Softshell Jackets

Cortazu Stretch Jacket | Review

A second skin-like softshell from a young company with a small but impressive collection of products for outdoor enthusiasts

Why We Chose Cortazu Stretch Jacket: Great breathability, useful features, nice fit

We’ve tested out three items already from Cortazu, an up-and-coming brand from the Netherlands, and we’ve been impressed by all of them (check out our review of the Cortazu Mountain Shell). So, when they put this jacket forward for us to review, we couldn’t help but say yes.

This thing does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a simple, lightweight and stretchy softshell that’ll keep the wind and a bit of light rain off you.

Who’s The Cortazu Stretch For?

Available in men’s and women’s versions, the Cortazu Stretch will serve well on those summer hikes or bike rides when the sun is out but the breeze is cool. At just 220g it’s also a handy thing to keep in your bag just in case the temperature drops, or to whip out when you’ve stopped on a summit to have lunch. It’s also fairly casual looking, so it’s not going to look out of place in the city or at the pub with friends.

Materials And Design

The Toray softshell material here is wafer thin; just one layer of polyamide softshell fabric woven with a stretchy PU. As you can see, there’s a full length, one-way zip that leads up to a chin guard and modest collar. At the bottom of the jacket, the hem is toggled so you can cinch it in. There’s a little DWR coating to add a bit of water resistance – enough to see off a short spell of light rain anyway. Unfortunately, this DWR isn’t free from any PFCs.

This women’s version has a close-fitting cut with a fairly short hem that means it’ll come up a bit high when you’re wearing this while cycling unfortunately. The fabric provides a level of breathability that would suit the high tempo demands of climbing, however, due to the pocket placement and the short cut on the hem, we wouldn’t say it is particularly harness friendly.

For such a young company, we've been impressed with every Cortazu product we've put to the test. Photo: Mike Brindley

The Toray softshell material here is wafer thin. Photo: Mike Brindley

The hem is toggled so you can cinch it in. Photo: Mike Brindley

The hood will hold well even in particularly rough weather thanks to its dual adjustment and there’s also a stiffened peak that provides good coverage when the heavens have opened.

All-in-all it’s a simple jacket that’ll serve well for cold weather running or as that layer to keep in your pack ready to whip out when things get breezy.

Tester’s Verdict

Holly Burns, Outdoors Magic gear tester

“I took the Cortazu Womens’s Stretch Jacket for a spin in the Farthing Downs on a day when the sun was playing hide and seek and it held up pretty well.

“It’s a nice fit for trail running, not too baggy that it blows around like a bin bag, but instead fitting close to your skin. Although not waterproof, it performed well under passing showers, with its quick drying capabilities. It managed to keep the wind out when the breeze is fresh but still had impressive breathability which meant I didn’t find myself sweating when the going got tough.

Trail running in the Cortazu Stretch Jacket. Photo: Jordan Tiernan

“I liked the collar on this jacket. In past experience, hoods just end up blowing around like a sail when you’re not using them, or coming over your shoulder and whipping you in the face!

“Although I tested on the trail I can see how this would be a great lightweight windbreaker to bring along on all kinds of adventures!”