Castelli Meccanico 2 Puffy Jacket review: The best spring (and winter) jacket?
The Castelli Meccanico 2
I didn’t set out to purchase a new jacket this winter, and I certainly didn’t plan to buy a puffy jacket. I have never been a huge fan of the look of puffy jackets, because they tend to be, well, puffy, and besides, I already had a pretty solid winter jacket in a five year old (and discontinued) Chrome Storm parka so why would I need a new jacket?
However, browsing the Castelli web store one morning looking for a wind blocking base layer , I clicked on the Meccanico 2 and decided to give it a shot.
My first impression of the Meccanico 2 was that it felt very light and very thin, more like jacket you’d wear to walk to the bagel shop in April than a bona fide February commuter jacket. The Meccanico 2 uses 100 gram PrimaLoft® Silver insulation, of which it turns out to need very little to keep you warm - it’s roughly the same thickness as a pullover hoodie.
The Meccanico 2 turns out to be very light indeed, weighing only 1.2 pounds, compared with my Chrome parka, which also uses 100 gram insulation, but weighs in at a just over 3 pounds.
There are two zippered pockets on the outside, and two additional mesh pockets on the inside of the jacket, which I found to be adequate.
The jacket is designed to zip right up to your chin, protecting your neck from the elements similar to a track jacket, but without the “track jacket look” thanks to the presence of the hood. The hood is non removable, but it provides a wide field of view when worn, and it is adjustable with elastic drawstrings.
Heat is sealed in effectively with the elastic wrist cuffs - though I might have appreciated thumb loops - and an elastic drawstring waist.
The Test
Over the course of a wintry February week, I put the Meccanico 2 up to the NYC commuter test, and not only did it not disappoint, I was shocked to discover that this lightweight, thin little jacket actually punches well above its weight class.
It kept me warm when I wore it over a flannel shirt for a 40 degree Citi Bike ride one morning. It kept me warm on a drizzly 8 mile journey on a Revel electric moped at 30 miles per hour. It kept me warm when I wore it on blustery commute another morning on my e-scooter, facing a 25mph headwind high above the river on the Williamsburg Bridge. It kept me warm when I was walking around town, and it kept me warm when I was hanging out on the roof with my dog.
I found the Meccanico 2 to be astonishingly windproof, and on extra cold days I appreciated having the drawstring waist to seal in the heat. Drops of rain drizzle beaded up nicely on the DWR coating, keeping me dry during two rides in light drizzle, but I wasn’t able to put it to a proper rain test to find the limit of its waterproofness.
As February turned into March, and into early April, with the warm-but-still-chilly temperatures arriving in NYC, I kept reaching for this jacket when I’d head out the door. And as a global pandemic forced me along with all other non-essential workers to stay home, I started using the Meccanico 2 for a brisk jog around the block on drizzly mornings, for wind protection on a Citi Bike ride to the waterfront on a sunny-but-windy 55-degree day, and for a Sunday morning stroll to the bagel shop. When it became too warm for a jacket, I found the the lightweight and packable nature of the jacket to really come in handy - it fits into a bag (or Citi Bike basket) super easily.
The Good
Wind blocking - it blocks wind like I’ve never seen, keeping me warm in temperatures as low as the 30s
Heat regulating - it’s (somehow) a great choice for temperatures up to even the mid-50s (above which, do you even need a jacket?)
Light weight - very light and packable
Pocket choices - ample storage options
The look - It’s a good looking jacket
The Bad
The price tag - at $249 retail, it’s not the cheapest jacket out there. However, as of the time of this writing, significant discounts can be found on 3rd party sites.
Peeling logo - after just a few days of wear, the Castelli logo on the chest started to peel off. But since it doesn’t affect the function of the jacket, I wasn’t too bothered by it.
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The Meccanico 2 does everything ask of it - it keeps you warm, it blocks the wind, keeps you dry, doesn’t take up much space, and looks pretty good while it’s at it. I can see it becoming my daily commuter jacket in all but the gnarliest weather, from the 30s to the 50s. If you’re in the market for a jacket that can do all of the above, and you have the budget, you could do worse than the Castelli Meccanico 2.
Disclaimer: TBD team members receive a discount on Castelli products. This discount did not influence my review.
