Marmot Leadville Review

Likes
The Marmot Leadville is our top-rated non-hooded softshell. Its design is simple and effective. Gore Windstopper covers the front, back, and arms, while a lighter, more stretchy, and more breathable material runs from the waist up the sides of the body, under the arms, and behind to the scapula. This combination of fabrics creates an excellent balance between wind resistance and breathability. The jacket has an excellent slim fit and the arms are long enough to provide protection even when swinging your arms around. The expansive stretch panels makes this is the least restrictive and most mobile softshell we tested. It’s very comfortable.

The Leadville has several good features, too. Simple and small hook and loop closures make the adjustable cuffs nearly perfect. The collar is very soft and just snug enough to keep warm air in but not too snug as to be suffocating. There are two hand pockets and a chest pocket, all of which are equipped with small hidden zippers that save weight and contribute to the jacket’s good appearance. The Leadville is available in six different color combinations.

Dislikes
The Leadville is the only softshell with which we have no complaints. It’s well designed, minimalist, and highly functional. Most importantly, the Leadville is a high output jacket designed for cold weather aerobic activities where you sweat a lot. It’s not a warm jacket for around town. Use this for cross-country skiing, cold weather running, and snowshoeing. The Leadville’s unrestricted movement and lightweight, compressible package also make it our favorite softshell for multi-pitch rock climbing. Several testers climbed over 75 pitches in this jacket. While it is the best softshell for rock climbing, we don’t necessarily believe softshells are good for rock climbing (you rarely need the breathability). A hooded windbreaker, either lined or unlined, is superior for rock climbing because it offers greater protection, weighs less, and is significantly more compressible. Despite this, the Leadville’s tremendous versatility can be a great asset for cold weather activities of all types.

Best Application
Nordic skiing.

Value
The Leadville offers tremendous performance for a reasonable price.