Customer Reviews L.L.Bean Waterfowl Sweater Vest

Texture good, sizing accurate. Inside pocket would be good to add.

I had purchased the sweater version previously so I knew that they run very large. The small fits fine. It's a medium weight vest that is good for layering. Not dressy but definitely not cheap looking either. The zipper is a bit fiddly to start.

I pretty much like everything about the vest, although it is slightly larger on me than I usually wear. I also like the color, loden. The one thing that is a little uncomfortable are the high lapels. Whether I leave it slightly open or fully zipped, it rubs against my chin and neck. It would be better if the collar was made to lay down a little, or have a snap or button to hold down the collar.

Very warm vest but it requires a larger, heavier zipper pull in front and zippers on both pockets. Duck hunters don't have time to fumble for zipper pulls in the dark and cold. Vest pockets serve no purpose as they can't be secured/zipped. I would anticipate greater appeal to Water fowlers & others if these modifications are made.

Too heavy FL; have some cool evenings here but this item was too much. Seemed to be well made, however.

It's ironic that you ask for a review of this vest, when the color I wanted (brownish) is pictured on the review form--and it was already sold out in all sizes when the first catalog advertising it arrived in the mail. I ordered a blue one instead. And I'm generally pleased with it: It fits comfortably and looks reasonably dressy for a casual vest--that is, it suits almost all occasions, from outdoors to offices. It has a collar that's just high enough for comfort, but not so high that it gets in the way, as the collars of most other, similar vests do. The outside looks quite like a knitted sweater and so far seems to be durable. My only reservations are that it's not as warm as I hoped, especially in wind--I would prefer it to have a down lining for warmth and wind resistance. And inside what at first look like pockets, open at the top, are open at the bottom, too. So they don't hold anything! They're merely the handwarmer outside pockets, attached at their front and back. I'd sew them to the sweater across the bottom, except that the seam would be noticeable from the outside, where it would be about 2.5" from the bottom of the vest. If they ever annoy me enough I'll do it anyway. My perfect LL Bean vest would look like a sweater on the outside--one that doesn't pill and need a shave every year--with a down lining inside. Your 502429 Mountain Pile vest is pretty good, but it's too winter-looking for indoors, especially during fall and spring. And the 508269 Hi-Pile Fleece Vest has that silly looking breast pocket flap. My favorite so far is the 298053 sweater vest for its "Prima Loft" lining and pockets sensible pockets. It's the perfect warmth for almost all situations. I've had three of them. If you could put the Waterfowl Sweater Vest's exterior sweater on the 298053's innards, I'd think it perfect.

I originally ordered the medium but it was too tight, so I exchanged for a large. I wear it with the collar down since it is too long and gets in the way when up. It fits nice with a flannel button-up, or is roomy enough to wear with a sweater or sweatshirt underneath. I saw some comments about problems with the zipper, but the zipper on mine works fine. Overall I am very pleased.

Warm and looks and feels great.Somewhat hard to get the zipper started.Hope it gets easier with use.

Its nice looking but after a few wears I see lots of tiny white threads, thought they were hairs , short, but they are part of the fabric... also some Pilling starting.. I picked them off though

I got this for two reasons. The first to increase my sweater repertoire with something a bit different. The second to wear in my freezing cold office in the summer to replace the moth eaten cardigan used for that purpose for several years. It is really nice quality and serves the purpose well. My only complaint is that the collar is a bit stiff and taller than my shirt collar and so has a bit of a Star Trek look and slight irritation of the neck. The pics on the online catalogue show the guys collar rising above the collar of the sweater, which is what I would have wanted, but that is not the case and with about a nearly 2 inch collar does not seem possible. Perhaps it will soften-up and relax a bit over time. But, really a high quality piece.

The waterfowl sweater vest was a nice replacement for a nylon hiking vest that I had been using as a liner for my overcoat used for commuting. The high neck line protects my neck/ chest from the harsh winter winds of NYC. The sweater seems to be of high quality and is very comfortable, especially against the neck. I could see wearing this casually but I'll stick with my hiking vest for hiking as it is lighter and does a better job at cutting the wind. The sweater is generously cut, especially at the gut and I had to return my first purchase for a smaller size. I would have given this item 5 stars if the weave were tighter. I really like buying from LL Bean. They provide good quality for the $$ on the items I've purchased and provide an all around outstanding customer experience.

Although I was most impressed with the material and design of the vest, I returned it because it was abnormally long in the body. At 6'1", I border between regular and tall, but the vest's pattern was far too long for me to keep it.

I picked up this vest on my last visit to Bean and have fallen in love with it. Not only is it comfortable and warm but it is something that I can wear both casually or to work with a dress shirt underneath. It's not too heavy and the knit provides just the right level of warmth for me. I'm very happy with it and look forward to wearing it for years to come.

Very nice sweater vest. It is warm and I do like the non-itchy lining around the collar. The sizing is a little on the big side. A size small fits me perfectly and I am 5'11", 170 lbs., with a 39 chest size and a 32-inch waist.

The vest fits well, as have all products I have ordered from LLBean over the past 50 years, Thanks, However on this vest, the start of zipping it up is a bit difficult. It takes quite a bit of time to force the metal tip into the zipper. There may be some distortion in the tip, so that I have to press strongly to get it in, and often have to try many times to get it. I always do get it in, but most of the time it takes 3-5 times before I do. Thanks.

Need a warm vest when fleece doesn't look good enough? This is the one. Comfortable and sharp. Only wish it had either zip pockets or inside pocket.

The vest was thick while being "dressy" -- something that is hard to find. It is well made. The reason I took a "star" off is the zipper. The contrasting trim makes it hard to "start" the zipper. Not sure my elderly dad (for whom I bought it) will be able to work the zipper.

Bought this vest for my husband; it really looks great and can be worn for sports (golf) or out to dinner. He also has the fleece lined vest which is a little warmer and more casual. Both look great and wear well; he prefers a vest to a sweater for comfort and various activities.

This sweater was a gift and I have hardly had it off. We get a lot of temperatures in the low forties here and it is perfect for running errands. I have two suggestions to make it better. The zipper is poor. It is too small to engage easily and always a hassle. It could really use an inside chest pocket. The hand warmer pockets outside are too shallow and needed items fall out.

I love these vests as the wool is so warm. My husband has two and wears them constantly all winter. My youngest son-in-law also likes his. They are great for keeping the lower back warm, yet not binding and heavy as a sweater. The only problem area is the neckline. My other son-in-law finds that because the collar area does not lie down, it bothers his neck.

I bought this for my husband and it is a great vest, but the loden color looked very brown to me.So I returned it. I wanted a more neutral color that would go better with other blues, browns and black colors. I wished they made this in a charcoal grey as well. I looked everywhere and not many retailers have full zip sweaters and vests like LL Bean.

Got the vest in the middle of a cold snap and immediately put it on. My normal size is XL; this vest appeared a little larger than that, but discovered it was perfect when I layered it. Nice warm flannel lined pockets and neck band. Really liked the navy blue color. Good purchase for me, but if you want to check sizes, consider one size smaller than your normal size (unless you like to layer as I do).

The only thing that would make this any better would be for an internal pocket. It keeps me very warm and looks great! The wife loves it on me!

Very well made, good fit, comfortable.

I wanted this vest to wear under a bomber length leather jacket. It is a bit too long for that and not quite dressy enough. That being said, it is very warm and looks great. I'm keeping the vest to wear around the house with jeans.