How do you make the perfect piece of gear? It’s a challenging, time-intensive process of addition and deletion, finding what works and what doesn’t. From the new REI Co-op Drypoint GTX jacket to the iconic REI Co-op Quarter Dome tent, the co-op has created hundreds of products over the years, seeking that perfect balance between needs and dreams. But, for the first time ever, we’ve designed a piece of apparel so versatile and customizable it almost defies common sense: the REI Co-op ZipAll.
More than a year in the making, our new adventure jumpsuit was inspired by one of our customer favorites, the REI Co-op Sahara Convertible pants. They’re comfortable and attractive, with a zip-off design that takes them from pants to shorts. But why stop there? Why not four zippers per leg for even more adjustability? For that matter, why even stop at pants? We asked ourselves: What would the world look like if you could have a single piece of hyperlight, super-breathable and ultra-warm apparel?
And thus, the concept for the ZipAll was born.
To design what is possibly our finest masterpiece yet, we started with the best attributes of the Sahara Pants—the comfortable, breathable fabric and intelligent zipper functionality. True to our collaborative design philosophy, we listened to feedback from members and staff to understand key features they wanted, like more customizability and a single piece of apparel for multiple climates. The end result is the ZipAll, because who doesn’t want the ability to wear a leotard on trail and who doesn’t need a roasting-stick holster,…
