If you like to travel, you’ve probably heard of Baubax. And if you’re a frequent traveler, you’ve definitely heard of Baubax. They prided themselves on creating “the world’s best travel jacket” with 15 features on their initial Kickstarter campaign, went on to becoming the most funded clothing project in the history of crowdfunding and the 4th most funded project in the history of Kickstarter.
They also ended up creating an Indiegogo campaign afterwards as well, more about that later. And while the product sounded great, shortly after the campaign ended, it seemed like their poor customer service and shoddy business practices were affecting their credibility.
While we know it has been awhile since our jackets were delivered to us, we felt that as travel bloggers, we were doing our due diligence in thoroughly testing the product before we wrote a post about it. Since we’ve received the jacket, it’s been taken it on multiple trips, both international and domestic (within the U.S.), as well as on short day hikes.
Note: This post is solely based upon our own opinions and we have not been compensated in any way for this review nor are we affiliated in any way with Baubax.
We initially backed them during the beginning of their Kickstarter campaign in July 2015. We were able to qualify for early bird pricing packages, I purchased 1 bomber jacket and 1 blazer and Jimmy got a matching bomber jacket. For the record, we weren’t trying to be cutesy about it, it was mainly because we both liked the blue bomber color best.
Based upon their size chart, we ordered the following:
- Women’s Blue Bomber Jacket (Size: M, exchanged for L)
The sizes were much smaller than advertised so I had to exchange my medium bomber for a large size. - Women’s Black Blazer (Size: M)
- Men’s Blue Bomber Jacket (Size: L)
We’ll break down all of the travel features of the jacket and how well they worked or didn’t work based upon what Baubax promised versus the actual delivered jacket, in addition to the pros and cons of the garment itself.
Baubax Travel Jacket Features
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Neck Pillow
ADVERTISED: During the campaign, we were told that it would be contained within the hood and would automatically inflate and deflate.
REALITY: Our jackets were delivered with a separate supposedly self-inflating travel neck pillow that they just haphazardly stuck into a pocket they created within the hood. You can also blow it up if it doesn’t inflate itself enough, but we haven’t used it since we have our own travel pillows that we were already in love with. The neck pillow weighed down the hood so much we couldn’t imagine anyone actually wearing their jacket with the pillow in it.
TLDR – This receives a MISS for both the bomber and the blazer. -
Eye Mask
ADVERTISED: The eye mask would provide an easy way for customers to nap at anytime with the built-in light shade in the hood.
REALITY: This is by far one of the most annoying features of the jacket because every time it rains and we reach for the hood, the eye mask falls smack down on our faces and we can’t see. It sounded great in theory, but it was highly impractical.
Comments on the Kickstarter campaign thread recommended using a safety pin or a hook and eye closure to keep the mask fastened to the hood.
TLDR – This feature was a MISS for both the bomber and the blazer. -
Drink Pocket
ADVERTISED: A drink-cozy-type of pocket that would keep your drinks cool.
REALITY: This was an interesting feature that did not work at all for the women’s bomber sizes; the pockets were too small to fit the 12oz. Coca-Cola can they had shown in their campaign video. I’m not clear whether it worked for the smaller men’s sizes since we didn’t order them, but Jimmy’s large size was able to hold a drink. As far as insulation capabilities are concerned, we haven’t actually used it to keep a beverage cool as it would make it look like you’re growing something weird on your chest, but it doesn’t look overly promising. The pocket is only insulated on 1 side, the side against your chest, so we’re doubtful about its ability to actually keep something cool.
Even though I couldn’t fit a drink in this pocket, it is still useful for me since I put my transit card or tickets in there when I’m traveling.
On the blazer, this is so small that it barely fits my transit card wallet.
Note that smaller than expected pockets will be the norm throughout this review of the features.
TLDR – This was a MISS for both the bomber and the blazer in smaller sizes, definitely did not work for the women’s sizes and it’s questionable for the smaller men’s sizes.
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Microfiber Cloth
ADVERTISED: A wipe for your sunglasses to keep them dust and lint-free.
REALITY: While it’s not the best sunglasses cloth wipe material and it is a bit on the smaller side, in a pinch, it does the job!
TLDR – We decided this was OKAY for both the bomber and the blazer. -
Sunglass Pocket
ADVERTISED: A spot to store your sunglasses.
REALITY: For the women’s bomber (large), my sunglasses barely fit and they stick out about 0.5in (~1cm). It’s still large enough for me to place my sunglasses in the pocket (they won’t fall out or anything), but I don’t use it since I’d prefer to keep my sunglasses in their case and in my purse. On the blazer (women’s medium), the same sunglasses stick out by at least 1.5in (Xcm).
TLDR – This was considered OKAY for the bomber and a definite MISS for the blazer.
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iPad Pocket
ADVERTISED: A storage spot for your iPad or large tablet device.
REALITY: This was the only pocket that really delivered for the women’s jackets, so YES, IT DOES FIT YOUR iPAD. However I couldn’t imagine anyone wearing it with their iPad in there, it would feel very uncomfortable, IMO. I usually use it to store a scarf in chilly weather.
For Jimmy’s jacket, the pocket is definitely very large as he can fit at least a 16oz. water bottle in it.
On the women’s medium blazer, the iPad definitely does NOT fit in the pocket.
TLDR – We felt this was a WIN for both of the bombers and a MISS for the blazer. -
Hand-warming Pockets
ADVERTISED: “Hand-warming pockets.”
REALITY: Yes, they do keep your hands warm, but isn’t that what pockets are supposed to do? We also kind of felt like it was a glorified way of saying they were fabric-lined pockets.
Note that the blazer does not have the fabric-lined, “hand-warming” pockets as they are are smooth lining typical of a blazer. I wish they would’ve noted this within the campaign.
TDLR – This was a WIN for the bomber and definitely a MISS for the blazer as it was not included at all. -
Earphone Holders
ADVERTISED: From the campaign videos, these sounded like it would allow the earphones to be “invisible” and hidden within the lining.
REALITY: Earphones can be threaded through the bungee-style cords sewn onto the lining of the jackets. For the women’s medium sized blazer, these are small fabric rubber bands that are so small you can’t even slip Apple earphones into them. The design of the jacket also does not allow the earphones to be threaded into the phone pocket, deeming the holder useless if one actually wants to be completely hands-free.
TLDR – While we don’t actually use them, they may be useful for those who may store their phones in the phone pocket, so it’s an OKAY for both the bomber and the blazer, but it may be a MISS given the actual practicality of its usage. -
Phone Pocket
ADVERTISED: Interior zippered pocket to keep your phone safe.
REALITY: This worked well, even in the women’s large sized bomber, and I have an iPhone 6. There is a bit of room in the pocket still so an iPhone 6S may also fit, but it would likely be dependent upon the size that was ordered.
TLDR – This was one of the few WINS for both the bomber and the blazer. -
Telescoping Pen & Touchscreen Stylus
ADVERTISED: A pen that can be used whenever you need it, especially helpful for filling out customs forms while on the plane. Stylus for use on your phone or tablet.
REALITY: I loved how it telescoped to extend itself for writing. This was a great pen, while I had it. I ended up losing the pen that was clipped onto my jacket because it fell off. Jimmy still has his pen, but he removed it after I lost mine. The stylus works, but we never use it.
TLDR – This was a WIN for both the bomber and the blazer, as long as you can keep yourself from losing it… -
Passport Pocket
ADVERTISED: Easy and RFID zippered compartment for your passport and travel documents.
REALITY: My passport fits into the pocket with about 0.5in (~1cm) of clearance on the women’s large bomber. The RFID pocket also did not get implemented.
TLDR – We considered this a WIN for the bomber, but we were unable to locate this specific pocket on the blazer. -
Blanket Pocket
ADVERTISED: Storage space for the travel blanket add-on item.
REALITY: This pocket for the bomber is pretty small, so we’re not 100% sure how the blanket would fit especially since it’s not that sturdy. The pocket is almost the same size as the portable charger pocket. We didn’t order the blankets so we are unable to confirm.
The same pocket for the blazer is twice as large which is a little strange seeing as the bomber is a more casual jacket and should therefore have more room for such a pocket.
TLDR – We considered this QUESTIONABLE for both jackets since the pockets were flimsy for the bombers and we weren’t able to tell which pocket this was on the blazer. -
Portable Charger Pocket
ADVERTISED: Pocket for your battery pack.
REALITY: This pocket is pretty small and it’s not very sturdy because it’s a side-by-side pocket next to the blanket pocket. It may hold a smaller juice pack (maybe up to 6000mAh size?), but I’m not confident it would be able to hold anything larger. We use 10,000mAh battery packs so we’ve never been able to fit them into the pocket. The pocket is almost the same size as the blanket pocket.
TLDR – This was a MISS since we weren’t able to locate the pocket on the blazer and the pocket on the bomber was very flimsy and not useful in practice. -
Gloves
ADVERTISED: Built-in gloves to keep your hands warm on flights.
REALITY: These “gloves” remind me of long sleeve workout shirts with thumbholes and that’s basically what it is except the long sleeve part is only sewn onto the sleeve of the bomber. We think these sleeves are okay, Bear has used them in the cold, however for me, they just tend to get in the way.
TLDR – This feature was OKAY for the bomber, and a MISS on the blazer as it makes the jacket look insanely casual and not professional.
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Detachable hood (only on bomber and blazer)
ADVERTISED: Simply a “detachable hood.”
REALITY: Exactly as expected, a zip-off hood, they couldn’t really go wrong here. On the blazer, this also removes the partial cloth lining, except the gloves.
TLDR – This feature was a WIN for the bomber, and a MISS on the blazer. The hood isn’t of the best quality and tends to look overly casual.
The jackets also had accessories, some of which were free because we were Kickstarter backers.
It’s also interesting to note that on the website the blazer is listed to have all of the same features as shown on the bomber and windbreaker jacket, they simply show a black jacket rather than the BLACK BLAZER. IMO it looked a bit sketchy.
Baubax Travel Jacket Accessories
I know what you’re; thinking, “the world’s best travel jacket” needs accessories? Oh, why, yes it does!
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Travel Blanket (Additional $25)
This was an add-on for an additional $25 added to the pledge. The travel blanket was supposed to be 60in (152cm) x 40in (105cm). I understand that it’s intended to be a thin blanket folded to fit into the pockets, but given the blanket dimensions and the tiny pocket size, I definitely have my doubts. Again, we didn’t purchase the blanket so we can’t confirm this.
TLDR – UNDETERMINED, We didn’t purchase this add-on, so we can’t say for sure. -
Folding/Roll-up Water Bottle (FREE)
This was a freebie given for each jacket purchased as an apology for the production delays.
We probably use the water bottle the most out of all of the accessories because they are great for traveling. You can easily roll them up into one of the jacket pockets when you’re done with it. This also came with a carabiner to hold the roll together.
TLDR – We use this the most out of all of the freebies, so it’s a definite WIN even though it’s not the best quality. -
Half gloves (FREE)
This was a freebie given for each jacket purchased as an apology for the production delays.
Simply put, we HATE these. They barely cover half of my hand and they definitely don’t cover Jimmy’s hand at all, they look more like knuckle protectors for him. But unfortunately they’re “one size fits all.”
TLDR – MISS for sure, we NEVER EVER use these. (EDIT: I think I’ve seen Jimmy use them when he’s doing work on his car, but that’s pretty much it, lol. They are basically throw away gloves) -
Pen refills (FREE)
These were slipped into the pockets of the jacket so I hope people checked them before they wore or washed them! Jimmy didn’t and he ended up messing up his refills when he washed his jacket. A note on the order slip would have been nice so that people were aware, but sadly that detail was missed.
TLDR – These were OKAY, they should’ve told us that they had been included as many people have accidentally ruined them in the wash. -
Buttons (FREE, Blazer Only)
I haven’t worn my blazer at all, so I haven’t used these.
TLDR – I haven’t used the buttons, so this is UNDETERMINED.
Controversies Regarding Baubax
Prior to even receiving their jackets, many Kickstarter backers were unhappy with their experience on this campaign, specifically with the company.
Lack of Transparency
After the campaign, the company didn’t provide too many updates regarding the production process. We literally didn’t hear anything for months. The campaign ended on September 3, 2015 and the first production-related update we received was on November 6, 2015, the same month backers were originally supposed to receive their jackets. In fact, there was no mention of delays until the last day of the month, November 30.
Granted the company only had two short months after the initial Kickstarter campaign ended to manufacture over 45,000 jackets, this lack of communication led many backers to lose faith and trust in the company. Many expressed their displeasure within the comments on the campaign page.
Multiple Campaigns/Sales
Kickstarter – original campaign (July 2015), Indiegogo (Sept 2015), e-bags (May 2016)
The original Kickstarter campaign ended in September 2015 and had estimated jacket delivery to occur in November of 2015. However the company started an Indiegogo campaign right after receiving the money from the Kickstarter backers, this Indiegogo campaign ran until January 2016. These back-to-back crowdfunding campaigns led Kickstarter backers to further lose trust in the company as they began to see Baubax as money-hungry, selling more jackets to new customers before they even delivered the jackets to the original backers.
Granted it was a Kickstarter campaign, I had personally expected the jackets to be delivered a couple of months after the estimate since production does take time, what I hadn’t anticipated was to receive them nearly 1 year later, in May 2016. This same month, Baubax jackets were also already available on e-bags, before many original backers even received their orders. This further frustrated backers who just wanted their jackets served with some transparency.
Large Customs Bills
Many international backers (outside of the U.S.) were stuck with customs bills over $100 due to tax implications while shipping the orders. While I understand that customers weren’t expecting to receive such expensive bills, this is pretty standard for international online orders. In my opinion, this issue was less severe because there are always tax implications while ordering items from overseas, especially in the U.S. and EU; however, this could have been mediated with messaging within the Kickstarter campaign. Backers were most likely already angry and frustrated with Baubax over the delivery delays and this added fuel to the fire.
Since we are residents of the U.S., we didn’t deal with this issue, but we sympathize with backers who were unaware of these potential costs.
Cons of the Jackets
Poor Sizing/Quality
The sizing issues were absolutely horrid. The measurements didn’t match the sizing chart they provided at all and were more aligned with Asian sizing. According to the sizing chart, I was supposed to order my jacket and blazer in small. I was afraid of inaccuracies in sizing and intentionally ordered medium sizes thinking I was sizing up, little did I know that I would still need a large for my bomber.
For women, I’d recommend getting 2 sizes up for the bomber and 1 size up for the blazer.
For men’s bomber sizing, Jimmy got super lucky because his bomber fit like a glove! It’s also worth noting that backers were originally promised tall sizing as part of a stretch goal that didn’t happen. He was fortunate to fit into the normal large size even though he’s 6’2”.
Originally we thought the quality for the bomber was great, as it was much better than my blazer. However, a year and a half later, I am noticing that the fabric is wearing around the zipper area so the fabric is not as sturdy as I thought it was. The pockets and zippers still remain functional for me.
Part of the reason I have never worn my blazer is because I hate the quality. The other reason is that I honestly never wear blazers so I’m not quite sure why I ordered it to begin with. The quality and cut is very cheap looking and definitely does not look like it costed over $100. The fabric used to create the blazer feels extremely cheap as well, I could’ve purchased a blazer for much less with better quality fabric.
For the most part, the exchange for my jacket resolved the sizing issue, but the quality issue obviously still remains.
Feature Map Required
It would have been helpful if Baubax had provided a feature map in the campaign like they had with the windbreaker and sweatshirt. The pockets on the blazer are placed in completely different spots on the jacket and I honestly have no idea which pocket is meant for what item/device. The fact that the pockets are much too small for most of the items doesn’t help the situation either.
I was able to look back at the campaign page to figure out what the bomber pockets are for, but I’m still at a loss for the blazer pockets so I’ve made my best attempts to guess at their purpose.
Poor Customer Service
The customer service left much to be desired, point blank, I had to talk to 2 different people in order to get my jacket exchanged, so my experience wasn’t exactly smooth. I understand that with Kickstarter campaigns don’t usually allow for exchanges or returns however in the case of Baubax, a large number of people had issues with the sizing and as a result, the company fortunately allowed for free exchanges. In the end, I was able to get the correct size I needed so I ended up pleased with their service.
I also noticed that many backers were frustrated with the customer service since they had emailed support only to be forced to post comments on the Kickstarter campaign page in order to receive a response. Based upon these comments, it seems as if the customer support has improved since I last emailed them however they were definitely off to a bad start.
Now that we’ve shared the negative aspects of Baubax, both the actual travel jacket and the company, we’ll go through some pros! 🙂
Pros of the Jackets
Pockets
As a female, we are often forced to carry purses just because our clothing either doesn’t have pockets or has insanely small pockets, so I personally appreciate all of the pockets on my Baubax jacket. While I don’t necessarily use all of the pockets, or use them for the purpose they’re meant for, this is THE major thing I love about my Baubax bomber.
Jimmy also loves the jacket for traveling because he can literally carry everything on him without having to carry a separate messenger bag.
Water Bottle
Even though it was a free item, we love it for traveling so we can pare down on what we carry. It’s especially great for grabbing water from the drinking fountain at the airport or on the plane since it doesn’t take up much space in our carry-ons.
