Die deutsche Version dieses Reviews kann im Tacticalforum nachgelesen werden.

With over 11.000 hits in the Tacticalforum and on my blog, the review about the UF PRO Striker Combat Jacket has become one of my most read and visited reviews by now. In the meantime two years have passed and this jacket has undergone some changes and updates.

Even though the differences between the two versions have been covered in the respective thread in the forum, I was thinking that it would not be a bad idea to show you these changes in a separate review.

UF PRO Striker Combat versus Striker Combat XT

I am sitting on this pictures since summer, but I just did not have the time to sit down and write about the differences. Insofar it is about time to compare the two versions quick and easy.

The old version of the jacket can be seen in PenCott Greenzone in these pictures, while the newer XT version is made out of the Slovenian SloCam pattern.

Main Front Zipper
Let’s start at the front. The old version has a huge velcro flap that was put in front of the massive YKK zipper as a windguard. The aggressive velcro tabs were criticized after my initial review because of the noise production, which did not annoy me as much as the simple fact that the hook velcro of the flap always seemed to find a close relationship with the loop areas at the sleeves.

Old version with the flap over the front zipper

The new XT version still has the massive YKK zipper, but the flap is gone and the zipper is being hidden using a very smart and tight production tolerance.

New version with the hidden zipper.

Chest pockets
We still focus on the front and take a look at the chest pockets. The size and internal organisation did not change, but the access to the pockets did.

The old version had the two zippers (which guaranteed a two sided access) placed directly on top of the chest pockets.

Access to the chest pocket

The new XT version features these access points on the sides of the pocket, with the result of a cleaner look and an undisturbed camouflage pattern.

Front pockets of the new version

Sleeve pockets
Similarly the configuration of the sleeve pockets changed. While the old version has two zippers for easy access in a right angle, the new version does only feature one zipper anymore.

Sleeve pockets – old version

Access to the sleeve pockets on the new version

Waist
The next detail can be found on the backside of the jacket. The old version has a drawstring at the waist to make a proper fit. The new version was changed because of a new feature.

Back of the old version – drawstring for the waist

The new XT version has an elastic part at the back which cannot be adjusted. It gives the jacket a nice shape on its own. The reason for this change was that the zipper under the armpits is going all the way to the bottom of the jacket now. This way pistol users have a better access to their holsters if needed.

Elastic part in the back instead of a drawstring in the new version

Zipper on the side goes all the way to the armpits

Hood
Next point of interest would be the hood, which was one piece with the collar of the old version of the jacket and could not be stowed away.

The old hood design

The new XT Version was changed insofar, that the hood can now be stowed away in the collar. It also features a wire in the front section to better adjust your field of vision.

The new hood design

The new hood outside of the collar

When it comes to the hood the opinions really differ. I personally can live with both versions, although the new one does seem more practicable. At the same time I am aware of users who are not really in love with the new version of the hood.

Air Pac shoulder inserts
The Air Pac shoulder inserts are a very successful addition to the jacket which serve as a load distribution on the one hand and as a barrier for thermal bridges on the other hand.

In both versions you can find these inserts, but in the old version one could remove them from the jacket, while in the new version they are sewn in permanently.

The airpac inserts

Personally I found it smart to have the possibility to remove the inserts if needed, since they were annoying me from time to time. In that regard I do not favor this particular change. In the end though, it is nothing that cannot be fixed with a few DIY steps in modification.

Conclusion
With that being said I can end with the conclusion. The enhancements of the Striker Combat Jacket are a wonderful example for the fact that no one at UF PRO is resting on their laurels. The steady updates and improvements have become a trademark of the company and I am still fascinated by the amount of insight and thoughts the design team put into the detail solutions for problems that other companies tend to neglect.

Admittedly one can argue about some of the solutions, but luckily tastes tend to differ, otherwise it would be very boring on this planet.

With that being said I hope I was able to help with this update.

Thank you for reading and see you next time!