Review: Haglofs Womens Barrier II Q Hoody

The problem with insulated jackets, for me anyway, is that once you put them on... they're pretty hard to take off. Once the nights get dark and the evenings get colder, so begins my insulated season.

I used to live in my decade old Rab down until I recently lost it (or so I thought, has since been found - hurrah) and so begun the hunt for another.

Haglofs Women's Barrier II Q Hood Jacket

As always, I wasted far too many hours looking online and in-store to find the 'right' one ...And did I want Synthetic or Down?  British weather vs. Weight/cost?

Whilst in North Wales this January I was lucky enough to stumble accross the Haglofs Womens Barrier II Q Hoody in the Betws-y-coed Planet Fear store. The closest thing I had tried on before finding this was the Arc'teryx Atom LT Hoody (although the Arc'teryx is 155g lighter!), which I came very close to buying - until a close friend of mine bought it for his girlfriend, also a friend of mine... and well, we wouldn't want to be seen in the same jacket would we...!   And well, the real reason was the cost, which at this point was around £180. Reasonable but a big ask for my current student budget.

So when I saw the Haglofs on sale for half this cost... well I couldn't resist trying it on. A compliment from a male friend later and I was at the till with my debit card*

*may not be based on actual events

I've never really considered buying Haglofs before. The price tag maybe? Alongside a few other quality outdoor brands, I can nearly always be seen in Rab, and while I believe they still design and produce great clothing, it was a shame to be so disappointed with my recent purchase of a Microlight Alpine Down jacket from them. While, as always, I love the colours and cut of the jacket, it leaks down all over, piercing tiny holes in the fabric, which even tore in the first week of wear.

The Cons

Are there downsides to the Haglofs jacket?

Yes, the outer shell, has an almost matte finish to it, which looks and feels lovely. But it is terrible to mark and stain! Having a toddler who often catches round or reaches up to me with sticky/snotty/wet/dirty hands, and with our regular jaunts out to the woods or beach, I have found I am having to wash it on a bi-weekly basis, which means it also requires DWR re-treatment more often.

This really though, is it's only down side.

The Pros

As my brother would say "Women with a map, good luck!"

I am utterly impressed with the quality and attention to detail in this garment, from the comfortable Polartec Power stretch cuffs and articulated elbows, down to the tags on the zips and drawcords (which happen to be a bit of foam and knotted elastic on my Rab microlight down... eek). It just feels quality, without wanting to sound pretentious.

The cut and fit is perfect for my curvy, 5ft 4" frame, but I would hazard a guess that the body length may not suit tall athletic frames... although I may stand corrected.

And it's warm. Really warm. It's first outing was along Crib Goch in lovely snowy conditions. And I haven't really taken it off since!  (Except for it's rather frequent laundry trips). 

While I may only be able to afford it when it's Last Season/On Sale - Haglofs will definitely be making more of an appearance in my outdoor wardrobe.

The speccy bit:

• Women's model.
• Highly compressible.
• Body section in a warmer insulation.
• Very wind and water resistant.
• Hood with 3-way adjustment and elastic cord.
• Full-length front zip.
• Cuffs in Polartec® Power Stretch®.
• Articulated elbows.
• Two handwarmer pockets, of which one that also works as a stuff sack for the jacket.
• One inner pocket with zip.
• Single-hand adjustable hem with draw cord. DWR treated (Durable Water Repellent).
• Weight: 520 g (size M)

• BARRIER II HOODY FABRICS
  Shell layer
  
  • Performac™ 1001
    A 30-denier mini ripstop weave with low weight and bulk. Highly breathable, windproof, downproof and fiberproof by construction and calandering. DWR treated surface with a great touch.
    Material: 100% Polyester
    Weight: 58 g/m²
  Lining
  
  • Thermolite® Micro 100 g/m2
    We use only the best product from Thermolite® called Micro. This patended microfiber technology provides a natural and soft feel for comfort. One of the warmest synthetic insulations on the market compared to others with the same thickness. Very compressible and easy to care for. Haglöfs uses three different weights/thicknesses, i.e 80, 100 and 150 g/m2.
  • Thermolite® Micro 150 g/m2
    We use only the best product from Thermolite® called Micro. This patended microfiber technology provides a natural and soft feel for comfort. One of the warmest synthetic insulations on the market compared to others with the same thickness. Very compressible and easy to care for. Haglöfs uses three different weights/thicknesses, i.e 80, 100 and 150 g/m2.