Berghaus Smoulder Hoody

Just in for review is the award-winning Berghaus Smoulder Hoody, which uses Polartec's Power Dry High Efficiency fabric, an expedition-weight version of their baselayer material.

The fabric uses a gridded internal face to trap more air and give better insulation without adding additional weight and bulk and is claimed to be some 25% more efficient than traditional Polartec Power Power Dry, 10% more breathable and some 5% more compressible.

In the hand, the fabric feels like a halfway house between a baselayer and a microfleece, which should make it a good option for fast-movers in cooler conditions or as a heavy-duty baselayer.

Fit is medium-close and the hood is a neat, tight fit which should work well under a helmet. The slanted zip looks slightly odd, but means that when the  hood is done up, there's no metallic pressure point on your chin and the hood will cover your mouth quite comfortably. You get Lycra cuffs and thumb loops too and a single external chest pocket. At 360 grammes it's reasonably light, in mid-layer terms anyway, considering that it does have that hood.

We suspect that the Smoulder is going to make a great mid-layer option on those days when a baselayer and shell simply isn't quite warm enough, but PowerStretch or microfleece would simply be too warm for our princess and pea sensibilities, but we'll let you know how it performs in the real world in due course.

Price is £70, which is steep for a baselayer, but in the ballpark for a technical lightweight mid-layer. More information at www.berghaus.com.