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Looking for a new winter jacket? Check out our picks of this season's arrivals for men....
The North Star from Montane is a Goose Down jacket. The jacket uses Freeflow fabric which contains a DWR coating, the DWR has a hydrostatic head of 600mm minimum. All you will need to do is spray the jacket with Nikwax T.X. Direct Spray, this will maintain the DWR coating.
The goose down has a fill power of 800+, this means that jacket will keep you nice and warm but is also still nice and lightweight. You get four pockets on the North Star, two traditional hip pockets, one chest pocket and a pocket that is on the inside of the jacket. With the jacket you also get a stuff sack which you can stuff the jacket into. The stuff sack itself has seal seams and is a roll top so if you are storing the jacket in your pack it should stay nice and dry no matter the weather.
Pros: This jacket will keep you warm, the fit is great, perfect if you want a warm jacket for hiking, scrambling and climbing. The safety touches they have added are great the red lining on the inside is a big plus.
Cons: The only thing I would say is that they could have incorporated the stuff sack into one of the pockets as this means you won’t need to carry an additional stuff sack.
The Broad Peak Hoody Jacket from Mammut is a goose down jacket that has a 750 down power fill. This means it will keep you warm but also means it’s lightweight. It has a DWR coating which works perfectly with the Pertex Microlight technology which is what keeps the jacket lightweight, windproof and it also features mini ripstop.
The style of the jacket is perfect for winter hiking, snowshoeing, classic alpinism and mixed ice climbing. It has three pockets, two traditional hip pockets and a chest pocket which are all large in size. The hip pockets are slightly raised which makes it ideal when climbing. And to top it off the overall weight of the jacket is only 405g
Pros: Great fit and lightweight. Using the Pertex Microlight technology with this down jacket is a nice touch and they both work perfectly together at keeping you warm and dry.
Cons: They only thing that is missing is a ridged peak hood, they should have also made the hood a bit more adjustable. Other than that this is a great jacket.
The Featherlite down Jacket from Montane is a 750+ fill power jacket. The jacket is lightweight with a great fit. The jacket itself uses Pertex technology which means the jacket is covered in ripstop, is 100% windproof and has a DWR coating keeping the down that is in the jacket dry.
The jacket has four pockets, two spacious hip pockets, a chest pocket which has a long zip meaning getting in and out of it shouldn’t be a problem (even when climbing) and there is an internal pocket as well for additional storage.
The jacket has articulated arms for reach in high movement which has also been specifically tailored to reduce hem lift. The hem is also adjustable, this is to prevent spindrift entry and heat loss. The down features in the hood as well, meaning you will stay warm from head to toe. The hood has a strong peak to it giving you clearer sight.
Pros: The jacket has a great fit to it. When you put it on you feel the quality that Montane have put into it, the pockets are spacious, and the hood is a good size.
Cons: The jacket comes with a stuff sack which you can put your jacket in for storage. If they incorporated it into one of the pockets it would mean that you wouldn’t need to carry this stuff sack you could simply stuff the jacket into its pocket.
The Imbabura Jacket from The North Face has a 700 fill down rating which gives superior insulation, ideal for cold environments, but the jacket itself is still light weight. The jacket is covered in ripstop material so you can put it through its paces when hiking, scrambling or climbing.
The fit of the jacket is great it feels almost tailored, it gets close enough to you for the down to keep you warm, but you won’t feel restricted when wearing it. It would be perfect as a midlayer in a 3 in 1 system. You have two hip pockets at the front of the jacket which have discrete zips. The left hand pocket is also the stow pocket for the jacket, this means you can “stuff” the jacket into this pocket and put in in your pack, this helps reduce pack space but also helps secure the jacket. From a safety point of view the Imbabura jackets tend to have a bright lining to them. So if you do get stuck somewhere you can turn the jacket inside out giving you a better chance of being seen.
Pros: The jacket has a nice fit to it and will keep you warm. The stow pocket is a useful touch and the colouring is great from a safety aspect.
Cons: The discrete pockets can be difficult to zip up (especially if you’re wearing thick gloves) and a more secure pocket on the inside of the jacket would be a really helpful touch.