New Kit From Lowe Alpine Scoop

We spent Valentine's Day smooching with some interesting new Lowe Alpine kit for later this year.

But that's not all. There's also some interesting new stuff to go underneath. A radical stretch version of the Dryflo baselayer and a frankly bonkers looking range called 'Warm Zone' that applies the Dry Zone baselayer principles to thermal insulation. Interesting stuff.

We've been using a pre-production eVENT jacket as part of a trade trial and we know that a lot of you have signed up for Lowe's consumer trial of the material - unfortunately entry's now closed for that, but you can still find out more about the fabric at this page.

Evolution Jacket in it most conservative colour scheme

So far we're very impressed with the fabric, though the slightly quirky test jacket complete with exagerated slanted main zip and odd horizontal pit-zips has raised the odd Roger Moore-style quizzical eyebrow in passing. There are no less than three different technical top-end jackets coming your way though, as well as a very neat women's version and a walking-specific eVENT top. The current top-end TPC jackets will simply slide down a notch in the range by the way.

Are the new colours mad? Have your say in the forum, see link at the bottom of the page.

Evolution Jacket - £275

The Evolution is essentially the pre-production test jacket made flesh. That means a radically slanted main zip, stretch panels, notably at the base of the neck, water-resistant zippers on the pockets and minimalist short horizontal venting slits under the arms in place of more conventional vertical pit zips.

It's a bit of a statement jacket for Lowe and we're slightly surprised to see it in production. Not that it's not good kit, just a bit radical looking. The same goes for the colour choices - see pic - two of which incorporate big areas of, erm, white.

Apparently this is spot on for colour choice trends this year, but how practical it is remains to be seen - at least it should encourage users to wash their jackets regularly. Weight is a claimed 583 grammes, so it's light, and price a fairly serious £275.

Elite Jacket - £250

We reckon you can expect to see more of these around than the Evolution, though as with that jacket, the unusual colour schemes should make it stand out on the hill. It's a more usual alpine jacket altogether, with a slightly more conventional look and feel to it.

The zip isn't as radically canted to one side, there are two big, practical venting chest pockets with water-resistant zips and internal zipped security pockets, articulated sleeves and all the rest of the standard high-end features like their Swivel Hood, watershed seamless shoulders and the easy to use with gloves Gumdrop pullers on zips and cuffs.

The one we tried on felt instantly 'right' with a neat, ergonomic cut and a sharp, drop-tail construction. The hood peak on the samples was a bit floppy but apparently production versions will be getting a stiffer, plastic version. No pit-zips, but how often do you use them? And Lowe add that give the breathability of the material, you shouldn't need them anyway.

Weight is about the same as the Evolution at 585 grammes claimed and price 25 quid less at £250.

If you want to save another 50 grammes and 20 squid, you can always opt for the Escape Pull-On. Same three-ply eVENT fabric and features as the others, but with a smock-like construction to save complexity and weight. Think similar to the Berghaus Slipstream- though more expensive - but with a more contoured fit, or that's how it looks. The big front pockets are joined together so your hands can meet and mesh-lined so they have a venting capability too. Weight 526 grammes, price £230.

And more...

There's a few other bits besides. The Evolution Pant is esentially the same as the test pants we've been using and they should be excellent with crampon reinforcement, articulated stretch knees and, erm, crotch, and an excellent all-round cut and fit complete with integral braces to stop 'em falling down. Price is a top-end 200 quid, but they should be excellent.

For lasses, there's the more subtly named Women's Emotion technical alpine jacket in eVENT with matching pants. In a women's specific cut, it's very similar in design to the men's Elite Jacket, but in addition to all the standard features, also has underarm zippered vents a la Evolution men's jacket. Price is set at £250. More white-ish colours here...

Last but not least, though there wasn't one in the showroom, Lowe hasn't forgotten the humble walker. The eVENT Versant Jacket is a traditionally cut walking jacket with fold-away hood, a conventional straight zip and Watershed seamless shoulders. The fabric is a two-ply version of eVENT rather than the three-ply used for the technical jackets.

Don't worry, the dummy is illuminated to higlight the different fabric zones, in reality it looks pretty normal really...

Remember Dry Zone, Lowe's Dryflo baselayer with different fabrics to cool hot areas of your body, well, Warm Zone is sort of its nemesis. It's designed on similar lines but with added insulation over the areas where you lose the most heat determined using thermal imaging.

That means thicker areas of warmer fabric over, say, the kidneys and chest, but thinner panels over less sensitive bits, like, erm, the line of your spine or behind your knees. Thinner areas should help mobility and aid in neater layering say Lowe. The fabric has a four-way stretch for a close fit too.

It could be used as a heavy weight baselayer in winter, or as a light midlayer, or we suppose you could use it with Dry Zone for no particular reason but to see if the areas match up...

Will be available as tops and tights for blokes and lasses. Interesting idea, not sure how it'll work in reality, but we'll see.

Dryflo Seamless Stretch

Drflo has always been one of our first choice base layers and it's getting a boost later this year with a new Seamless Stretch version of the fabric.

The new fabric incorporates Elastance for a four-way stretch that should make for a closer fitting garment which in turn ought to improve wicking performance. Not sure if the Elastane will have any detrimental effect on performance, so we'll have to wait and see.

They've also used the Zone technology to put thinner, higher wicking panels over your hot spots, nice and feels very stretchy.Kit includes long and short sleeved tops, tights and underwear including stretchy men's trunks and bra and knickers for lasses, or, we suppose anyone else that way inclined...