The entire interior of the Nike Cyclone Vapor is covered in soft, chamois circles, and the occasional lightning bolt, all with the intended purpose of creating an air pocket to aid in breathability. The concept makes sense, and I liked how it felt next to my skin. I never experienced the this-coat-is-sticking-to-me feeling, but did have a small amount of condensation built up inside the back of the coat after testing. The market version of this jacket, unlike my prototype, does have underarm venting grommets, which should help move extra moisture.

The nylon fabric moves well, and despite the slim cut of the drop tail design, there is room for an extra layer. When running in a light breeze, I did not notice air movement, and the piece was equipped with a full-zipper length storm guard. However, this is not the coat to grab for staying dry in a downpour—it had a DWR coating capable of fending off light rain, but, despite substantial water beading, my arm was wet after the one-minute arm-in-shower test.

Seams throughout the body of the jacket, as well as the wrists, are bound and comfortable. The hood has a three-way adjustable fit, with one pull-tab on the back and an elastic cinch on either side of the face for a snug fit. A back-zip pocket turned into a self-stowage, but the jacket didn’t pack as small as others in this category and did not have a loop for attaching the stuff sack to a pack.