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Haglofs Triton Hood
Tested
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Price:
£65.00
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Weight: 287 grammes (men's
large)
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Features: Polartec
microfleece main body fabric, stretch panels middle side,
hood and cuff and Dryskin mesh armpit panel for ventilation,
flatlock seams, offset side and shoulder seams to avoid
chafing, brushed surface inside and out, zippered front with
chin guard, adjustable stretch hood, zippered sleeve
pocket.
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One of the few technical microfleeces on the market, careful
detailing.
Fit slightly quirky.
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The Concept If you run at all hot, 100-weight fleece is an
ideal weight for active use, even in cold conditions - however while
virtually every other microfleece on the market is a simple pullover,
Haglofshas bucked the trend by producing a carefully detailed and
designed technical jacket that's intended to work well layered under
technical shells as well as alone.
Aim is to provide a wicking, warm mid-layer that's warm, but not
too warm and packs small and light for stashing away when it's not
needed.
Features The Triton's gained a lot of detailing that's
migrated across from more ostentatiously 'technical' garments. So,
you get and adjustable hood with a stretch panel at the base of it,
mesh under the arms, stretch cuffs and underarm panels. There's also
a stretch mesh section directly under your pits to keep things cool
and ventilated.
Oh, and the fleece is all Polartec, which Haglofs reckons is a
better long term bet than cheaper fleece fabrics.
In Action First. we're big fans of microfleece - 100-weight
fleece - generally. It's about as warm as we want to get for active
use, wicks decently and packs down small. the Triton ticks all those
boxes and with an all-in measured weight of just 287 grammes isn't
going to weigh you down either.
The soft, stretchy feel of the brushed fabric is nice too, but
hey, enough of aesthetics, how does the design work? Since standard
fleece has minimal wind resistance, it's at its best teamed with a
shell of some kind and that's where the Haglofs tapered technical cut
scores points.
The stretch panels allow easy forward movement and the thin,
stretch cuffs sit welk under shell cuffs without adding bulk. We also
liked the simple hood. It's nice to simply pull on for belay stops,
can be worn easily under a helmet and the stretchy fleece panels
allow good mobility even when it's cinched up over your chin.
So far, so good. There are two points we're less certain about
though. One is that there's no adjustment at the hem and we found it
tended to ride up with use and couldn't be snugged down. That may be
connected to point two, which is that the cut is a little quirky. We
normally wear a medium, but needed a large in this top and still
found it a little odd fitting in places. We strongly suggest that you
try before you buy.
If you're after a technical microfleece jacket, the market's not
exactly brimming with choice, so it's just as well that the Haglofs
Triton is actually pretty good. Small, light, fast wicking and with a
useful hood that works well for climbing and walking, plus with
detail touches like the flat-locked seams that work well, it's a
decent choice for all round use with a close-fitting technical
shell.
We'd prefer a better fitting or adjustable lower section however,
though obviously that's a personal fit issue and we'd definitely
suggest careful trying before buying. The same garment in
Powerstretch or Schoeller, which would fit more tightly and have a
little more wind resistance, would be awesome, but this is still a
nice jacket.
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Performance
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Value
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Pushed for time:
Beautifully detailed and carefully thought out technical
microfleece that works well teamed with a technical shell
layer and has the bonus of a handy hood. Small packing and
light, but try carefully before buying as the fit is a
little quirky.
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