Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Hooded Down Jacket Evaluation

Discovering a strong puffy for lower than 200 bucks is like discovering a needle in a haystack. However, Decathlon has made this considerably daunting process truly fairly simple. At lower than $99 (generally on sale for $40), the Forclaz Girls’s MT100 Hooded Puffer is a well-made down jacket for ladies needing one thing budget-friendly and heat.

I wore this jacket whereas ski touring, strolling my canine, and mountaineering within the snow within the western slope of Colorado this previous winter. Regardless of the low worth, it proved to be a down jacket well-suited for mildly chilly environments. And whereas I wouldn’t essentially put on it in excessive winter circumstances or within the larger alpine, I nonetheless discovered it to be a terrific day by day driver for informal use. 

With the power to pack itself into its personal pocket, the Forclaz MT 100 is travel-friendly and excellent for a summer time backpacking journey the place the temperatures are more likely to drop when you get to camp. There’s much more to like about this wallet-friendly choose. 

Briefly: The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Hooded Down Puffer Jacket is made for ladies who want a light-weight, minimally baffled puffy for gentle winters or excursions. With an 800-fill energy pure feather insulation, this jacket offers lofty heat with none noticeable bulk. Packing into its personal hand pocket, this puffy will be modularly packed into any backpack or suitcase with out weighing you down. Ideally, this jacket ought to be worn in gentle winter climates or summer time backpacking journeys the place you want lighter outerwear. For lower than $100, this down coat from Decathlon is a steal of a deal.

Learn our full roundup: The Greatest Down Jackets for Girls.

• Weight
  275 g
• Fill
  800 FP 90% Gray Duck Down, 10% Gray Duck Feather (RDS Licensed)
• Waterproof
  No. Waterproof coating on outer
• Important material
  100% Polyamide
• Important lining
  100% Polyamide
• Temperature score
  23°F when energetic and 41°F when static
• Pockets
  Two zippered hand pockets
• Sizes
  XS-2XL
• Greatest use
  Dry to mildly moist winter climates. Backpacking, journey, mountaineering, tenting, on a regular basis use
• Key options
  Folds away into its left-hand pocket utilizing a zipper with double puller, 2 zipped hand pockets, rated for 23°F and hotter, waterproof, outer material made with a 100% polyamide, adjustable waist

• 
  Reasonably priced with out sacrificing high quality
• 
  Packs into itself
• 
  Light-weight materials make-up
• 
  Roomy hand pockets

• 
  Lacks a chest pocket
• 
  Zipper is miniscule, will be finicky for simple on and off

Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Hooded Down Puffer Jacket Evaluation

In the event you’re paying lower than $100 for a down jacket, there may be good purpose to be uncertain of its high quality, heat, and total sturdiness, as one of the best coats are typically properly over a few hundred bucks. Nonetheless, I’m joyful to say that my doubts concerning the Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Down Jacket had been false. I gained’t lie — this jacket swooned me from the second it was out of the packaging. 

Oftentimes, common down jackets will be fairly dang cumbersome and nearly too lofty for regular use in gentle climates. That is the place the Decathlon Forclaz MT100 actually impressed me. It has smaller baffles and a light-weight materials make-up best suited for backpacking, ski touring, or climbing.

From the pores and skin observe to the mountaineering path, I appreciated that this down jacket was simple sufficient to toss into my backpack with out weighing me down. Moreover, the 800-fill down from duck feathers offers pure heat and retains its loft fairly properly.

And whereas no down jacket is totally excellent, you’ll be able to’t beat the inexpensive worth and packability of the Forclaz Girls’s MT100.

Out within the Discipline

Like I mentioned earlier, I did loads of enjoyable issues on this jacket over the winter. It got here with me to ski Aspen, tour up the native gully, hike my canines within the desert, and far more. One thing I noticed early on about this jacket was that it’s finest fitted to chilly days crammed with motion.

I discovered the temperature scores of  23 levels F when energetic and 41 levels F when static to be true, when layering this jacket with a base layer and lightweight midlayer. I stayed loads heat whereas skinning on a snowy winter day within the excessive nation and comfortable when sitting on my porch throughout 45-degree afternoons.

In the event you dwell in an intensely chilly winter setting, this jacket will not be appropriate to be used whereas strolling round or sitting exterior since it’s only rated to that 20- to 40-degree window. Nonetheless, it did properly throughout milder days spent in Carbondale, Colo., the place common winter temps are proper in that candy spot. Wherever with colder temperatures might require you to snag a extra technically in a position down jacket with higher warming skills.

By way of water resistance, the Forclaz MT100 has a water-repellant therapy on the outer material. I discovered that in gentle snow and rain, this materials did a good job of wicking away moisture by permitting the water to bead off. Nonetheless, the zipper was fairly simply soaked, so be cautious of this in heavier storms. As soon as residence from excursions, the jacket was fast to dry after hanging on a coat rack for a couple of minutes. 

One plus of the pure duck insulation is that it retains insulation, even after being uncovered to moisture. So despite the fact that the outer of this coat isn’t waterproof, it nonetheless retains warmth after getting hit by rain, snow, or sleet. 

Journey-Pleasant

Maybe the principle perk of this jacket is its means to pack down into itself, making it the right dimension for any backpack, duffel, suitcase, or tote. As somebody who finds herself packing an in a single day bag nearly each weekend, I vastly respect this characteristic. I have a tendency to make use of baggage cubes, so with the ability to modularly pack the Forclaz MT100 in with these was a serious plus. 

Packing this jacket into itself takes rather less than a minute. It might appear slightly tough at first, however merely flip the left-hand pocket inside out and start bunching the jacket into it through the use of your thumbs. As soon as the jacket is totally stuffed, you’ll be able to enclose it through the use of the supplied zipper on prime. After you get the grasp of it, this course of turns into an increasing number of streamlined every time.

When packed into its hand pocket, the Forclaz MT100 is roughly the scale of an ordinary toiletry bag. Particularly, the scale small measures round 5 inches by 9 inches when stuffed. 

As soon as packed away, this jacket is simple to seize out of your pack in a jiff. Moreover, you should utilize the zipper loop to clip it to your backpack or duffel for even simpler entry.  

At 9.7 ounces, the Forclaz Girls’s MT100 Hooded Puffer is a light-weight, malleable jacket and the right companion for journeys across the states, native path techniques, and even abroad. 

Pure Insulation

The Forclaz Girls’s MT100 Hooded Puffer is made with an 800-fill energy 90% gray duck down and 10% gray duck feather insulation. You’re most likely questioning, “What’s the distinction between down and feather?”

The down is the undercoating discovered on a duck, and is fabricated from fluffy filaments that contribute to its insulating skills. The feathers are the standard outer development you see on birds with a single quill. The 2 of those mixed produce a pure insulating means that’s super-packable and well-performing in moisture. 

As a result of duck down is extra generally discovered than goose, it tends to be inexpensive to supply and use. This can be one of many indicators as to why this puffer is so stinkin’ inexpensive. Nonetheless, you will need to observe that the duck down performs simply in addition to its opponents.

It may be a bit disheartening to buy a product that’s made with the byproducts of animals. That is why I used to be stoked to see that the insulation on the Forclaz MT100 is licensed by the Accountable Down Customary (RDS).

This approval signifies that Decathlon has sourced and utilized a feather insulation that ensures the moral therapy of the geese used for this jacket. Moreover, the RDS helps guarantee transparency within the provide chain and forestall animal abuse from occurring all through the manufacturing course of.

This ethically sourced down insulation is discovered all through the jacket in smaller baffles. This design helps maintain the insulation from migrating an excessive amount of and makes it simpler to keep up loft.

Nonetheless, these baffles are sewn by, which might result in discrepancies in temperature retention. I discovered the baffles to be excellently sized for packing and taking part in numerous actions, so this wasn’t a serious difficulty for me.

Match and Measurement

Total, I discovered the match of this jacket to be very good for day by day put on and becoming numerous layers of various thicknesses. For reference, I’m 5’3” and selected the small after studying that Decathlon advisable a dimension up for becoming layers. I discovered this match to be excellent for me, and I used to be in a position to match a typical base layer and sweater greater than comfortably. 

So far as sizes go, the MT100 Hooded Puffer is offered from XS to XXL. It might be superior to see a plus dimension match block made for this jacket sooner or later, since it’s so inexpensive and simple to put on. 

The Girls’s MT100 Hooded Puffer has a streamlined silhouette that barely tapers on the waist. I discovered this design to be flattering, however not constrictive.

Moreover, the jacket sat just under my hips, which was nice for preserving my decrease torso heat whereas out within the parts. In the event you want some additional insulation, remember to tug on the waist twine for a tailor-made match and simple adjustment. 

Criticisms

Reality be instructed, it wasn’t simple discovering a ton improper with this jacket. For the worth, you get a well-designed down jacket with a good quantity of insulation energy. However, there are some building parts that would enhance in design and high quality. 

The hood on this coat is kind of giant and nonadjustable. This dimension is nice for while you’re rocking a hat or small helmet, however it’s positively irritating while you want a greater match for insulation.

The dearth of pull cords makes it simpler for wind and moisture to encroach, and no one likes chilly ears or snow down their jackets. A easy adjustment system would enhance this side tenfold.

Moreover, there’s a lack of inside or chest pockets. And whereas the hip pockets are generously sized, it will be good to have a spot to maintain your cellphone and keys separate from the place your palms are. 

Lastly, the zippers are a bit too small, and the pulls will be finicky while you’re taking the jacket on and off. I discovered myself having to make a couple of makes an attempt of getting the zipper threaded proper earlier than truly with the ability to shut the jacket. 

And whereas these design parts may use some reassessing, the MT100 Hooded Puffer continues to be a superior, budget-friendly down jacket choice.

Conclusion

The Forclaz Girls’s MT100 Hooded Puffer from Decathlon actually blew away my expectations as an inexpensive, well-made down jacket. Due to its 800-fill energy down made with duck-derived insulation, this puffy was heat sufficient for these milder Colorado winter days and did properly in preventing off encroaching moisture from rain and snow. 

What stood out to me essentially the most was the packability of this jacket. Inside lower than a minute, this coat will be packed into itself, making it excellent for journey, backpacking, journey, and far more. The included stuff sack positioned inside the pocket will take advantage of modular packers joyful. Plus, at lighter than 10 ounces, this jacket is a backpacker’s dream. 

And the place the Forclaz MT100 does lack in zipper power and hood changes, the customizable waist and streamlined match make up for these minor qualms. It additionally value it to notice that this puffy is just rated from 23 to 41 levels F, so customers needing one thing extra highly effective might wish to attempt elsewhere. 

For folk needing a down jacket for backpacking, journey, or simply day by day use in a much less intense winter local weather, positively contemplate the Forclaz Girls’s MT100 Hooded Puffer for its super-affordable worth, respectable warming skills, and water-repellent therapy. At the moment, it’s obtainable straight from Decathlon’s web site for $40-99.