UKC

I have very limited outdoor shops in my area, so it's hard to try on many jackets, and the UKC collective always have gear suggestions! My problem is that my forearms are muscley, and this seems to be at odds with many manufacturers of climbing clothing :-S
I currently have a Marmot jacket, which I like but the arms are now too tight. I don't want to get a bigger one generally, so looking for a slim-ish body, but relaxed fit on the arms. It will need to be women specific as I am teeny.
Open to suggestions in any price bracket, and will hope to get one in the sales!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Get on decathalon, not sure about belay jacket but their waterproof and down jackets are great kit and dead cheap.

In reply to John Kelly:

Thanks for the suggestion, but I specifically need suggestions for a jacket which has decent forearm width.

In reply to girlymonkey:

My old Rab Photon is now much better after I inserted two short zips in the forearms. It was difficult to get the cuffs over my arms but easy enough to velcro the wrists closed once its on. An easy enough modification.

In reply to Siward:

That sounds like a good solution, but I can't help feeling that people manufacturing climbing clothing should make something that accommodates climbers forearms without modifications!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Sorry, your small woman big forearms shape is probably a difficult match ( I have very short legs and the profile of a beach ball, no trousers ever fit) why not go back to marmot

In reply to John Kelly:

I get that in general society it is unusual, and I understand the difficulties of buying normal clothing to fit over them, but surely I am not so unusual in the climbing world?! As belay jackets are primarily for climbers, I would have thought they exist somewhere?!

In reply to girlymonkey:

You don't make clear whether you are talking about a three season or winter belay garment. I'm guessing you mean the former and for that option I suggest you investigate the Patagonia Nano Air. The fabric and insulation are so extraordinarily stretchy while the cut is loose and comfortable, including the sleeves. You can wear it over the top of everything as the stretch makes it so accommodating, but you might find it a revelation to turn around the way you dress on the hill. The garment is so breathable that I tend to wear it all day over just a featherweight tee-shirt in typical Scottish year round weather and you use a wind-shirt or waterproof over the top to provide the extra weather-proofing that turns it into a fortress. This works like a charm for leading climbs or multipitch as you don't have to drag a belay jacket up the pitch to stay warm at the top belay.

It's not a conventional belay jacket. Its much better than that.

In reply to John Kelly:

not unusual in the climbing world though surely? I find the same problems as girly monkey...the makers of womens out door gear seem to assume all outdoor women are strapping great Amazons. I'v given up on finding a properly fitting pair of winter climbing trousers and am resigned to using gaiters to stop them ballooning round my ankles

In reply to pebbles:

Talk to the people at PHD, jackets like their zeta are ideal for belaying, and big in the forearm and cuff area - I can put mine on over a pair of chunky winter climbing gloves with ease. Also, they will bespoke things to your needs (well, they used to) so that may fit the bill. Good gear but pricey. Hope you find something............Jeff

In reply to girlymonkey:

Most dedicated belay jackets (as opposed to walking insulation) are sized to fit over other layers and have wide arms so you can put it on over gloves - maybe try a DAS Parka?

In reply to girlymonkey:

Definitely nothing Rab. I'd rule out Montane too.

Patagonia should definitely be worth a look. The Karrimor Avalanche (I think the women's version is still called that) is decent bang for it's bucks.

In reply to girlymonkey:

The decathlon jackets - I think they're called mountain jackets or something? - might be what you're looking for in terms of fit. They're actually pretty good, and cheap!

Difficult to get right without trying on though, so you might have to order online & do returns. Decathon seem to size incredibly small (ie. a decathlon XL can be another manufacturer's M) but the arms are indeed big for the torso size.

They have a men's and women's version; the women's version is not a copy of the men's, it is deficient (less insulation, non-lined pockets - why??) so you might want to try both if you go this way.

In reply to girlymonkey:

I think we need a circumference measure of your forearms. Are we talking Pop Eye here?

In reply to BnB:

I will have a look at that, thanks

In reply to pebbles:

Sounds like we might be clones of each other! Lol

In reply to nathan79:

I can only find the karrimor one in a 14, so I guess they aren't making them anymore.
I have the patagonia nano puff, and it is also a bit snug on the forearms. The Nano air has been suggested further up, so will look into that.

In reply to climbwhenready:

Mens one is likely to be massive. If I can get through to have a look sometime, I might try them, but I'm not optimistic. Mens XS is still often huge!

In reply to aldo56:

Lol, my mum says my arms are like Desperate Dad's!
They are not huge, I just measured them at 29cm. But I'm a wee size 8, so apparently I am not meant to have muscles if I am that size!

In reply to pebbles:

Your quite right of course climbers female and male will have larger forearms than the general population however no idea if it's a significant amount.
I think most outdoor clothing manufacturers actually aim at a wider customer base than just active climbers we benefit in reduced costs.

In reply to girlymonkey:

29cm is fairly impressive - I thought I was pretty beefy but you've got 2cm on me!!

I have a Nano Air and find it very roomy and stretchy so it's definitely worth looking at. I find it much roomier on the arms than my Rab Vapour rise, which is not only ludicrously tight on my forearms but also doesn't seem to be designed for girls with shoulders and lats, unless I size up and have it billowing around my waist! That said, when you get into the realm of full on winter jackets I don't have a problem with the sizing on my Rab Neutrino Endurance downie.