Rab and Montane bring out new women's jackets with Primaloft insulation.
A couple of new additions to the range of women’s jackets that use Primaloft technology have just hit the market, which is good news if you’re looking for some new insulation, and you happen to be female.
If you haven’t come across Primaloft before, it’s an artificial fabric and it’s got the highest warmth to weight ratio on the market after down, so it’s warmer for its weight than, say, fleece. At the same time, it has one significant advantage over down – it stays warm when it’s wet, instead of turning into a chilly soggy pulp! So, if you happen to live somewhere with a fair bit of rainfall – let me think, the Highlands, Snowdonia and the Lake District all spring to mind – then it could be a good bet.
Montane Women's Firefox Jacket
So what are the new Primaloft jackets? Well, one’s the Montane Women’s Firefox Jacket, which pads out the torso nicely with Primaloft to keep you warm but uses less insulation in the sleeves so your movements aren’t restricted.
The outer is Pertex Microlight Mini Rip-Stop fabric, which is windproof and water resistant, and altogether it comes as a full-zip jacket. Features include two handwarmer pockets and an adjustable hem and collar. And when you aren’t wearing it, the pocket doubles as a stuffsac which the rest of the jacket can fit inside.
We haven’t tried it yet but our past experience tells us that Montane generally do a good job of cutting women’s jackets so that they’re properly kitted out with female features like a waistline, which some companies tend to overlook. A jacket that combines a Montane cut with Primaloft warmth could be well worth a look.
For more information about Montane’s range, see www.montane.co.uk.
Rab Women's Photon Hoodie
The second new Primaloft item on the shelves is the Rab Women’s Photon Hoodie which, in case you hadn’t already guessed, is a women’s version of the Men’s Photon Hoodie. Unlike the Montane jacket, this one has a hood and it’s designed for slightly chillier conditions. To put a number on that, the Firefox uses 60g Primaloft in the torso whereas the Photon Hoodie uses 100g Primaloft. The same consideration has gone into maintaining flexibility and reducing bulk though. In this case, Rab have used lighter Primaloft (60g) in both the hood and the arms to keep you light and mobile. There are also quilted side panels that serve the same purpose.
Other features include a hem drawcord, adjustable Velcro cuffs, a full length zip, two outer pockets and one internal security pocket, reflective piping so you can be seen at night, and a stuffsac to hold it all when you aren’t wearing it.
Again, our experiences with the Rab women’s cut, and the general quality of their kit, has been really pretty good so far, so this is another jacket we’re looking forward to getting our paws on. Price is £100 and you can see further details of Rab’s range at http://www.equipuk.com.
