Review: Koyono BlackCoat AirGo Ultra Light Rain Coat

Every once in a while I find a product that I inadvertently wind up using almost every day. I might not mean to at first, but I sometimes find myself automatically reaching for or picking up an item so often that it becomes an irrevocably integral part of my life before I notice it.

To further set the stage, a lot of the time at work I dress like PC in the Apple commercials. Sometimes I dress like Mac.

When PC-dressed, I’ve found that the coat I’ve been reaching for most often is my Koyono BlackCoat AirGo. Sometimes, when Mac-dressed, I’ll reach for it as well.

Made with a waterproof, breathable Nextec® Eden Polyester shell with Epic® waterproofing technology, the AirGo is a classic 3/4 length coat that looks good over a suit and with jeans. Which is good, since I do use the pocketing (AirGo has seven inside pockets—a cell phone pocket, a PDA pocket, an MP3 player pocket, a digital camera pocket, a magazine pocket, a pen pocket, and a pocket for keys) and there are times when I may be dressed more like Mac but I want the stuff in my pockets and can’t be bothered transferring it all to something in leather. The AirGo translates very well cross-genre too, so it’ll look good on you no matter what level you’re dressing to. Heck! These were part of the prize packages for the 2004 VH1 Hip Hop Honors award show, so the cool is built in.

And those seven very usable inside pockets are pretty neat. You might not use all of them, or all of them at once, but unlike some pocket-crazy coats (Scott EVest‘s, for example) they are all usable. Their product usage guide (or Kata) is a fun read.

So, besides the styling, the AirGo is unbelievably portable. It can fold up to what Koyono describes as the size of a magazine. Translated, this means that it folds up to a size you can zip up somewhere in a briefcase, laptop bag, or backpack, for use when needed. When I’m traveling, it comes with me, no exceptions. Unfolded, it quickly de-wrinkles and hangs well in seconds. The AirGo really does work well as a backup overcoat.

This is an iPod accessory that’s not necessarily an iPod accessory and only increases its utility. At $149, it’s a bit much for just a case, but I think as a fashion commuter coat, it’s spot on. Available in tan (“latte”), navy blue, or graphite. Take a look at Koyono’s other products, from wallets to bags to shirts and jackets with integrated iPod controls. They’re all cool and they’re all stylish and they’re all similarly well thought-out. Definitely worth some serious consideration for fashion conscious tech folk.