Montane Dynamo Jacket Tested

Montane Dynamo Jacket Tested

Price: £70.00

Weight: 322 grammes (men's medium)

Features:Lightweight soft shell jacket made with Pertex Equilibrium Stretch fabric, single-handed adjustable elasticated draw-cord collar, drop cut, baffled two-way reversed front zip, fabric cuffs, chest security pocket, two mesh venting pockets, UV resistance of 30+ SDF, single-handed adjustable drawcord hem. Available in men's and women's versions.

Brilliant breathability. Light weight, neat, close-fitting athletic cut. It's black or graphite, which is fine unless you want some brightness in your life...

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The Concept The Dynamo uses Pertex's latest Equilibrium Stretch fabric and, this year at least, is just about the only garment on the UK market that does. It's a reasonably wind-resistant, lightweight, stretch fabric that's massively breathable and also wicks well.

The jacket's aimed at fast movers - bikers, runners, climbers, quick walkers - who need protection from wind and drizzle, but without sacrificing breathability or wicking. If you find a full-on windproof is generally too sweaty, this is aimed at you.

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Features Aside from the fabric, the Dynamo's a simple design but well done. You get single-handed adjustable hem and neck opening, twin mesh-backed venting pockets and a small chest pocket for your tea money or owt else that you need to keep handy. There's a drop tail to protect your butt and aid freedom of movement up front and that's it really, simple.

A quick note on Equilibrium: although it's a Pertex fabric, it's unlike the traditional closely woven, slick, windproof fabrics the company is best known for. Instead it's a denier fabric with a slightly looser weave that mechanically moves moisture away from the skin and has decent wind resistance and a good DWR treatment to help it shrug off light rain.

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In Action Initially we wondered what we'd actually use the Dynamo for - we weren't sure it was protective enough to bother with, but it rapidly became a first choice for biking and running in those conditions where you need more than a baselayer, but you're moving fast enough that you risk cooking in a normal windproof top.

The Dynamo takes the edge off the wind and has enough water resistance to cope with drizzle and light showers, kind of an ideal spring/autumn/cool summer day sort of top. The Pertex Equilibrium Stretch also wicks well, so you dry fast after, say, a sweaty burst of hill climbing on a mountain bike, plus mesh-lined, venting pockets add extra cooling capacity.

We also love the cut of Montane's kit, it's neat, close-fitting and athletic in both men's and women's - above - versions. That's a two-edged sword of course. It means a more effective garment with less billowing in windy conditions, but if you're cut along more generous lines yourself, it simply may not fit you.

And while the design is simple, it's well thought through with single-handed adjusters on hem and collar, enough pocket clearance for a pack or harness and just about enough give in the cuffs to expose half an OM forearm to the breeze when needed. The pockets will even take an OS map if that sort of thing worries you.

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Verdict

If you're after a neatly-cut, reasonably weather-resistant jacket to take the edge off medium savage conditions but without compromising cooling and breathability, the Dynamo is excellent with an effective and well thought through design.

If you run cold and /or cut on the larger side yourself, you may want something looser and more windproof, but for the intended user, this is spot-on provided you like black or graphite.

Performance
Value

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Montane web site

Pushed for time Close cut with an excellent Pertex Stretch Equilibrium fabric that offers a combination of superb wicking and breathability with enough weather resistance to see off mild rain and take the edge off wind, this is a fantastically versatile jacket for fast movers who place temperature control above wind-proofing. Ideal if that's you.

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