A rapid review of Haglöfs rather expensive, very nice and extremely XCR Stretch-y top-end technical climbing jacket
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Haglöfs Climber Motion
Jacket - Quick Look
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Price:
£335.00
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Weight: 750 grammes (men's
XXL)
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Features: Gore-Tex
3-layer XCR and Gore-Tex XCR Stretch in sleeves, side
panels, shoulders and back, mountain hood with three-way,
single-handed adjustment and helmet volume, no seams in
vulnerable places to avoid wear, venting breast pockets,
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You may have noticed that this is a 'Quick Look' rather than a first
impression or full test and that's because a quick look is just what
it is. Unfortunately the only available test Climber Motion was a
sales sample in XXL, so while we can tell you about construction,
fabric and features, we can't say much about fit or function.
Actually, that isn't quite true, we've worn a Climber Motion in
our size briefly, so we can tell you a little more. First, for
£335-odd you'd expect a very, very smart jacket indeed. And
that's what you get. Swedish company Haglöfs makes some very
nice top-end kit and this is no exception.
Stretchiness is next to Goreliness...
What makes it different, and the reason we're featuring it, is the
use of Gore's latest three-layer XCR Stretch fabric in the back,
shoulders, sleeves and lower front. XCR Stretch is pretty much what
it sounds like - Gore's top-end breathable membrane bonded to a
stretchy face fabric using Cordura and elastane together with a
stretch knitted backing fabric.
The Cordura content makes it feel very butch and durable, but the
real advantage is the stretch. Normally technical climbing garments,
with the exception of some recent soft shells, are a compromise
between close fit - good for insulation, breathability and tidiness -
and mobility. The mobility bit is so you can actually move, reach up
and climb.
The stretch fabric gives you far more leeway and means you can
have a body-hugging fit without losing mobility. Pull the Climber
Motion on and it feels as if the back section is somehow sucking into
your back, hugging you almost. The stretch also means that the front
of the jacket pulls flat, meaning you can - gut allowing - see what
your feet are up to down below.
Most other jackets that do this are soft shell and not totally
waterproof. The Climber Motion and similar jackets from brands like
Berghaus and TNF, bridges the gap and combines full waterproofing
with close, elastic fit. The very large proportion of the stretch
fabric means it's quite different from other hardshells with small
stretch panels. The big advantage is the close fit, rather than, say,
being able to reach higher.
And the rest...
The whole jacket feels very solid despite a measured weight of
just 750 grammes. It's a minimalist alpine design, drop-tailed, quite
short, with twin chest pockets, two chest vents with water-resistant
zips and an excellent helmet-compatible hood that features a very
effective one-handed, three-way volume adjuster at the rear.
Haglöfs have made a point of avoiding seams in vulnerable
areas, so the shoulders, for example, are seamless. But otherwise
it's just a very neat design, very well done.
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Quick Verdict: Like we said, we're
not really in a position to comment on the real life
performance of the Climber Motion - not something we'd
normally contemplate - but what we really wanted to do was
highlight the XCR Stretch which gives the jacket a
close-fitting, almost soft-shell like elasticity to go with
apparent toughness and guaranteed total waterproofing. It
also underlines Haglöfs' position as a serious player
when it comes to top-end technical gear. If your bank
balance can stand it, you can also buy matching Climber
Motion Bibs for around £270. Not cheap, but very, very
nice.
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