Aqua0 coat - dry and (reasonably) classy

REAL WORLD, REAL RAIN

The Aqua0 travel trench coat seems to do exactly what it was designed to do - keep you dry, weigh very little, and look a lot better with a business suit or sport coat than most lightweight raincoats would. The below-the-knee length is great. It’s just blousy enough at the bottom to keep your trousers dry almost all the way to the cuffs in a moderate rain shower. I was in a steady drizzle with the Aqua0 for about 15 minutes and only my shoes got really wet. With its polyester fabric the Aqua0 will never be mistaken for a Burberry but looks reasonably good. The coat comes folded in a separate storage pouch that’s about 10x14 inches. The folding creases linger, but I’m not sure who’ll care in the midst of deluge. The coat weighs about 11 ounces  - more than a waist-length performance-style raincoat, but well worth it if you’re a business traveler who goes carry-on only. The Aqua0 is also useful as a just-in-case for the car or briefcase.

The Aqua0 is vented across the back with mesh lining above the vent and two velcro patches to close the overlapping vent more or less tightly. I used the Aqua0 on a 65-degree spring day with a nylon travel shirt and cotton undershirt underneath. It was more comfortable than I expected and it did keep me completely dry. It’s probably a good three-season coat in most climates. It would surely get a little warm and sticky above 70-75 degrees F. It seems ideal for climates like England and Scotland where it’s ususally cool, rains a lot, and often rains sideways. I could have used it in London a couple of winters ago. Being windproof, it would make a warm winter alternative with only a little light layering. And the length means you can sit without getting wet.

The coat has two handwarmer-type pockets and no interior pockets. The pockets are not vented so they might tend to hold water in a real downpout. There are no interior pockets.

Color choices are khaki and black for men’s and women’s - plus red, yellow, and blue for women’s only.

The Aqua0 is $69.99 and is made in China.

Update on April 24, 2010 by Frank@OBOW

OBOW Forum thread about the Aqua0 here.

Comments

[Paula S]

Cor!!!! I REALLY like that! My husband would too, his London Fog is about one hundred years old and long past keeping rain off.

[Paula S]

Sorry, I can't help myself, there is another caption to the photo that keeps coming to mind........


"Can I come indoors now?" "Please?"

[gerry]

Correct name of coats ..Aqua0 (zero not o)
Aqua0.com

[Brad]

Yes, I'm aware of that. The font used by my blog template does not distinguish o, O, and 0 very well.

[Paula S]

I tried using their contact link to ask about the woman's sizing, it bounced back as undeliverable.
I just wanted to know what the maximum bust size is on the XL (16-20)

[Buzz]

Looks great--the only thing missing is a hood. You still need either a hat or an umbrella. I was thinking of getting the Scottevest packable windbreaker but wasn't sure how waterproof it is. Anyone have experience with that one?

[Airport Runner]

The Scottevest pack windbreaker works reasonably well as a raincoat but it is much shorter than the Aqu0. I view mine more as a water and wind resistant jacket and not as a raincoat. I've been wearing the windbreaker most days over the last several weeks and love the storage functions. It has worked passably in light rain where I'm transiting from covered space to covered space but it certainly cannot replace a full length raincoat for any length of time. For travel in an rainy urban environment, especially for business, the Aqu0 would probably be a better uni-tasker. Personally, my needs are satisfied by a windbreaker and travel umbrella when I'm working (the umbrella lives in my EDC bag).

When I walked Hadrian's wall a couple of years ago, I carried both a water resistant windbreaker that I wore almost constantly and a nylon poncho that would cover my backpack and me down to my knees that I used a half a dozen times when I was caught out between stops. Both had their place and were individually indispensable. BTW, I found that using a brimmed hat much more comfortable than using the poncho's hood since the weather was fairly warm and I was walking reasonably briskly. The hood really added to the heat load in addition to giving me tunnel vision. The hat was also useful when it was sunny to shade my eyes or in the mornings to keep me warm until all the parts got moving.

[Alan Birnbaum]

<<The Scottevest pack windbreaker works...as a water and wind resistant jacket.... I've been wearing the windbreaker most days over the last several weeks and love the storage functions. It has worked passably in light rain where I'm transiting from covered space to covered space....in an rainy urban environment... the Aqu0 would probably be a better uni-tasker. Personally, my needs are satisfied by a windbreaker and travel umbrella when I'm working>>

Probably I will end up violating all rules of lightweight travel as we head for London and take ALL of the above, albeit reserving the Aqua0 for when I KNOW we'll need to deal with rain, the last small umbrella I picked up for $10 (for now living in my wife's car) small enough to fit into one of the windbreaker's capacious pockets. The Scottevest fabric drapes more easily, is quieter and a hip length jacket otherwise is more convenient to wear.