Joe Rocket Egomaniac Jacket

The overall fit of this jacket is very “standard”. We checked some sizes against Joe Rocket’s size chart and found the estimated chest sizes to be accurate. We’ve seen a great deal of consistency of fit in Joe Rocket jackets from one model to the next over the years. For those that have owned a Joe Rocket jacket in the past, it makes it a bit easier to purchase a new one knowing what size you owned before. I will say that with all the liners installed this jacket does fit slightly more trim in the waist and belly than a mesh Joe Rocket option. We also tried on a Medium and XL on our Fit Check mannequins Huey and Dewey and they look great (view those shots by taking the View Larger Images link above). Therefore, I recommend you choose the size jacket you normally wear in men’s clothing. You can use the chart to choose if you know your chest size.

This jacket has a wide range of adjustment in the waist area. There are two side adjusters that work well. In their wide-open position, they will allow for a roomy belly, but they can also be snugged up by several inches for flat bellies. I checked the size XL on this and with the adjusters fully open, the max belly was about 46” and fully adjusted in, it was about 38”. So really this jacket can be made to work for just about any body type, and I’d suggest choosing almost solely on your chest size and the size you normally wear in men’s clothing.

If you are tall and often buy tall size jackets, you are in luck here because they are available in the Black color. Tall sizes are about 1 1/2” taller in the sleeves and torso than standard sizes.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

The Joe Rocket Egomaniac Jacket is the latest evolution in their Ego line (normally Alter Ego). The name originated because the jackets are kind of two-faced, with a textile outer shell that has removable bits to expose a mesh shell hiding underneath.

The Egomaniac has two chest vents that pin open with a button strap to a secondary button that is hidden within the outer shell. The vents measure about 7” long, so you’ll get a fair amount of airflow, though not anywhere near as much as previous generations that had a full removable outer shell. There are panels on the lower sleeve and most of the back that are fully removable via zips on both sides and hook and loop at top and bottom of each panel. The panels can then be stored in the large rear pouch at the lower back. With the panels removed the underlying material is mesh so you have some good intake at the arms and exhaust at the back, but you are still really lacking air intake at the front of the jacket.

The jacket has CE level 1 armor at the elbows and shoulders and a foam back pad that can be upgraded if you choose. There is also reflective piping around the jacket near the shoulders and on the elbow for nighttime visibility. Moving to the inside of the jacket there are 2 concealed carry pockets, one on each side. They are quite shallow though, only about 6.5” deep but they do have straps to hold everything in place. There are adjustment snap straps at the elbow and hook and loop adjusters at the waist and cuffs.

The big call out on this jacket is the liner system. The liners should always be in the following order: outer shell, waterproof liner, thermal liner closest to the body. There are several reasons for this but the most obvious are 1. you want to keep water out of your thermal layer otherwise it adds bulk and will end up cooling instead of warming as it evaporates and 2. you want your thermal layer close to your body so you create a micro-climate and maintain temperature in the jacket. This jacket was designed for the thermal liner to be over the waterproof liner so there one ding, but the waterproof liner is also manufactured backwards which is a huge screw up. The waterproof liner has a mesh outer comfort layer, this should be inside against the body. The entire purpose of the mesh lining is to allow air to flow between your body and the garment so that it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing a trash bag. Well this one feels like you’re wearing a trash bag, and it’s a trash bag that doesn’t like to stay in position at the cuff when you take the jacket off either.

If you want to wear this jacket as a summer jacket, that is an option but the chest venting is lacking so you can find better. If you want this jacket for winter it should perform well, especially with the thermal liner installed but again you can probably find better given the multiple zip panels that will undoubtable let some air in. But for a waterproof option I’m going to firmly tell you to look elsewhere because the waterproof liner in this jacket is best installed in your trash can. :: Mike, 08/09/2022

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