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FXR vs KLIM thoughts??

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boondocker155

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Sep 5, 2013
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I've always been a klim guy. I absolutely love their stuff! I'm lookin at gettin a new jacket this year and I was looking at the new FXR stuff. It looks pretty awesome. Does anybody know how durable it is and if it'll keep me dry? I also wonder if the material is nice and thick like klim so it won't rip on trees and what not.

If anyone has some experience, good or bad, let me know. Thanks


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T
Dec 25, 2007
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I have a set of FXR cold wave jacket and bibs from about 6 years ago, and a jacket even older than that. They aren't perfect and the new products have improved many of my complaints, but haven't seen the point in replacing a jacket that is essentially as good as new save for permanent grease stains on the sleeves and usual wear around velcro, etc. I just wash it every year in that waterproofing wash stuff and it seems to keep coming back for more punishment...is this year the year it finally dies??

However. I bought some gloves and boots from FXR about the same time. Those were both in the rubbish bin by the end of one year. NOT recommended.
 

Meadow Muffin

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I have FXR's backshift coat and bibs. They are 5 years old and the liner is coming apart but they will still keep me dry and have vents in the right places for me. They are a little warm for spring riding. That time of year i wear Klim powder cross pullover and pants.
 

mountainhorse

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FXR has come a long way IMO... I've had there stuff... they are a bit more "fashion forward" than the Klim gear... and they cater to a mid priced market. I've heard nothing but good things about FXR customer service from our many readers that have FXR.

The Klim gear is expensive, but for a reason, it works and holds up to abuse that we see everyday. The technical fabrics used in their gear is at the top of the heap in terms of quality, breatheability and water resistance.

In the sometimes rainy at the bottom, pow at the top riding in the Sierras I've never had an issue with my Klim gear over the years. They keep striving for better and better designs in the upper bracket of Sledding gear.




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Bcorn

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Dec 29, 2013
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I have a set of FXR cold wave jacket and bibs from about 6 years ago, and a jacket even older than that. They aren't perfect and the new products have improved many of my complaints, but haven't seen the point in replacing a jacket that is essentially as good as new save for permanent grease stains on the sleeves and usual wear around velcro, etc. I just wash it every year in that waterproofing wash stuff and it seems to keep coming back for more punishment...is this year the year it finally dies??

However. I bought some gloves and boots from FXR about the same time. Those were both in the rubbish bin by the end of one year. NOT recommended.

Whats this waterproofing wash stuff you talk about?
 
B
Dec 21, 2007
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FXR VS KLIM

If you are asking if the FXR gear is as good as Klim gear, the short answer is absolutely not. If you are wondering if the FXR gear will hold up and stay waterproof, the answer is about 2 years. I have several sets of each, and the KLIM gear really is better in every way, but it is also twice the price. I still would recommend the FXR to a budget minded rider who likes a little more color and doesnt mind upgrading the gear every few years
 

tuneman

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I bought a FXR Renegade XC jacket last year. Extremely nice, but just a tad below the quality of Klim. Kept me very dry all season. Zippers hang up sometimes and broke a sleeve button loop right away on the removable liner.

If I had to do it again, I'd look at MotorFist. Bought their Rekon bibs and they are every bit as good as Klim. Super durable and waterproof.
 

goridedoo

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FXR gear is ok, what I have had anyways... But their customer service SUCKS and I refuse to spend another dollar on that company. Bought a pair of brand new gloves at haydays, come winter I am looking over my gloves and I see that one of the sides of a finger never got stitched and was wide open, wasn't like it was tore, just never stitched- manufacturing defect.
So I get on the phone with customer service, and the lady was an absolute BEETCH. She gave me plenty of tone and would do absolutely nothing for me. She acted like I was stupid because I hadn't remembered which vendor I bought my gloves from at Haydays 3 months prior and it was my fault for not thoroughly checking over the brand new gloves to make sure they got fully stitched together. By the end of the call I was insanely mad, and I am a very calm person, and very rarely get mad but when I buy a $70 pair of gloves I expect them to be in the condition that brand new gloves should be, and if they aren't, I expect to be treated in a decent manner. She absolutely refused to even look at the things- because I didn't have a receipt, I understand to a point, yes people do steal, and that is problem and it really pisses me off- the rest of us have to pay for it. BUT regardless, the pair of gloves came out of their factory with a defect, they should honor it- or at the VERY least, be nice about it, but she could not even do that.

In the end Shane Lewis with Blown Motor talked to FXR for me and got me a new pair of gloves... the finger ripped out after 2 rides on the new ones, I didn't even bother this time.

Klim would have replaced the gloves no questions asked, theres not a doubt in my mind. Klim stuff is top notch, and their warranty department doesn't suck! They stand behind their stuff.

Don't even bother with FXR, you aren't worth their time, so why should they be worth yours? Spend the money and get Klim. I also now have nothing but good to say about Blown Motor, Shane had no reason to help me, but he did- I would not hesitate to buy from them.

Rant Over (sorry)
 
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volcano buster

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Nov 26, 2007
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I bought an FXR jacket 3 seasons ago due to size limitations. KLIM was in the budget but they build for the "masses" and at that time did not offer tall sizes.

I have not had any problem with the jacket and see no reason that I won't get another couple riding seasons out of it before it starts giving me any concern.
 
H
Aug 18, 2010
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Riding gear is one area I don't let price effect my judgement. Klim has proven itself to me time after time. I will dumpster dive for aluminum or get a second job if that's what it takes to keep me in Klim. I continue to test other products in less dangerous activities but they continue to let me down.

I don't really understand the fashion thing with riding gear. If I want to make a statement while I'm riding I'm going to try to do it with the way I ride, not with the look of my gear. Riding gear is all about function to me, something Klim totally understands. Fashion is way down on my list of importance. However, I happen to think Klim builds the best looking gear anyway.
 

Blown Motor

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To answer your questions, yes both companies have come a long way and both are great to deal with. While goridedoo had a bad interaction with them, that is definitely not the norm that we see here, and we have had the same one-time issues happen with other customers too. Not that it is an excuse but remember, these warranty departments are 15-20 people deep, they all have their own personalities and all have their own thoughts, and at the end of the day their employers rely on them to adhere to a set of rules while using judgement as no case is the same. With that said, we truly did not believe that goridedoo's situation was handled right which is why we stepped in and helped him out when he did not purchase them from us in the first place.

Pricing: Klim and FXR actually have more pieces that align in price than most people think, but the ole saying you get what you pay for rings true here as well. As mentioned above, FXR is more fashion forward when Klim focuses more on the aggressive rider features. Fabrics, Waterproofing Membranes, Zippers, etc all differ from these two brands. Some of these things increase price, while some of them increase durability. With Klim's higher price you get Gore-Tex and a lifetime warranty backed by Gore-Tex. Remember this does not mean your lifetime, but the lifetime of the garment. With FXR you get a more entry level price, flashier colors, and much larger outerwear line-up. (Not to mention for the Midwest and East coast riders, FXR has many technologies to keep you floating in water etc. Not really a factor in the West) So really it comes down to what you value more. If you are going to replace jackets more often than every 4-5 years, and want the extra color and pizazz that Klim does not offer, FXR would be a great option. If you like to keep your pieces for years on end and put up the investment right away, then Klim is still one of the bests to look at.

Construction: As noted the construction of the garments from both companies are quite different. Klim uses Gore-Tex which is a laminated product so that when you are wearing a shell piece you truly have one single layer in the coat. Whereas FXR uses a two piece waterproofing membrane that some people tend to misjudge as insulation. It is simply just a difference in technology. As to fabrics holding up, over the past year we have seen both companies very well represented in the West. Some of the top sponsored backcountry guys are wearing FXR with no issues, same goes for Klim. What we can tell you though is that Klim generally, has a more seat of the pants feel of durability. Basically if you were to be blind folded and feel both garments, you would relate the stiffer rougher material of the Klim Cordura to be the most durable. But this is also why Klim does not offer so many super bright patterns etc. GoreTex makes Klim send them a sample of every product they produce, it is called "Fit For Use", which means that goretex has to approve the piece for what it is made for. A ton of the bright fabrics and pieces that are used in other brands will not pass the Gore test, which is why you don't see the bright fashionable side like in other brands, although they have come a long way in the last two years.

Basically in summary, it truly depends what you are looking for in a jacket. If you want brighter colors and design FXR with definitely do that for you. Yes you may have some smaller drawbacks to some premium brands, but you also spend less than those brands. If you want to have a purpose built piece without all the pizazz and craziness in design, and are ok with putting up the investment one time, and using it for a while, then Klim will likely be your go to choice.

Hope this helps out, and feel free to shoot us a message if you have specific questions. We spent 50-60 days this year in both the Klim Stealth and Valdez along with the FXR MonoSuit and Mission Jackets.
 
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boondocker155

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Thanks Blownmotor! I appreciate the time you put into that response. Honestly you answered my question perfectly. I'll stick with klim, i know what to expect with them. I'll deal with looking like everyone else in my riding groups.


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Einar74

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Oct 20, 2009
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We spent 50-60 days this year in both the Klim Stealth and Valdez along with the FXR MonoSuit and Mission Jackets.

How is the stealth working? isn´t this Klim first stretch gore-tex product.

Also FXR Monosuit. Is it as good as Tobe?

Also while talking about FXR vs Klim where does Motofist stand in the comparison
 

Finnlandr

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After several years of Klim I gave FXR a try last season…..bought jacket and pants and was overall happy with them…..but IMO they are not as durable as Klim…..more cuts in material after 1 season than about 5 with previous Klim gear.
 

NorthMNSledder

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How is the stealth working? isn´t this Klim first stretch gore-tex product.

Also FXR Monosuit. Is it as good as Tobe?

Also while talking about FXR vs Klim where does Motofist stand in the comparison

That's what I want to know is how good is the stealth gear. Looking at adding to my gear collection this season.....
 
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boondocker155

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I would imagine that motorfist is comparable to klim right? i thought they stemmed from the same company.. i dunno though.. I went with a klim storm gtx for this year! thanks blownmotor
 

Blown Motor

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How is the stealth working? isn´t this Klim first stretch gore-tex product.

Also FXR Monosuit. Is it as good as Tobe?

Also while talking about FXR vs Klim where does Motofist stand in the comparison

We actually got about a month of stealth riding in the previous year 2012 on a demo pre-production set on top of the 50-60 days this year but yes more or less the first year of stretch for Klim. The stealth works really well. For the taller, skinnier rider it fits awesome as it is the first system that truly is not baggy. The material is referenced as stretching, we prefer to call it flexible. It moves super easy and is ridiculously comfortable to be in. It is also feather smooth as to not snag on many items like the more durable and abrasive cordura's. And in case you did not notice, when riding in the stealth bib as a pant, it actually has belt loops, which no other Klim pants have. With that said, we have managed to get small holes cut in our set this year from branches and running boards. Running boards are not Klim's issue, but we believe that it is a less durable piece than say the Valdez. So it is a give and take relationship. For us it fits so much better that we are okay with a couple small nicks in the material, we patched them with goretex patches for less than 10 bucks and you would never see the patch unless you were a few feet away from us. Overall, a killer piece, it will be neat to see them implement it into more pieces in the lineup so the price of the goretex stretch comes down a smudge.

As to the FXR suit, we thought it was every bit as good as TOBE. With that said we still sold more TOBE, but we chalk that up to name brand recognition and color schemes. Both FXR and TOBE use a dual layer waterproofing system much like that of HMK's, so while the outer layer may get damp or moist the interior layer keeps you dry. This is the same on both brands, and the only draw back to this is the weight of the mono suits once damp and even the overall weight when dry. In a cold wet day, coming down in pouring rain, you are going to be heavy. Also, on the rack in store, the pieces feel heavier and most customers relate weight to how warm the jacket will be or how much insulation it has. But to answer your question both of the mono suits worked well for us. Will they last as long as other brands and materials, probably not, but they also don't come with the price tag either.

FXR, Klim, and Motorfist all have their place in the market. Just depends on what is important to you. When talking with customers we figure out what they are looking for, what terrain they ride, what their budget is etc. That helps us point or steer them in the direction that we feel will provide the best solution to their answers with yielding them the best riding experience and customer support. All three companies are great to work with, make excellent product, and have options designed and tailored for certain riding styles.
 

snowman80

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I went with FXR and haven't thought twice about it. The coat I got was the same price as a comparable klim coat. The new FXR stuff is great stuff. I've went through a lot of trees and snagged a few branches I thought were going to rip my coat for sure but the coat never ripped. Klim makes great stuff too but I liked the looks of fxr better, not so boring.
 
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