Craghoppers CompressLite Jacket – $129.99
Ever since I first discovered the concept of the lightweight synthetic insulated jacket about eight years ago, it has been my favourite item of clothing. I wear one everywhere I go – from studying in the local café, to my daily bicycle commute, to the most intrepid of my adventures in the mountains. Lightweight, packable, extremely warm for their weight, and far cheaper than a full-blown down jacket, they are a must-have item.
During my years wearing this type of garment, I’ve also had the chance to wear a number of brands, including Arc’teryx, The North Face and Patagonia, but this is my first time wearing Craghoppers.
First Appraisal
Tearing off the plastic wrap and putting on the CompressLite, I was immediately impressed by the perfect fit. I have recently become frustrated with sizing at several of the outdoor brands as their sizing is so inconsistent. The size eight was snug. I wouldn’t be able to fit more than a base-layer or two underneath, but I never need to with one of these jackets anyway. I was also pleased with its reasonably straight cut – some brands (Icebreaker, Macpac) seem to make very curvy jackets for women, and I am not curvy.
The CompressLite jacket is available in four colour variants in both men’s and women’s. Usually I would choose a bright colour for visibility when cycling and to stand out in a mountainside photo shoot, but this time I’m trialling the black version. As a Melbourne girl, it never hurts to have a quality black jacket.
After wearing it about for a while, I have noticed that the sleeves are a tad short – but this is probably because I am a big fan of thumb loops and sleeves that cover your hands up a bit. For some people this wouldn’t be a problem, but it serves as a warning to be sure to try on a jacket such as this prior to purchase. On a side note, I’m also not fully satisfied with the loose cuff of the CompressLite. I’ve had other jackets that stay tightly closed at the wrist – these ones are bit more open and allow wind to blow up the sleeve when out in the elements.
I like that it feels really tough and no-nonsense, but as such it also feels less elastic or flexible than other, similar jackets. Since I do go everywhere in these jackets, I need to feel certain that none of my activities are going to damage the outer too easily. This is certainly a big plus for the Craghoppers jacket, and I’ll be sure to put it through its paces over the next few months.
Craghoppers claims that this jacket is windproof, water-resistant, insulating, lightweight, packable and easy to wash. For all of these, it gets a big tick after my first few weeks of wear in an increasingly cold and wet Melbourne.
The cinch cords at hem are great – I always pull these in a tad to keep it cosy and keep the draft out. I’ve been a little irritated by the zips, which have jammed on the fabric a few more times than I would like. The hood is a good fit, but can’t be cinched in and can’t take a helmet underneath it. This jacket comes with it’s own stuff sack, but I don’t think that it compresses quite as well as other jackets that I have tried. It is only slightly smaller than the packed size of my Macpac Sundowner XP. I personally prefer jackets that use one of their own pockets as the stuff sack as I’m prone to lose separate sacks. Again, this is unlikely to be an issue for some.
Surprisingly Affordable Quality
Craghoppers claims that this jacket is windproof, water-resistant, insulating, lightweight, packable and easy to wash. For all of these, it gets a big tick after my first few weeks of wear in an increasingly cold and wet Melbourne. This is particularly impressive for the jacket’s price. Given it is at the more affordable end of the range, it definitely does the job well. Most of the complaints I’ve mentioned are either down to personal taste or relatively minor, so in this case I think the garment is a winner.
Finally, I was also pleased to read that Craghoppers has a tick of approval from the Ethical Trading Initiative, and that they offer a life-time guarantee on this product.
I certainly look forward to taking it out on a weekend cross-country ski tour with me once the snow arrives. While Craghoppers is not a brand I have used before, I am now convinced it’s one to bear in mind.