Sunice Tornado Collection Wind Jacket Review

For those of you who are like me,your golf season may not last 12 months. Typically around this time of the year you are going through some sort of golf withdrawal and may even be tired of hitting at an indoor range, putting on your new putting green, or chipping off your chipping mat. There just isn’t a substitute for being out on the course is there? As obsessed duffers we look for things to extend our golf seasons anyway we can and that starts with clothing. Having the right gear can increase your playing time and maybe even your enjoyment for the game in atypical weather aside from those sunny 75 degree days that are a distant memory now. Sunice is a company that is known for top of the line jackets that cover everything from golf to skiing and the company was kind enough to send THP a sneak preview of one of it’s offerings from its Spring Golf Collection, the Bowen Tornado jacket. I know, I know you can’t play in a jacket right? Well neither can I. Until I tested this amazing jacket out. Did it fit me and my game? Check it out.

From the Company
Sunice is recognized as the #1 Canadian Golf outerwear brand and is worn by various American, European PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players. Sunice is also the only golf wear company in the world to have X-Static Silver Technology and all of it’s waterproof outerwear comes with a waterproof guarantee. The company that outfitted a team making Canada’s first ever attempt to summit Mt. Everest in 1982 and in 1988 was selected to be the official supplier to the Winter Olympics in Calgary and again in 2010 for the Vancouver games. What does this have to do with golf? Everything. In 1992 Sunice’s line of clothing extended into golf outwear and more recently during the 2010 Ryder Cup when rain all but washed the American team away because they were ill-prepared for rain and thereby had to purchase new rain gear. That gear? You guessed it, Sunice. What makes this particular jacket so cool? Check out this menu. And it’s not a la carte, you get the whole buffet:

Key Features, Technology & Functionality

  • High-performance ultra-breathable laminate
  • Pro-Trim waist cinching system
  • X-Static stretch lining
  • In Pocket ball cleaner
  • Exposed waterproof YKK zippers
  • Sunice lock down zipper pulls
  • Soft touch chin guard
  • Lycra action cuffs
  • Adjustable bungee at hem
  • FlexVent Laminated Knit Stretch Shell
  • Super WxTech Coating
  • Waterproof up to 20,000MM
  • 4 year Waterproof Guarantee
Men's Bowen Tornado

Initial Thoughts
This full stretch jacket has more features than Inspector Gadget’s top coat but each one is vital to the fit and function of this garment. Where to begin is the hardest part so let’s just work from the top. Literally. Once you slip this jacket on you realize that it doesn’t feel like a jacket at all. More like a long sleeve polo shirt which is a huge plus. The X-static stretch lining feels like anything but and actually seems to keep you a little warm yes is very breathable. It’s not a winter jacket by any stretch but it’s far from just a wind breaker too. A nice feature is that after you take the jacket off your favorite golf shirt does not want to stay with it as a result of static cling. Then you notice the soft touch chin guard is a great attention to detail in that the top of the collar is lined with a soft foam that doesn’t feel harsh against your neck. One of the most striking things about the Bowen Tornado jacket is the soft feel that the FlexVent Laminated Knit Stretch Shell. How can something so soft to the touch be so waterproof? Because of the Super WxTech Coating that’s why. This coating is weather proof up to 20,000MM which means you’ll be dry in a drizzle or even a light shower but if you plan on playing in a downpour or monsoon then this won’t be so waterproof. And how can all of this be so quiet? Yes I said quiet. Unlike other jackets or windbreakers I’ve worn, there’s no ‘swishy swishy swish’ with this jacket. This feature alone is worthy of a gold star.

The cuffs of the jacket have two things in mind, stay put on your arm/wrist and to keep you dry. The inside cuffs are Lycra which forms a perfect fit while the outside cuffs have a feature that allows you to further cinch up the sleeve to ensure that no water gets up your sleeve to interfere with those special shots you keep up there. The pockets are some of the coolest things ever to be seen or used on any article of clothing I’ve worn. First you’ll see that the exposed YKK zippers are coated with a special waterproofing substance that keeps the zipper’s teeth dry. Next you’ll see that all the zipper pulls have a ‘lock down’ feature by which they lay flat against the zipper teeth which keeps the noise of the jacket to a minimum. These zippers each live in a little ‘pull pouch’ that when they are fully zipped up, they stay just as dry as you are. Lastly, the fit is completed with the Pro-Trim waist cinching system which lets you decide how tight you want the bottom of the jacket to fit at or below your waist, depending on the type of fit you’re looking for.

Testing/Usage
So how does one test a waterproof wind jacket? This is not a trick question. You get it wet right? Now what do you do when there isn’t a whole lot of rain to come by due to an unusually dry winter? You improvise! So with a little help from a friend with a hose, I got hosed down like a pig getting a bath after being in the mud. The thing you first notice about the jacket is that the water beads up and literally runs off the jacket. Danger, Super WxTech Coating at work! The zippers zip up and down just as good as if they were dry as they do when they’re wet. The waterproof covering over the zipper teeth does its job perfectly. There is absolutely no slippage of the sleeves or their fit. Remember that they have the Lycra cuff on the inside and the cinching feature on the outside? Yeah that system works well. You just don’t feel wet or damp in this jacket and while you’re being all nice and dry, you don’t even notice that you’re not the least bit hot in this jacket. That X Static lining I mentioned before is highly breathable yet keeps you warm enough to be comfortable.

Something else that should be noted is that it doesn’t feel like a rain jacket let alone look like one. It’s extremely lightweight yet feels durable enough to wear as an everyday jacket. But can it be used on the golf course and not feel like you’re swinging with a straight-jacket on? Yes you crazy golfer! In fact it felt better than most wind jackets I have. Why? I think it has to do with the fact that it’s a slightly longer cut than a traditional wind jacket and doesn’t have that annoying elastic around your waist that always seems to bunch up on you when your swing. I know mine does as I’m always pulling that thing down after every other shot. Not with this though!

Also, my friend who hosed me down also tested out the woman’s version of the Bowen Tornado and she found the jacket to be just as cool as I did. Words like ‘amazing’ and ‘incredible’ were being thrown around the moment that she put on the jacket. The thing that she noticed right away was the almost custom fit of the jacket. ‘Perfect length and a great fit. This feels like it was made just for me!’ Alas she did not receive the same soaking that I did when testing the waterproofing qualities of the jacket but she also found that she was just as dry and comfortable as I was. Obviously Sunice believes in gender equality which is good so if the lady golfer in your life has been avoiding those rainy days of golf, this may be the jacket that gets her onto the course with you.

Women's Catherine Tornado

Overall
There aren’t enough words to describe how cool this jacket is of how happy I am with it. This review could go on and on but I want you to be able to experience all of these features for yourself and develop your own opinions. As you already know, whether it’s equipment or apparel, golf stuff can be and usually is an investment. If you’re one who likes to play in inclement weather you know that the proper gear is required. Not only to enjoy the round but just to be able to play the round itself. Having the right kind of jacket could arguably be the most important piece of clothing that a golfer owns and uses in the spring or fall months. The Sunice Bowen Tornado Jacket retails for $250 and to me is worth every bit and more. Unless you constantly play in torrid conditions, there’s no reason why this jacket couldn’t last for years and years so look at the price as an investment rather than a big number. Sure it’s on the pricy side but the quality and performance of this jacket are top notch. If you decide to play in some not so very friendly weather one day and you’re struggling out on the course, do you want to compound that frustration by feeling damp and uncomfortable? If you’re going to do the job right you need the right tools. Click on over to www.sunice.com and pick your own tool. Don’t worry, your golf umbrella will get over you abandoning it.

T. Hanks

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