design means the pockets are accessable, the seams under the shoulder straps of a pack are flat, and it’s long enough to stay in your harness even when you lift your arms.
- The front pockets function as amazing pockets AND extra venting. The zippers open from top and bottom for optimal access. Inside are sub-pockets which I am still unsure how I feel about.
- Weighs in at: 477g (pretty average in it’s category)
Photos by: Jenna Brake (follow @jenbrakee in IG!)
Odin Jacket Sizing Review – Runs Small
The Odin 9 Worlds Jacket is a trim fit and while the sleeves are the perfect length, I wanted more length in the torso. With a pack on, the jacket only extends down about 3 inches below the hip belt and feels short. To truly make this a 4 season shell, I would go up a size to allow for a puffy or thicker layers. In a medium, I can barely fit the Lifaloft Insulator underneath and I can feel the tension across my shoulders. As a 3 season jacket with only a light layer, I would stick to a medium to avoid the jacket feeling baggy. These notes are based on my curvy 145 lbs with a DD cup and average length torso and arms.
Collar
With the collar zipped up and hood down, it feels claustrophobic. This is very much a personal preference as some people like the one-piece collar-hood since it is very warm, but not me. The collar is very high too, which means when the jacket is zipped up, my chin and mouth are always touching the collar. There’s just no middle ground with the collar for me, it’s too hot and constricing all the way up and too drafty all the way down. When the hood is up, it feels a bit better but I still feel restricted.
Hood
I would have to go up a size (maybe) for the hood to be helmet compatible. I tried the Odin jacket with (from left) climbing helmet, ski helmet and bike helmet – none of them fit comfortably. The hood is too small for helmets and when you do the collar up, I can’t move my head and my nose is squished. The hood is perfect alone or with a toque but that’s it.
Performance
Winter Hiking Round 1
- Sunny, breezy, about 1C
- Wearing only my lightest layer of merino under the Odin jacket while hiking in easy terrain, I was cooking. This jacket does an excellent job of holding heat and blocking any wind. In the sun, I had to take it off while in the shade it was the perfect layer to keep me ‘juuusst right’. The large pockets hold my Canon M50, phone, knife, whistle, dog treats, power bar, spare buff and keys. The Odin is comfortable under a pack for long durations.
Winter Hiking Round 2
- Overcast, breezy (20-40km/h) was -15C but felt like -20C
- The Odin 9 Worlds Jacket cuts the wind VERY well! It is because of this shell that I was as warm as I was hiking in these conditions. The Insulator Jacket and Lifa Merino underneath were just enough to hold my heat but without the shelter from the Odin, I would have been freezing. I was hiking for about 3 hours over variable terrain (mix of up and down) and as long as I was moving, I was warm enough.
Playing in the Rain
- 10mm+ rain, 5C
- When it’s pouring this much, being outside is generally pretty miserable. Inside the the Odin 9 Worlds Jacket, I was dry and warm. We only went out for a big dog walk, nothing extreme here, but we were still out for over an hour and I was impenetrable!
Final Thoughts
The big wins for this jacket are;
- the fabric – very waterproof and durable
- the jumbo front pockets with 2-way zippers
- the fit feels designed for a woman’s body and not baggy or boxy
The Odin’s shortfalls;
- Fits small – to have it be layerable, longer in the torso and possibly helmet compatible, I’d go up a size (and I don’t usually wear large anything)
- The helmet situation discussed above
I remember being very impressed when I first handled the jacket and knew this was a top of the line performance technical piece. The fabric is solid and feels durable, the zippers are beefy and waterproof with easy to find toggles. It meets all the specs in all the right places except for the helmet side of things. This jacket is ideal for dedicated outdoorsy folks who want a fortified shelter to explore in.
This post is part of an AvantLink and Helly Hansen sponsored program. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. This post reflects my personal opinion about the information provided by the sponsors.