Propper BA® Softshell Jacket

NTOA Member Tested and Recommended

With reviews from three different NTOA members, the Propper® BA Softshell Duty Jacket received their seal of approval garnering an overall score of 3.88 out of a possible 5 with its design, performance and durability praised across the board.

Reviewer 1

I wore this jacket for off duty use. While it was 32 degrees out the jacket was plenty warm, but when it got down to the teens it needed another layer of insulation. The softshell of the jacket makes it very comfortable, but the zippered ventilation in the arms is cold against your skin if you're only wearing short sleeves. I'm not sure of the necessity of the arm ventilation feature of the coat unless you are using it as a raincoat because of its water resistance. That being said, it's only water resistant for a while (like any water resistant clothing.) The vent zippers also come up from the bottom to go around equipment on your duty belt to make it easier to access. Because of the water resistant feature, it is very easy to spot clean and launder. There are two map pockets on the front of the jacket that are magnetic closure. This is quieter than the Velcro normally used on these style pockets, but is not as secure. There is also a pocket inside the coat that is perfect for holding a cell phone, but the zipper is a little hard to operate. That is one of my major complaints about this jacket, the zippers. They are all a little hard to operate, but the main zipper in the jacket is the hardest. It's a double zipper so the bottom of the jacket can be opened for duty gear access. Because of this, getting the zipper to zip up in a hurry is a problem. The zipper is even hard to zip up once it's started. There are also three hidden pockets for pull out ID panels. These pockets have zippers that are difficult to open and the panels are difficult to pull out in a hurry. The panels also have no Velcro on them to put panels on so they will have to be sewn on. There is a Velcro panel on each arm for fast attachment of shoulder patches though. Also if you are looking at getting this coat and you are in between a tall and regular jacket like me, order the tall or your shirt sleeves will continually be hanging out.

Reviewer 2

The Propper BA Softshell Jacket has the following features: removable hood, dual bicep pockets with zipper closures, ability to put patches on both arms using hook and loop, full zip front with double zippers, dual chest removable ID panels, large back pull-out ID panel, side zippers to allow access to duty belt/weapon, internal zippered pocket and elastic and hook and loop adjustable cuffs. The pockets also have magnetic closures for quick access. It is 100% polyester and is water resistant. The jacket that I reviewed was an XL/R. I am 5'10", 190 lbs. The jacket has an athletic cut and it fit me well. It seemed to keep the wind and cold air out and if I got too warm I just opened one of the pockets up. The jacket did well in several of the storms that went through my area. It was easy to clean and kept its appearance. The jacket can be used on or off duty. I would have liked to see the hood roll up into the collar rather than just being detachable. 

Reviewer 3

This Propper BA Softshell Duty jacket seemed to be a very high quality piece of gear that I was pleased with. The poly/spandex blend fabric is lightweight, stretchy, provides water resistance and some wind resistance and the detachable hood is a nice touch which lends to the jacket's versatility. The jacket provides plenty of zippered exterior pockets (two hand warmer pockets and two bicep pockets). The jacket has two warrant style pockets on the left and right chest which utilize small magnetic closures. I really liked this feature of the jacket as opposed to hook and loop as it provides quick and quiet access to the pockets. The jacket also has a zippered interior pocket. The two way front zipper and the weapon access side zippers and zip vent under the arms for temp regulation were nice well thought out features. I really liked the adjustable wrists on this jacket. A lot of jackets have these but this one also has elastic in the wrists so once adjusted, you don't have to undo the adjustment to take the jacket off. The hook and loop fields on each arm allow patches to be put on for duty use and the pull out ID panels add to the versatility, however, the other pro CCW features of the jacket makes me think it would be just as good as a tactical or every day mid-weight jacket for some. To me this jacket can hold its own with any competitor. All in all, a nice piece of kit that I would recommend.

SpotterUp

"The BA Softshell has all of the features I desire in a mid-weight working jacket. It has a sleek, athletic design that makes it comfortable and very capable." Read the rest of SpotterUp's review here: https://spotterup.com/propper-ba-softshell-affordable-mid-weight-jacket/

• 100% Polyester
• Water resistant
• Full-zip front with two-way double sliders for easy CCW access
• Pull-out ID or badge panel on left chest
• Zip vent under arms for regulating temperature
• Dual bicep and wrist pockets with zip closure
• Warrant pocket with quiet magnet closure on chest
• Internal chest pocket and two internal stash pockets 
• Additional dual-access zip pocket on lower back
• Built with magnetic closures for quick and quiet access. These small magnets, although unlikely, may interfere with medical and electronic devices.