Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket Review (Men/Women)

The Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket is a thin hybrid softshell. Hybrid because it is made of different materials. The most used fabric is very stretchy, super breathable and quite windproof. Read the review!

  • Price:  € 160.00/ £150.00
  • Weight: Men (S ) measured 376,8 gr (416 gr specified), ladies 361 gr.
  • Sizes: Men S- XXXL, women 34-46

The Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket is a thin hybrid softshell; hybrid because it is made of different materials. The most used fabric is very stretchy, super breathable and quite windproof. The parts on the shoulders hood and on top of the arms are made of a 3-layer material with a membrane, which makes these parts breathable and waterproof. Unfortunately, the seams are not taped which results in leakage and you will still get wet. 

The Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket for woman (top) and gents (bottom).
The Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket for woman (top) and gents (bottom).

Materials

The outer fabric is 95% polyamide and 5% elastane, the membrane is 100% polyurethane and the lining 100% polyester. You can wash the jacket on an anti-wrinkle program at 40 °C. Use Nikwax Techwash as detergent. Afterwards you can put the jacket it in the dryer or iron it to reactivate the DWR-caoting. Vaude advices to make it 100% water-repellent again with Nikwax TX Direct.

Wash the Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket on an anti-wrinkle program at 40 °C. Use Nikwax Techwash.
Wash the Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket on an anti-wrinkle program at 40 °C. Use Nikwax Techwash.

Comfort

The jacket is comfortable to wear due to the stretch and contoured fit. The torso has nice length so the jacket falls over the hips. Front and back are the same length and that is a bit of a pity; bending over result in a back that is less protected. Around the hips is a good draw-cord that you pull from the inside of pockets. The sleeves are very long and the elastic material at the cuffs closes well.

Around the hips is a good draw-cord.
Around the hips is a good draw-cord.
  • Front and back are the same length and that is a bit of a pity.
    Front and back are the same length and that is a bit of a pity.
  • The Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket is a thin hybrid softshell.
    The Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket is a thin hybrid softshell.
The elastic material at the cuffs closes well.
The elastic material at the cuffs closes well.

Zipper garage

The front zipper has – like all zippers on the jacket – a large drawstring; great with gloves or cold hands. There is a good anti-draught flap behind the zipper, which also prevents the fabric from snagging between the zippers teeth. It is unfortunate that the zipper does not open at the bottom; this is sometimes useful when going to the toilet. There is a soft zipper garage so the zipper does not touch the chin.

The front zipper has a large drawstring and a zipper garage.
The front zipper has a large drawstring and a zipper garage.

Pockets

The chest pocket is large enough for a big smartphone. The lower placed pockets are partially covered by the hip belt when carrying a backpack. Not optimal for usability.

  • The pockets on Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket are possitioned exactly on the spot where the hip belt go's.
    The pockets are possitioned exactly on the spot where the hip belt go’s.
  • The chest pocket is large enough for a big smartphone.
    A large smartphone fits the chest pocket.

Hood

A quite large hood is provided, but it is just too small to wear a helmet underneath. The cap is reinforced, but it folds quite easily against the forehead. Thanks to draw-cords on the back and around the hood, the hood can be pulled tight around the head. However, the blocker is rather small and that is a bit unpractical with cold hands or gloves. There is enough fabric around the neck for sufficient freedom of movement, but just not enough to wear the collar over the chin. A small bummer is that the collar tends to slip underneath the chin.

  • The hood is quite large, but just too small to wear a helmet underneath.
    The hood is quite large, but just too small to wear a helmet underneath.
  • The Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket has a hood drawcord on the back.
    The Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket has a hood drawcord on the back.

Waterproof and breathable

The Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket is highly breathable and quite windproof in the non-waterproof areas. Vaude shows that a PFC-free DWR-coating is possible: it performs super on the waterproof parts and only a light wet-out is visible on the non-waterproof. But that is without the after-treatment with Nikwax TX Direct. The choice of waterproof material on arms and shoulders means that you can walk through the rain just a little longer with this jacket.

After the spray test only a light wet-out is visible on the non-waterproof part (left).

Sustainability

Vaude has durable in its DNA. The jacket is produced according to the Vaude Green Shape standard: the use of sustainable materials. The Ceplex Green PU membrane is for 25% of coffee and reusable new materials. Just like the DWR coating, the membrane is PFC free . Member of the Fair Wear Foundation, Grüner Knopf status and with an A status the highest scoring brand in the Rank-a-Brand score.

Vaude has durable in its DNA.
Vaude has durable in its DNA.

Verdict

Thanks to its hybrid construction, the Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket is a jacket that can withstand just a little more rain than many other softshells. But … the non-taped seams are unfortunate. On the waterproof areas the jacket breathes a little les, but the rest of the fabric compensates that. The jacket has fine hydrophobic properties on the waterproof parts, less on the non-waterproof pieces. A plus is that the DWR layer is free of PFC’s and the attention to the environment. But you have to wash the jacket with a special washing detergent and use a DWR after-treatment. Small dissonances are the pockets that are covered by the hip belt of a backpack and the difficult operation of the hood adjustment mechanism. The price of € 160,00/ £150.00 is spot on. I rate the Vaude Me Skarvan S Jacket at 7,7 out of 10 points total.

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