SCOTTeVEST Revolution 2.0 jacket review – 25 pockets for all your EDC gear
by Howard Sneider
REVIEW – The Gadgeteer and SCOTTeVEST have a relationship that goes back to 2001. We have consistently found their products use innovative materials, are precisely tailored with attention to detail, and of course, are choc-full of pockets. The Revolution 2.0 is a new take on an old favorite. Read on to see what I think!
What is it?
The Revolution 2.0 is the second version of the Revolution coat first introduced in 2010. The Revolution 2.0 has a removable hood, removable sleeves and 25 pockets like its predecessor but includes refined style, weatherproof gasketed zippers, and wire guides for earphones that do not require threading cables through the inside of the jacket. The Revolution 2.0 Plus is a lined version of the Revolution 2.0 that has additional quilting to keep you warm in the winter.
What’s in the box?
- Jacket
- Exchange form
- “Handouts”
Hardware specs
- 100% Healspro LM poly fabric
- Cool Jade 2.0
- Teflon coated shell
- Weight Management System provides back and shoulder support
- Removable sleeves with labels for proper reattachment
- Removable hood
- Cinch cord on the bottom
- Cinch cord on hood
- Velcro tab on jacket sleeve cuff
- Sleeve and chest pockets have water repellent zippers
- Labels on the inside seam for reminders of what each pocket is for
Document pocket to tablet pocket cable pass-through
Tablet pocket to phone pocket to neckline earphone pass-through
Camera pocket to phone pocket to neckline earphone pass-through
- Cable management fasteners
- Outside hand pockets have no top to permit embroidery or carry extra-large items
Water bottle holder in the right pocket
Chamois in glasses pocket with “instructions”
ID, document, and phone pockets are see-through and touch through.
Magnetic closures on outside hand pockets
- Removable keychain
Behind-the-neck channel for earphones
25 Pockets (running total)
Left and right hand inner secret Velcro pocket (2)
- Left hand pocket inner zipper section (3)
- Left and right hand pocket (5)
- Chest level left and right outside pocket (7)
- Chest level left outside inner Velcro pocket (8)
- Left inside ID pocket (9)
- Left inside document pocket (10)
- Left inside tablet pocket (11)
Left inside inner Velcro pocket in the tablet pocket (12)
Left and right inside pen pocket (14)
- Left and right inside phone pocket (16)
- Left and right inside bud storage pocket (18)
- Left sleeve pocket (19)
Back “sleeve storage” pocket (20)
- Right inside camera pocket (21)
Right inside camera Velcro section (22)
Right inside inner secret Velcro pocket (23)
- Right inside inner glasses (24)
- Neck pocket (25)
Design and features
The Revolution 2.0 is the new version of the Revolution jacket that was first introduced in 2010. The revolution is an upgrade to the evolution jacket and is the most feature-rich jacket offered by SCOTTeVEST. I have listed most of the features in the hardware specs section and the following is a commentary of the more standout features
The outer shell is made from a fabric called Healspro LM poly fabric. I couldn’t find out any other info on this except that is it used on the SCOTTeVEST apparel. Pulling some of the shoulder material through the front pocket reveals a material with an iridescent rubbery back.
It looks truly space-aged on the underside (not seen in usual circumstances) but not noticeably different on the outside. I ran the jacket under the sink and felt no penetration of the water into the inner layer.
The tag that came on the zipper informs that the garment is coated with Teflon as well.
That explains the beads of water that fell off of the shoulder as I was testing it. The jacket is black so reapplying the Teflon fabric protector shouldn’t cause color changes. The tags on the zipper also included a pamphlet for cool jade 2.0. This material includes a nanoemulsion of jade stone. The stone’s low thermal conductivity provides a cooling sensation while wearing the jacket so that one’s own body heat doesn’t cause the jacket to get too hot too fast. The material is also quick drying and provides some antimicrobial properties so that it is an odor control agent as well.
The outside of the coat is a combination of two subtly different materials. There are a coarse weave and a fine weave material. They are used on different sections of the cart based on the location and provide depth to the jacket. The shell is very reserved but does have tell-tale branding. The markings include a retroreflective eVEST at the left-hand pocket, a black embroidered eVEST on the top of the main zipper flap, a tag for TEC (technology enhanced clothing) on the right seem and a black embroidered stylized “V” at the neckline below the hood.
There is a small rubber eVEST tag on the left shoulder. The zipper pulls also feature the stylized “V” but they are also all removable. The backs of the zipper pulls have a feature similar to knurling that makes them easy to grip.
The inside of the jacket is coated with pockets, but also has some trademark TEC markings at the left and right seam, at the neckline, and across the back. The back of the coat includes a panel bordered by a black elastic band, that helps prevent the coat from falling forward. This is part of the weight management system which sounds like it involves using a pocket for a healthy snack but is really as a strategic way to use textiles and tailoring to keep the garment centered on the wearer.
The sleeves are easily removable and quickly turns the coat into a pocket laden vest. The zippers that secure the sleeves are small and flexible so that they are not noticeable when the sleeves are attached or when they are removed. A label at the top of the sleeve identified the left or right sleeve so that the sleeves are not swapped. Otherwise, the tailoring would be wrong and the Velcro tab on the sleeve cuff would be facing the wrong way. The hood is also removable and folds into the collar. I was expecting a built-in visor but it is a pretty standard design. It does include a cinch cord so that the hood can be drawn around the face in windy conditions. The hood does add some thickness to the collar that is welcome in the winter chill but is too bulky for an autumn vest so I’m happy it is removable.
The base of the jacket has a cinch pull on the left and right to tighten the jacket around the waist. I was hoping that pulling the cords might deploy nanobots like Iron Man’s suite but the Revolution 2.0 isn’t that advanced, yet. There are Velcro tabs on the sleeves to seal the sleeves around the wrist. The Velcro closure and the cinch cable provide a much more refined look than an elastic waist and cuffs.
The zippers on the pockets on the front outside of the jacket are all reverse facing, meaning that the teeth are facing the inside of the pocket. In addition, the outward-facing sides of the chest and sleeve pocket are urethane coated, making them very water-resistant without additional fabric strips. The hand pockets are not coated but do have a strip on the outside to shield the zipper from rain. The left hand pocket features a buttoned nylon strip attached to a coil to be used for holding keys. There is also a hidden secret pocket inside wide enough to hold a deck of cards but not deep enough to Velcro shut. The right hand pocket features an elastic strap to hold a water bottle upright and a tiny Velcro pocket that can be used to store change or perhaps a hidden USB stick. Both outside pockets also feature a magnetic closure in the center of the hand hold to keep the pocket shut even if it is unzippered. The outside pockets are also not sewn closed on top of the opening, which permits an embroiderer to insert the pedestal for adding custom embroidery to the chest area or even to the back. While this is a great feature to permit easy customization, I wish that SCOTTeVEST would sew in a velcro closure on the top of the pocket so that items don’t get lost in the coat if the coat is inverted with things in the pocket. There is also a large pocket on the back, extensibly for storing the sleeves and hood if they are taken off mid-day, but which can be used for any large item.
The inside of the coat is where SCOTTeVEST is noticeably different than other coats. there are so many pockets on this coat that they are labeled. The pockets on the left include an ID pocket (business card sized), a document pocket, and a phone pocket each with mesh material on the facing side.
The mesh makes the inside of the pockets observable, but not easily readable. The phone pockets can accommodate a 3.5 inch by 6.5 inch device. A zipper extends halfway down the front of the pocket so that the device doesn’t have to be removed straight up (towards the wearer’s face) but can be removed towards the opening of the jacket. The pen pocket will hold a full sized dry-erase marker.
On the right side there is a larger pocket that is identified as the camera pocket. It is a bit too small to hold a disassembled Nikon D3500 but will be best for point and shoot and perhaps mirrorless bodies. My Canon SX720 HS fits snuggly in the rear half of the pocket, behind the separable Velcro lining inside. Even with this pocket full, the outside of the jacket doesn’t seem to be bulky. There is a secret pocket inside that is just the right size to hold a CompactFlash card. Halfway up the right inside there is a pocket designed for glasses. A chamois is attached to the front of the pocket and keeps this from getting lost. There is a map of what each pocket is designed for and the diagram also points out some of the features discussed in this review. It would be nice if the chamois was removable like the keychain.
None of the pockets feature the pleated cargo pant type design, but each pocket still seems to hold quite a bit. That is because each pocket is supported at the zipper and hangs within the lining of the coat. This design permits the pockets to conform to their contents more freely than a pocket that is a patch onto the surface or the inside of the garment.
There are two ways that earphones or wireless earbuds can be used with this jacket. The surface mount method takes advantage of plastic guides that will hold the earphone cable to the phone pocket.
This allows for quick installation and removal of the earphones and still provides for keeping the wires out of the way of the main zipper. The other method involves wiring the cables through channels cut into the pockets.
This method requires more setup but in the end, provides a more streamlined result. This method is also perfect for interconnecting pockets with wires or cables. For instance, a charger in the tablet pocket can be used to charge the phone. Or, a phone can connect to the tablet. Or a tablet can write to a USB stick stored in the document pocket. It is even possible to connect the camera pocket with the tablet pocket on the other side of the jacket.
The jacket came with a few more items too. There are two sets of cards that are designed to be handed out to people who admire the coat. Each card is printed with a celebrity or notable figure on the front and an endorsement on the back.
The large jacket weighs 2 lb 7.2 oz, which is about the same weight as a similarly insulated coat I have with a measly 5 pockets.
What I like
- Pockets
- Weatherproofing
- Cable management system
- Weight management system
What I’d change
- Permanently attached chamois
- Open front pockets without a Velcro closure
Final thoughts
The saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place” has been around since the 17th century but it took a 21st century coat to make that proverb a reality. The SCOTTeVEST Revolution 2.0 is sure to help organize my fall and winter months while keeping me warm and dry. I’m very impressed with the thought, quality materials, and workmanship that went into this jacket and I’m sure you will too.
Price: $249.99
Where to buy: SCOTTeVEST and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by SCOTTeVEST.
