Marmot Ladies’s Guides Down Hoody Evaluation

As a frequent belayer and fairly quick woman, I at all times admire a cropped down jacket that doesn’t sacrifice heat or type. Which is why, after I obtained the Marmot Guides Down Hoody within the mail, I used to be stoked at its comfortable loftiness and adjustable parts. 

The Guides Down Hoody is the quintessential puffy — it has large baffles, a cushioned hood, and a sure retro aesthetic to it. If I’m being trustworthy, I bought quite a few compliments from strangers about this jacket, which I can attribute to the intense, funky colour scheme. No matter look, the Guides Hoody packs a punch when it comes to heat and loft. 

This jacket makes use of a singular mix of pure feather down and Ceiba down, a plant-based insulation harvested from Kapok timber within the southern hemisphere. This eco-friendliness doesn’t simply cease on the modern down, however extra on that later.

The Guides Hoody shortly turned essential in my suitcase and work bag this winter for its malleable nature and versatile type. I discovered myself sporting it for après espresso, leisurely walks round city, and establishing camp in Crested Butte, Colo. This jacket survived a chilly and blustery winter with out missing in endurance or consolation. 

In brief: The Marmot Ladies’s Guides Down Hoody is a laidback puffy made for informal winter outings or belaying associates on the crag. With a 700-fill energy down made from pure feathers and plant-based supplies, this jacket is extremely packable and insulating. And whereas it does lack in water resistance and ruggedness, the Guides Hoody continues to be an important puffy for people needing one thing for on a regular basis use in gentle climates. For simply a few hundred bucks, you possibly can snag the Guides Hoody in numerous colour choices that present a timeless type.

Learn our full roundup: The Finest Down Jackets for Ladies.

• Weight
  625 g/ 1 lb., 6 oz.
• Fill
  700 FP 80% recycled down, 20% Ceiba (Kapok) down
• Waterproof
  No
• Principal cloth
  100% Put up-Client Recycled Polyester, Ripstop, 58g/sqm
• Sizes
  XS to XL
• Match
  Relaxed
• Adjustable
  Sure. Hood and backside hem have pull cords
• Pockets
  Two zipper handwarmer pockets, one exterior chest pocket
• Finest use
  Informal winter put on, belaying, chilly and dry winter climates

• 
  Maintains loft after publicity to moisture
• 
  Adjustable waist permits wearer to tailor match
• 
  Eco-friendly down fill is produced from Kapok timber
• 
  Tremendous comfy and heat

• 
  No water resistance or proofing
• 
  Unavailability of prolonged or plus sizes
• 
  Feathers begin to poke out after a number of wears

Marmot Ladies’s Guides Down Hoody Evaluation

Proper out of the gate, the Marmot Guides Down Hoody impressed me with its lofty nature and adjustable match. The 100% recycled polyester ripstop shell just isn’t solely smooth to the contact but additionally sturdy with out including weight. The baffles on the jacket are positively greater, which provides to the general retro vibe of the jacket itself. 

The inside liner is made from an analogous polyester materials, nevertheless it looks like butter when you’re cocooned within the coat. We discovered that because of the boxy nature of the Guided Hoody, it was straightforward to layer below with out ever feeling too tight.

The retail tag on the Guides Down Hoody advertises it as having adjustable Velcro cuffs, however we discovered that the wrists had been simply easy elastic bands. After some analysis, I discovered that earlier variations had these Velcro cuffs, a characteristic I might truly prefer to see come again. Nonetheless, we did admire the customizable hem and hood draw cords that made this garment straightforward to customise and tailor. 

Is It Heat?

To place it merely, sure! By now, you’ve seen that the Guides Down Hoody has an insulation mix of 80% pure down derived from feathers and 20% Ceiba fill from Kapok timber. This largely feather mix is stellar at offering insulation, even on the coldest days. Moreover, the Ceiba fill is an environmentally pleasant type of insulation, as it’s harvested from Kapok timber. 

These large rainforest timber are discovered within the southern hemisphere, the place their flower seeds are used to create the down fiber by an extraction course of. As a result of the timber don’t should be lower down for the textile to be manufactured, it’s an eco-friendly various to conventional and artificial down. 

I discovered that the Guides Down Hoody was heat from 15 levels to 40 levels F. Whereas it’s not windproof, even in heavier gusts, I stayed fairly cozy. I wore this jacket in quite a lot of circumstances, starting from blustery walks within the alpine desert to rain-sprinkled afternoons. The jacket doesn’t boast a lot water resistance, however the pure down actually didn’t lose its warming skills after moisture publicity. 

The 700-fill energy insulation on the Guides Hoody is a number of the finest I’ve examined within the trade, and general, I discovered it to be lots toasty for cold night walks in Aspen, Colo. And whereas the outside cloth is a bit spongy in the case of moisture, the down nonetheless did its job regardless of the circumstances. 

Match and Sizing

The Marmot Guides Hoody actually has a boxier, classic match because of the looser silhouette and huge baffles. For reference, I’m 5’3” and petitely framed. I examined this jacket in a measurement small, however may have sized down for a extra energetic match. Nonetheless, I desire a looser match for further house for lateral motion. The adjustable waist and hood helped me tailor the match of the jacket to my liking, which was a significant plus.

The adjustable waist can truly rework this jacket utterly. When cinched all the best way, this jacket may have a extra classic aesthetic, with a cropped waist and puffier torso. When loosened, the jacket lays flatter, offering a extra technical and streamlined look. Moreover, the adjustable waist and hood might help make the coat hermetic, offering much more heat than initially assumed.  

The Marmot Guides Hoody lacks in measurement variety, as it is just out there in sizes XS to XL. It might be superior to see Marmot design a plus-size match block for this garment. 

Critiques

As I discussed earlier, this jacket lacks water resistance or proofing. After strolling for a couple of minutes in each rain and snow, I discovered that the outside materials was shortly damp and stained. Fortunately, the down insulation continued to heat, nevertheless it was a bummer to really feel a bit soaked when returning residence. So, in case you’re heading out into the weather with this jacket on, we advocate throwing on a shell to higher defend your self.

Total, the development of this jacket is fairly glorious. I didn’t discover any tears or rips after months of heavy use, and I discovered all of the zippers to be expertly made with out a lot weak point or snagging. I do must say that the down feathers prefer to poke out of this jacket, so be cautious when packing or storing it. I routinely discovered some down escaping when throwing this coat on and off. 

Regardless of these critiques, the Guides Down Hoody continues to be an important winter jacket possibility. It has a ton of versatility when it comes to type and design, with out missing in warming skills. 

Conclusion

The Marmot Guides Down Hoody is a stable down jacket for colder winters that don’t see a ton of moisture like snow, rain, or sleet. After a season’s value of sporting this jacket in a brutal Colorado winter, I discovered that it held up properly. Apart from stains from moisture and some feathers escaping right here and there, this coat is durably designed. With a 700-fill energy pure feather and Ceiba down mix, the Guides Hoody is lots insulating and packable. 

This jacket looks like sporting a cloud, however to isn’t cumbersome in any respect. I like that the adjustable waist and hood add to the insulation issue and flexibility. Moreover, there are many attention-grabbing colour choices that can swimsuit any woman wanting so as to add a splash of colour to her winter garment rotation. 

I might advocate this jacket to girls who need a down jacket that may be worn each on the crag and the native brewery. This fashion-forward puffy doesn’t lack in technicality and has a super-affordable price ticket for the incredible insulation. And it’s eco-conscious because of the Ceiba down, which is a plant-based down that folk searching for some clothes sustainability will love. 

Presently, this jacket is being closely redesigned for fall 2024, nevertheless it’s out there on Marmot’s on-line retailer at a number of low cost costs.