The Helly Hansen Challenger is a lightweight aerobic training jacket with highly wind-resistant paneling and lots of reflective piping.

Weather Protection
While the Challenger Jacket’s front panels provided good wind and light rain protection, even at high speeds, the more breathable panels on the back and sides offered very little resistance to the elements.

Breathability
For a non-membrane jacket that also features large panels of highly breathable fabric, the Challenger delivered surprisingly weak moisture-management performance. I was often left feeling too warm and a bit clammy after even short bursts of exertion.

Mobility/Comfort
Aside from being occasionally irritated by the reflective piping at the neck, I found the Helly Hansen Challenger to be generally flexible and easy to wear.

Weight
Average weight for a jacket of this style and performance.

Attention to Detail
Detailing and finish-quality were very good, and key features (media pocket, hem adjustment) were well-executed. I would have liked to see better-performing fabrics throughout the jacket, but found it to be otherwise thoughtfully designed and solidly built.

Value
Considering its average performance in most of the test-categories, the Challenger’s list price seemed fairly high.