Waterproof Jackets

Jack Wolfskin Cyrox 2L Down Jacket | Review

A technical down jacket that offers full waterproof protection

Credit to Jack Wolfskin, they’ve created a really good product here. It’s warm, it’s waterproof and it’s well designed – there’s lots to like.

It’s filled with 700 fill power duck down mixed with PrimaLoft’s Black Rise insulation. We’re big fans of PrimaLoft here at Outdoors Magic. It’s lofty, durable, light and warm, and it seems to complement the down fill well, creating a jacket that’s super puffy, warm and protective.

Pros: Very warm and cosy, good quality materials, smart details
Cons: Skiers and snowboarders might find it’s cut a little too short on the hem

OM editor Will wearing the jacket in the Cairngorms. Photos: Dave Macfarlane

The waterproof fabric is Jack Wolfskin’s Texapore Pro in a 2-layer build. This has a 10,000mm hydrostatic head and 6,000 g/m2/24h. Those figures aren’t particularly high, but you wouldn’t really need higher figures for this category of jacket. It’s definitely waterproof and the breathability is as good as you’d expect from a waterproof down insulated jacket. By that we mean the breathability isn’t particularly good but the large pit zips make up for that.

It weighs 885g so it’s quite heavy. It’s possible to compress it down to about the size of a rugby ball. It’s not really the kind of jacket that you’d stash in your backpack to pull out on a windy summit, it’s just a little too bulky for that, but it’s superb for those windy, wet and cold days where you want something bombproof to hunker down in for extended periods.

It’s made for hiking, but we can see it coming in handy for anything from dog walking, casual day-to-day stuff and even for winter activities like skiing and snowboarding.

Details

It has two big handwarmer pockets that are partially covered up but still usable when you’re wearing a backpack with a hipbelt. There’s also a zipped chest pocket on the inside which is big enough for a walkie talkie, a phone or a map that’s folded in half. We’ve already mentioned the pit zips. These are long and smooth to open and close.

The zips throughout the jacket (excluding the internal one) are all laminated and have glove-friendly zipper tabs.

The hood can be worn underneath a helmet. It’s has three point adjustment so you can get a good reliable and close fit that’ll hold in strong winds. There’s adjustment at the hem too so you can lock in that warmth down at the waist.

The cuffs have Velcro tabs and a nice internal sleeve that gives a sock like fit around your wrists. These cuffs are quite wide and we found they didn’t hinder us when trying to pull the jacket in with midweight gloves already on our hands. It might be a bit of a squeeze with any really bulky mitts.

Tester’s Verdict

Will Renwick, editor of Outdoors Magic

We had an Outdoors Magic product testing trip in the Cairngorms of Scotland a few weeks ago in some very cold conditions and, out of the many jackets we had with us there, this was the one I wanted to pull on throughout the trip. It was the one I knew would be the warmest and cosiest. It’s like wearing a waterproof sleeping bag.

It’s a shame the main zip isn’t two-way. It’d be a handy belay jacket if that was the case. Locating the warm-when-wet PrimaLoft fill in the hood is a nice touch but the insulation here is a little low in volume. It makes the hood feel just a little on the flimsy side compared to the rest of the jacket.

As for the fit, I’m five foot 10 and had this in a medium, my usual size, and I found it quite big – in a good way. There’s room underneath for an extra layer of insulation, if you want it and the hem comes about half way down the backside so you can actually sit on it if you want to.

Some Other Key Things Answered

Does it have taped seams? Yes
Does it come in a women’s version? Yes
Is it sustainably made? There are no PFCs in the DWR. As far as we’re aware, no recycled materials are used.