In Review: The Flint and Tinder Quilted Flight Jacket

Flint and Tinder Quilted Flight Jacket – $188

While the last year’s Flint and Tinder flight jacket was made for lightweight, easy wear and enhanced breathability, this year’s quilted version is built to handle a larger variety of transitional temps. The team at F&T started with a fantastic base in their rugged flight jacket, and layered in some quilted warmth to handle just about anything you can throw at it. It’s slim and warm without being bulky, and looks just as good with a plain tee as it does with a sweater. Not that many of us are up to tee weather quite yet, so for this review.. sweater it is!

Ryan N. is 5’9″, 150lbs and wears a size XS.
Say it with me: “NNNNNNNNNNNERRRRRRAOWWWWW“

As a huge fan of their first flight jacket, I was psyched to see how the new one stacked up. And does it ever. You’ve got classic pilot looks, but a little more warmth, and zero bulk. It’s about as bulky as a packable down jacket. That kind of versatility pays big dividends when you’re not sure what kind of weather you’ll be up against. I mean, classic flight jackets were designed for fighter pilots in open WWI cockpits, so.. it should probably be able to handle a cool afternoon into a past-chilly night with ease, right?

Up close with the fabric. Matte texture, 61% cotton, 39% nylon outer makes it fully machine washable.

What’s nice right off the bat is the fabric. It’s a nice matte texture, clocking in at 61% cotton and 39% nylon. There’s even a bit of a ripstop texture (as shown above) to it that you can only see up super close. If you’re allergic to down, or happen to be fond of someone who is (ahem), then you’ll be pleased that the fill is 100% polyester. I didn’t find it lacking at all in warmth, either. The best part? Fully machine washable. That’s the ticket.

Totally lightweight but warm wear makes it easy to throw on even over a bulky sweater.
Sweater is via Target’s Goodfellow line.

On the front, you’ve got two roomy hand pockets as well as a zippered chest pocket. This year’s version offered a protected zipper on the front pocket, which is nice when you’re talking about some possible elements exposure. On the olive option here, the outer pockets are also slightly lighter than the rest of the jacket. An intentional decision, seeing as the navy option is all one color. Can’t say I particularly prefer it here. Some might, though? For a bit of visual interest?

An inner pocket that’s specifically made to house your phone and not feel it jostling around when you walk? I’ll buy that for a dollar.

Once we open up the antique nickel YKK zipper and separate the diagonal-stitched placket, we reveal a simple gorgeous hunting-orange liner. I mean, look at that rich color. 100% polyester means easy to slip on and off without snagging, and unlike in a polyester suit, you actually want polyester’s warmth retention properties here. There’s only one interior pocket, but it’s a self-proclaimed phone pocket. I appreciate Flint and Tinder here for calling it like it is. People tend to use interior pockets for their phones, and it’s designed as such – slim, phone-sized, and your device won’t be swimming in it. The downside of the coin is that you have to fully unzip your jacket to access your device should you stash it here, but the upside of that same coin is that you can be sure that it won’t be going anywhere once you’re fully zipped back up.

Orange liner. Quilted warmth without the bulk.

Sliding it on, the arms are slim but with plenty of room to fit even this rather bulky Goodfellow fisherman sweater. They really mean it when they say there’s no bulk to this thing. It’s super comfortable, and warm without being overt about it. You’re not going to be baking in this thing. Just plain ol’ comfy.

For the waist, though, it’s about as slim as they come. Here’s the back and side view of the waist. A true, true, true slim when you size down, which I did here. Zero stretch or adjustability in the waist, either. Order your true size if you’re not sure.

HUG THEM HIPS. Size down for a VERY slim fit (as Ryan did here),
or order your regular size if you like a little wiggle room.

Now, take this with a grain of salt, as I’ve lost some weight over the past year, but I’m just more comfortable in an XS. Did F&T change their sizing? I mean, it doesn’t necessarily seem like it, from the size charts? But I was straight up swimming in a size S in their Hudson Field Jacket this past fall, so.. can’t say for sure. For comparison, I wore a size S in the original flight jacket.

Collar stands up straight, but the material moves with you and won’t cramp your style.

Flint and Tinder are the kings of details. From reinforced, multi-needle stitch detailing at the hand pockets, to the diagonal placket stitching, everything is carefully planned and makes for a beautifully polished presentation. Adjustable wrist cuffs with snap closures means you can roll up a bit to adjust your gloves, and you don’t have to fuss a button back into place after you do so. The collar stands up nice and straight if desired, but doesn’t suffocate you by being too stiff, either. Zippers are solid, all hems carefully finished. I really appreciate reviewing F&T stuff for this reason – they just truly take the time to make heritage-quality pieces, every time.

It looks great and it feels great, but long time Flint and Tinder fans might be disappointed that this is another item that wasn’t made here in the USA. That used to be a hallmark of F&T. All USA Made goods. But the line got popular, the line expanded, and some of the manufacturing moved overseas. Yes they still make some of their stuff here (Waxed Trucker, 10 year collection, some jeans, polos, etc.) but this jacket is made in China. Look, it’s not the first nor is it the last time that a brand has to expand production overseas to keep up with their growing popularity. But to not point out the country of origin, specifically, would feel like we’re trying to hide something.

And we’re not.

Because it’s really a pretty great jacket.