December 26, 2025

"Beringia is a new-to-us brand this year, but has quickly risen to the top of our
layering testing with their mobility-forward build, unique materials, and
layering-optimized fit. The Lightstream Full-Zip Hoody is their popular
synthetic jacket offering and feels on par with the Arc'teryx Atom Hoody in
construction, with a better women's fit than almost any jacket we've tested
this season. The Vivo Extreme Eco is a single-panel synthetic insulation with
high breathability, which Beringia has placed in three weights throughout the
jacket to optimize heat retention and venting. You get additional insulation
where you need it around the chest and upper back, and lighter layers under the
arms and sides. A durable, slightly textured 15-denier fabric, hat-accommodating
hood, and three zipper pockets round out an incredibly versatile, hard-wearing
jacket that can compete with the most recognizable name brands as either an
outer or mid-layer.

We put the
Lightstream to the test this year as both an active and travel jacket,
including multiple overseas flights, seven days of wear in a row, and cramming
it into backpack pockets for a week straight. The insulation has not compressed
at all, and the material has held up to considerable use without abrasions. The
fit is where this jacket shines, though. Designed for unrestricted movement,
the articulated arms and shoulders can fit a base layer and mid-layer
underneath without binding, yet it's somehow slim enough to layer under a ski
shell or rain jacket. There isn't much to dislike about this jacket, though the
brand noted that the next iteration will feature a more breathable face fabric
for higher-output activities. As it is, we wouldn't necessarily go for a hard
run in this jacket, but the body-mapped insulation and full-zip help with
venting."

Written by: Maggie Slepian