Speed and Strength Lock and Load Jacket

We tried the size Medium in this jacket on Huey and we put an XL jacket on Dewey. These are the sizes they normally wear and both fit very well. The general style of this jacket is “relaxed” and and it is an easy fit for most people. My primary advice would be to wear the size you normally wear in men’s clothing. If you are between sizes I’d advise you to go down. Also, I will say that the fit of this jacket is best for average to stocky folks. If you tend toward the tall and lean side, I think you’ll find this jacket to be overly bulky.

The chart provided by Speed and Strength shows chest sizes for each alpha size that are a bit larger than what you’d normally see for “standard” conversion from chest size to alpha size. Based on my observations (above), the chart seems just about right, and appropriate given the relaxed styling of the jacket.

If you have a bit of a belly, you might want to put a tape around it and make sure the size you are choosing will work for the belly as well. The max belly sizes for any jacket size will be about 4” smaller than the max chest listed. For example, the size XL will handle up to a max 48” chest and a max 44” belly.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

This new Lock and Load jacket is a variation on a theme I’ve seen numerous times over the years. It is really two jackets in one. The “inside” layer is more or less a nicely styled mostly mesh jacket which includes the armor for protection. And then there is an outer jacket that installs OVER the first which is a solid textile design which can take you into wet or cold weather as well.

Here are the good points: The heft of the outer jacket is phenomenal. The material used is heavy-duty and feels very strong. It will also act as a wind blocker which will help a lot in the winter to keep out the cold. It has some zip vents so “some” air can pass through in mild weather which will be handy.

The way the outer jacket installs over the inner mesh jacket is pretty neat and works well. If you look closely, you’ll see the tail of the jacket is mated by way of the side waist adjustment straps. When the outer jacket is used, the waist adjusters of the inner jacket are fed through two rectangular grommets and serve the purpose of being an adjuster but to also hold the two jacket tails together… clever! The outer jacket has some pretty good storage options too. I count four pockets with waterproof zippers including a large fanny pocket, so you can store lots of handy stuff.

I also like the inner mesh jacket. It’s pretty standard really, and includes a removable thermal vest liner to add some insulation. It seems to be a competent style.

Here’s a couple rubs: Like each and every “all in one” design I’ve ever reviewed, the combined jacket gets pretty bulky. Combining two complete jackets (and only one set of armor) makes for a heavy package and one that can’t be described as “trim” in fit. But if you don’t mind a bit of bulk and/or weight and you appreciate the rugged nature of the outershell, you probably won’t care about this.

The other rub is styling… and styling is a personal thing, so if you like how this jacket looks, ignore me, but please note that the mesh inner jacket, even in the black color, has the asymmetrical styling… more specifically the two sleeves are different colors. And on the colored jackets, the outer jacket is asymmetrical as well. It just sort of freaks me out… but like I said, it’s a personal thing.

Be sure and take a look at our photo gallery because there is a lot going on with this jacket. There is a lot to like there especially if you are a fan of rugged construction and the “do it all” design. :: Paul, 03-04-15