Also see: 

• Whoa! Check Out This Ultimate Travel Jacket from Baubax
• Review: Bluff Works Travel Pants for Men

I wrote back in July 2015 about the “ultimate travel jacket” from BauBax.

I was on the fence about getting one, but Jay got it for my birthday, which was in late August.

And um, I just got it this month. So yes, flash forward 10 months and the jacket has finally arrived.

Just in time for summer when you don’t need a jacket lol.

I threw it in my bag and took it with me to Japan to start exploring its features.

But first things first…

About the BauBax ultimate travel jacket

• Link: BauBax ultimate travel jacket

When the box finally arrived, I didn’t know what to expect.

After so much hype, and so many delays, I hoped it would be worth the wait. Ordering something blindly off the internet (and having to choose a size!) is always a bit of a leap of faith.

I ordered a men’s size small, based on their recommendations.

Upon unboxing, the first thing I noticed was how high-quality the fabric felt. It’s very soft, and is lined with soft cotton.

It has lots of pockets and zippers, something I thought would make the jacket look lumpy or bulky, but they did a great job of keeping it smooth.

As a consolation of sorts, they threw in a pair of pocket gloves and a portable water bottle that folds up and attaches with its built-in clip.

I tried the jacket on, and it fit surprisingly well. Then I poked around the features, which include a telescopic pen/stylus, a neck pillow, hand warmers, and lots of pockets (including one lined with koozie material [neoprene] for stowing drinks!).

I love the neck pillow, which is detachable and lined with velvety soft fabric, and the sunglasses pocket. The hand warmers became a favorite upon wearing.

It comes in 4 styles, and several colors, for guys and gals. I choose the blue sweatshirt, cuz that’s how I roll.

Wearing it around

The first few days in Japan were sunny and warm – no jacket needed.

But it got chilly in the evenings, and I threw on the only jacket I’d packed. It fit perfectly. And the pockets and features, instead of being distracting, are so well-integrated that it was fun to discover each one as I went along.

I used the neck pillow on the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka. So easy to inflate. It was great for filling in the space created when you’re leaning against the wall, trying to grab a quick snooze.

Here are some pics of me trouncing around Osaka in my BauBax jacket.

It looks much like a regular hoodie. You’d never know there was so much designed into it.

From behind, you can’t tell there’s a whole neck pillow embedded into the hood. But yup, it’s in there.

The hood is also fully lined, and has a fold-out eye mask.

Then I blew up the neck pillow, which was hiding in the hood the whole time.

It deflates in about 2 seconds. All you have to do is press on the valve and all the air squeezes out.

If you want to go full PTFO mode, you can inflate the neck pillow and pull out the eye mask, which also folds into the hood.

Just push it back in when you’re done.

I even wore it out in the evenings. Peeps gave me compliments! I loved Tokyo and Osaka, but I’ll save that for a separate post. 🙂

Down sides?

Currently, the sweatshirt version I got for $109 costs $149 via Indiegogo. That’s a tidy sum for what’s essentially a hoodie!

I will say that it’s extremely high-quality. The design is solid. And the features, if you’ll use them, can be handy.

You can stow a ton of stuff into the pockets, including your phone, tablet, iPod, passport, etc. It’s good to have those things in front of you on the inside pockets if you need them when traveling in notorious pickpocket havens. They typically won’t come after you from the front. So that’s an added safety measure.

The neck pillow is made of plastic, and you can definitely feel it against you. But, it’s detachable. So I’d recommend only having it in when you think you’ll need it (plane or train rides). And leave it out when you’re wearing it around town.

The only other thing is the pen/stylus, which dangles down from the zipper. It’s kind of long and swings as you walk. But it didn’t bother me. Again, you can always simply remove it.

I found the usefulness of the built-in features far outweighed any cons. And again, the jacket is really soft and very comfy for wearing out.

Other things to note

I was afraid it would pill, shrink, or get wonky somehow after washing and drying. I washed it at home in Dallas, and am happy to report it held up fantastically (and smells a lot better after a week abroad!).

The hand warmers grew on me big time. They add a lot to the feeling of snugness, but they’re not reinforced. So if you tear them, you’ll have to sew them up again.

Also, you do more than you realize with your hands, so this is a high-friction part of the jacket. I can see these wearing out much faster than the rest of the jacket.

It’s not a huge issue, and certainly not a deal-breaker, but it’s worth noting in case you like them as much as I do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN5hKVUx2Jg

This guy’s video is extremely thorough; it goes over all the features. We have overlapping opinions about many of the features, even though he got the bomber-style jacket.

Bottom line

I love my BauBax travel jacket!

It’s still early yet, but this might be one of my favorite jackets I’ve ever had. I’ll definitely take it on more trips when the weather is crisp again.

It’s light, comfy, packed with features, and well-designed. The $149 price tag is a bit steep, but the quality warrants it.

It’s a huge step up from a basic wardrobe item. And it really is something that can enhance your travels and make you more comfortable in several ways: warmth from the hand warmers and jacket lining, rest from the neck pillow and eye mask, protection from the front inside zippered pockets, and convenience for having all of this so handy.

I wanted to be more critical after the 10-month wait, but I gotta say, I really love it.

This would make an excellent gift. Or be a nice splurge for yourself if you’re into the design and features.

What do you think of the BauBax “ultimate travel jacket?” Let me know if I missed any key points, or if there’s something you wanna know about it!

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