Alpkit 2016 Filoment Jacket: £99 / 325g

Review

We’ve been bouncing around in a bright yellow Filoment for a few weeks now and we like it a lot. It’s not quite as warm or light as premium equivalents, but those bigger down channels mean it’s a fair bit warmer than before, packs decently small – you’ll need to invest in a stuff-sac though – and has few obvious flaws unless you want a hood, in which case you’re out of luck.

Good for evening in the tent or bunkhouse, outer wear when it’s cold and dry and possibly layered under a shell in proper gnarly conditions. It’s great value, as you’d expect, but it’s good enough that you don’t feel you’ve bought budget goods. It’s more that you wonder whether the premium for something lighter and warmer is really worth it.

Pros

Price, warmth, improved cut, ethically-sourced down did we mention killer value?

Cons

No hood, no stuff-sac

Value: 5
Performance: 4
X-Factor: 4

Brand website: www.alpkit.com/products/filoment-jacket-mens.

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Arc’teryx Women’s Atom AR Jacket: £200 / 390g (small)

Review

A cracking all-round, outdoors-friendly, ‘warm jacket’. It’s beautifully cut with a close but not restrictive fit, partly thanks to the use of lighter fill in strategic areas like the sleeves, has a high neckline that keeps you warm even with the hood down and is more snuggly still with the hood up – it’ll fit over a helmet if needed as well.

Not as outright warm as a similar weight down jacket, it makes up for that with reduced bulk, good if you’re layering it under a shell, and by added wet conditions friendliness if things do get damp and dank. As ever with Arc’teryx, it also has a certain wow factor up close and personal. It packs down neatly as well.

Great outdoors, but smart enough to do double-duty on the high street and occasionally, the sofa…

Pros

Beautifully cut and designed, warm enough and small enough, wet weather friendly fill and fabric.

Cons

Not the toughest feeling fabric.

Value: 4.5
Performance: 5
X-Factor: 5

Brand website: www.arcteryx.com/Atom-AR-Hoody-W.

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Berghaus Basteir Jacket: £140 / 510g (medium)

Review

We’re big fans of the work of the elite Berghaus Mtn.Haus design team and the Basteir is a good example of it featuring in an all-round mountain jacket, in this case the body-mapped insulation distribution. First surprise is just how trim the fit is – it won’t suit everyone and you may even need to go up a size.

It’s a cracking cold weather jacket worn alone over a baselayer and surprising breathable for a synthetic. The rugged feeling outer fabric does a good job of keeping out wind and rain and if it does get wet, the Hydroloft Elite Pro stays warm and dries quickly, You can also, if necessary, layer it under a shell jacket.

The hood will just about cope with a low-profile helmet but is much happier in bare head and that, together with the trim cut means we wouldn’t really consider it as a belay jacket, similarly the trim cuffs have  trouble fitting over bulkier winter gauntlets.

As a active cold weather stand-alone come layering piece though, it seems very promising and we’re looking forward to getting some miles on it this winter.

Pros

Nice balance of warmth, weather protection and breathability, athletic, fitted cut, smooth-sliding, glove-friendly zips and fasteners, hood good on a bare head and can be ‘oned and offed’ without undoing the high, close-fitting collar.

Cons

That close fit won’t suit everyone, helmet compatibility would add versatility.

Value: 4
Performance: 4
X-Factor: 4

Brand website: www.berghaus.com/mens-basteir.

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Fjällräven Keb Padded Jacket: £195 / 390g (medium)

Review

Compared to some of the shoutier technical jackets here, the Keb Padded is quite low key, but it carries a surprisingly big technical stick. For starters the fill is a new synthetic down-alike called G-Loft Supreme, which feels impressively soft and down-like, and gives excellent warmth for the weight too – like mid-range down says Fjällräven. And then there’s the face fabric, which is a very, soft-feeling polyester.

The result is that the Keb is decently warm for its sub-400g weight and impressively small bulk. It’s not a proper deep winter, lounging about a glacier campsite sort of thing, more of an active, on-the-go jacket for steadier use in low temperatures when its combination of warmth and wind proofing works well, you can also layer it under a shell if necessary. And so far it’s coped capably with damp conditions too.

Finally, it has a characteristic Fjällräven retro vibe to it with the leather fox logo badge and zip-pulls, the external zip-flap and reassuring G-1000 fabric hem cord tunnel. It means you can wear it around town without looking like a refugee from Everest Base Camp just as comfortably as in a Lake District pub. And we quite like that.

Yes, it is relatively expensive, but you’re getting more real world performance than you might initially think.

Pros

Understated design, light and packable soft, warm down-like synthetic fill, regular fit, cool retro vibe.

Cons

Above average price tag, no hood, though a hooded version is also available for £15 more.

Value: 4
Performance: 4
X-Factor: 5

Brand website: www.fjallraven.co.uk/keb-padded-jacket.

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Haglöfs Essens Mimic Jacket: £160 / 360g (medium)

Review

We genuinely thought the Essens Mimic was down filled when it first arrived, partly because of the characteristic skinny baffled design, partly because, well, it felt like down. Turns our the QuadFusion™ Mimic with a claimed 700 fill power equivalent loft value is the equivalent of top-end down.

That said, rather like a real down jacket, those narrow down channels with all the stitch lines isn’t super warm, though layering a shell over the top seems to add more warmth as air is trapped between the down channels.. So why would you choose Mimic over down?

Water resistance would be the obvious answer, but we found our sample jacket actually soaked up water and held on to it taking longer to dry out than either PrimaLoft Down Blend or the 3M Cirrus fill used by Rab. Apparently the fill has changed slightly for production, so we’re waiting for a new test jacket to see how it manages the wet stuff.

In the dry we’d say it’s comparable to a similar down-filled jacket, but the narrow down channels do limit its effectiveness. We’re not sure if the fill itself necessitates the use of narrow baffled quilting.

Pros

Down-like dry weather performance, decently light, nicely put together.

Cons

Early test jacket didn’t cope well with a soaking, though it recovered well when it did actually dry out.

Value: 3.5
Performance: 3.5
X-Factor: 4

Brand website: www.haglofs.com/gb/en/Jackets/ESSENS-MIMIC-JACKET-MEN.

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Jöttnar Fenrir Women’s Jacket: £200 / 380 (medium)

Review

It’s early days yet, but out tester is already impressed: it’s very pretty and it’s warm. That’s down to a combination of lightweight fabrics, medium rather than super skinny baffles and high-lofting 850 fill power down that’s been treated with an advance Down Tek hydrophobic process. It’ll stay dry, says Jöttnar, ten times as long as untreated down.

The jacket also gets synthetic-filled areas in more damp-prone zones like cuffs, hem and collar and is touted for use – and we quote – ‘in cold and damp conditions’. Our gut instinct is still to carry a few extra grammes and synthetic when the world gets proper nasty wet, but we’ll see what happens this winter.

The cut’s trim without being tight, there are warm hand-warmer pockets and a handy inside phone stash one and the hood, though non-adjustable, fits nicely over a beanie, but will also just about stretch to a climbing helmet. Like Rab’s Continuum and ME’s Dewline, midi rather than skinny baffles maximise the warmth from what’s a decently light jacket.

It’s a really nice jacket and if it turns out to be as water-resistant as claimed, that’ll be a proper bonus. As will the svelte good looks that mean it should be as at home at a freezing Christmas market as under a frozen waterfall.

Pros

Light, decently warm, water-resistant promise, modest pack size, beautifully made with high quality fabrics and down.

Cons

So pretty it seems a shame to trash it, hood slightly tight on some helmets.

Value: 4.5
Performance:4.5
X-Factor: 5

Brand website: www.jottnar.com/uk/womens/down-insulation/fenrir/.

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Keela Ladies Belay Pro Jacket: £80 / 470g (medium)

Review

‘A feminine cut allowing a full range of movement whilst still maintaining that chic look,’ says Keela. Our tester however thought the cut was basic and a little unflattering with the arms – the whole jacket uses a uniform 133gsm grade of PrimaLoft, a little tight and restrictive. She didn’t like the colour either.

That doesn’t stop the Belay Pro being decently warm and very weather resistant and it’s maybe a little harsh to compare it to the two other women’s jackets, Arc’teryx Atom AR and Jöttnar Women’s Fenrir, which both cost twice as much.

The big plus point is the excellent PrimaLoft fill, which we’ve found to be one of the best water-resistant synthetics out there, it still works impressively well even when damp, doesn’t soak up excess fluid like a sponge and dries fast after a soaking. Great value at this price.

Less impressive are the non-insulated hand-pockets – the sit in front of the insulation, and the lack of a hood, which would be a proper issue in a genuine technical belay jacket. Our tester summed it up: ‘If I had a limited budget, it would be a good buy, but if I could afford it, I’d buy something better’.

Pros

Brilliant value, excellent all-round, damp-friendly, synthetic fill, reasonable weight. Did we mention the brilliant value for money?

Cons

Basic cut, lacks a hood, non-insulated hand-warmer pockets, tight sleeves.

Value: 5
Performance:3.5
X-Factor: 3

Brand website: www.keela.co.uk/catalog/product/view/id/2377/s/ladies-belay-pro/.

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Montane Verso Fireball Pull-On: £100 / 245g (medium)

Review

The FireBall Verso Pull-On is lighter than anything else in this review for a reason, it’s a lightweight, active top aimed at trail and mountain runners. The genius of it is that like the Berghaus Hypertherm, it’s reversible: one side is completely windproof for maximum insulation from the new PrimaLoft Active insulation, the other is air-permeable, so worn this side out – the blue in the pic – trapped warmth tends to wash away in the air, making it cooler, so the top feels much closer to a standard windproof than an insulated one.

That gives you loads of options: wear it permeable side out on the move, then, if you have to stop or you’re getting cold, turn it round. Alternatively, if the windproof side is outwards and you’re getting too warm, reverse it to shed some heat. There’s also a handy deep-venting neck zip to lose more heat still and the sleeves roll around half-way up the editorial forearms.

There are also thumb-loops if you’re that way inclined and a single zipped chest pocket on the permeable side of the top. So far we’re really liking the two-on-one capabilities of the top, though if you run hot like we do, it’ll work best when temperatures drop further. A hooded option might be nice for stops, though potentially irritating on the move. Pack size is around pint-glass dimensions, so reasonably totable.

So far we’re liking it a lot, watch out for a User Review Crew lightweight insulation special coming soon.

Value: 5
Performance: 4.5
X-Factor:  4.5

Brand website: www.montane.co.uk.

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Mountain Fitzroy Jacket: £200 / 560g (medium)

Review

Brilliant bundle of water-resistant, UK-friendly warmth. The zoned PrimaLoft fill – 100g in the body, 60g elsewhere – is pretty hydrophobic in itself, but it’s encased in a coated, highly water-resistant Pertex DriLite fabric that shrugs off pretty much anything short of deluge conditions and was refined last year with seamless, double-insulated Shoulder Shield, erm, shoulders.

The cut is super neat, but fits nicely over a Mountain Equipment alpine-cut shell when needed and has a proper, adjustable helmet hood with a wired peak for good measure. Throw it in your pack for winter lunch-stops or as a proper mountaineering belay jacket without worrying too much about the 560g weight while you’re on the move, don’t fret about getting it wet or dragging it over damp rock, hide inside while the wind howls.

A lot of people who buy down jackets for UK use would honestly be better of with one of these around 90% of the time. You can get warmer PrimaLoft jackets –  ME’s own Citadel for example – but for most of us, the Fitzroy is a nigh-on perfect blend of weight, bulk, warmth and weather protection.

Value: 5
Performance: 5
X-Factor:  4

Brand website: www.mountain-equipment.co.uk/fitzroy-jacket.

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Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer Jacket: £230 / 203g (medium)

Review

Developed with Swiss Machine speed climber Ueli Steck and using a super-lightweight fabric made in only one factory in the world, the Ghost Whisperer is stupidly light in the way of something that’s been constructed with the aim of being, well, as light as possible.

It also asks the question of when saving weight becomes counter-productive – it’s more an alternative to a mid-layer fleece than a conventional, ‘warm’ jacket, though the wind proofing qualities of the fabric mean you could also argue that it’s a lightweight, insulated windproof.

In either case, you could argue that an extra 36 grammes would give you an Arc’teryx Cerium LT and appreciably more warmth for just a little extra weight and bulk. Of course that depends on your priorities and if what you want is one of the lightest down tops in the world, here it is. Or have a look at PH Designs who use even higher lofting down and larger baffles to create tops that are as light or lighter, but warmer.

One bonus of the Ghost Whisperer though, is that Q SHIELD down which works impressively well if it does get damp.

Value: 4
Performance: 4
X-Factor:  5

Brand website: www.mountainhardwear.eu.

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Patagonia Nano Air Hoodie: £200 / 380g

Review

We think of the NanoAir Hoody as the one that got away. On paper it sounds brilliant and it’s amazingly stretchy, soft, comfortable and very, very breathable. The downside to that, is that it has the wind resistance of a net shopping bag and despite the DWR, water soaks into it fast and takes a while to dry.

The cut, despite the stretch and claimed ‘close athletic fit’ is disappointingly anything but, and the soft face fabric feels disconcertingly like a house coat and more delicate than we’d like for hard mountain use. It makes a warm, breathable mid-layer, but then so does traditional fleece, which costs a lot less.

With a closer cut and tougher, more wind and water resistant fabrics with some strategic reinforcement, it could be a brilliant fast-moving mountain piece, but as it stands, it’s best left for fast movers on relatively still, cold, dry mountain days and we don’t get a lot of those in the UK.

Value: 3
Performance: 3
X-Factor: 4

Brand website: www.patagonia.com.

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Rab Nebula  Jacket: £160 / 570g

Review

For years you could choose between down and synthetic, both had pros and cons. Now, insulation like the new 3M Cirrus means you can have synthetic jackets that look like down and, in this case perform around the same level as middle-grade 600 fill power down, but have the sort of water resistance you’d associate with good synthetics.

And it really does work. The Nebula performs much like a comparable down jacket, but we absolutely soaked ours and jt not only kept us reasonably warm even when it was wet, it dried very fast – an hour or so from saturated – and once dry, it regained pretty much all its previous loft.

That’s pretty impressive. Add in the water-resistance of the coated Endurance fabric and you’re looking at a jacket which should be ideal for damp UK winter conditions. And with Rab’s experience of making down jackets over the years, all the details works just as they should too: smooth-running Vislon zip, a fat, good-fitting adjustable helmet hood,  insulated hand-warmer pockets and so on.

How does it compare to a conventional synthetic belay jacket? We reckon it’s slightly warm outright than, say, the excellent Mountain Equipment Fitzroy, with its PrimaLoft fill, but on paper loses a little wind proofing and outright water-resistance thanks to the stitch-through construction.

We say on paper because most of the time, the Nebula will do the job just fine and for a lot of buyers it’ll come down to aesthetics. But if you’re looking for a ‘down-look jacket’ that can take a beating from the UK weather without worry, the Nebula’s a pretty good bet.

Value: 5
Performance: 4.5
X-Factor: 4.5

Brand website: rab.equipment/uk/shop/nebula-jacket-20590.

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Rab Continuum Jacket: £250 / 310g

Review

At a genuine 310 grammes for a medium, the Continuum is the lightest down jacket Rab has ever made, but what’s really impressive about it, is that it’s not an exercise in weight-saving along, it genuinely is properly warm thanks to the combination of high-lofting Nikwax-treated down and super lightweight, semi-translucent Pertex Quantum GL fabric.

It packs down small enough to sit inside most rucksack lid pockets, but unlike some very light down tops, it’s actually worth carrying. The design’s good too, everything does what you’d expect and works, though in an ideal world, it’d have a YKK Vislon main-zip.

The hood’s good too and works well either with a helmet or in next-to-noggin mode where it provides a reassuring haven from the chill. Great for chilly UK campsite and hut evenings, in the Alps or as a lightweight bundle of trekking warmth.

Finally, it looks great and comes complete with an integral wow factor that compensates a little for the high-ish price tag.

Value: 4
Performance: 5
X-Factor: 5

Brand website: rab.equipment/uk/shop/continuum-hoodie-5915.

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Snugpak ML3 Softee Smock: £160 / 540g

Review

The ML3 is a bit of a blunt weapon and aimed at a very specific sort of outdoor user, folk like instructors who spend a fair bit of time standing about, erm, instructing. The soft insulation seems decent and very warm and the outer fabric is windproof and water resistant. You get a big chest pocket along with an enormous front kangaroo pocket which could accommodate, well, a kangaroo at a stretch.

There are also quirky oddities, a whole bunch of soft hook and loop ‘APAL’ patches you can attach matching LED lights to, a hollow collar in lieu of a hood, which you can use to stow stuff – ‘such as a neck scarf, Buff®, fleece liner gloves or skull cap’. You’ll either get that or not, we don’t and we’d rather have had an insulated hood please.

We like the insulation and the fact that Snugpack still manufacture in the UK, but we don’t really get the SL3, it has a whiff of organised outdoor education instruction about it, which you’ll either relate to or not. If you do, here it is. If you don’t may we suggest some of the more conventional jackets from the Snugpak range as an alternative.

Value: 3
Performance: 3.5
X-Factor: 3

Brand website: www.snugpak.com/outdoor/ml3-softie-smock.

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The North Face Thermoball Jacket: £150 / 320g

Review

Since ThermoBall appeared a few years back, it’s spread across the TNF range in various guises, but the original ThermoBall Hoodie and jacket are still out there, albeit in new colours and with a more fitted cut and do a good job for a lightweight synthetic.

The insulation, produced in collaboration with Primaloft, is basically tiny balls of synthetic fibre and equivalent to 600 fill power down. Unfortunately, the quilting needed to stop the balls rolling around means there are lots of heat-losing stitch lines, so outright warmth is limited, more of a fleece substitute than anything else, though very wind resistant and also effective and quick-drying if it does get wet.

It looks quite sleek though and its compact pack size means it’s easy to throw in your pack just in case.

Value: 3.5
Performance: 3.5
X-Factor: 4

Brand website: www.thenorthface.co.uk/tnf-uk-en/p115588.html.

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Yeti Purity Jacket: £380 / 245g

Danish brand Yeti is a long-standing down specialist and the Purity, while it might be expensive, is also seriously warm given its light weigh – just 40g or so more than the MHW Ghost Whisperer thanks to the use of high quality down and very light fabrics.

It’s pretty too, though the fabric is slightly crackly compared to most lightweight down-proof materials. At full whack it’s expensive, but if you find Yeti kit at a reduced price it’s definitely worth a look. The principles are the same as those underpinning any top notch down, which is why the likes of PHD and Western Mountaineering can produce lightweight down clothing that punches well above its weight.

Value: 3
Performance: 5
X-Factor: 4

Brand website: www.thenorthface.co.uk/tnf-uk-en/p115588.html.

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