The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 ($100) is a no-frills hooded down jacket designed to be used as a light-weight three-season insulation layer when tenting or throughout climbing relaxation stops to keep away from changing into chilled. Insulated with 800 fill energy down, it’s surprisingly cheap in comparison with comparable jackets that value two or 3 times extra. If you’d like a down hooded jacket that can preserve you heat right down to 40F levels and also you don’t thoughts the jacket’s barely outsized hood, the MT100 is an efficient purchase. For colder temperatures, we’d suggest buying a hotter down jacket from Decathlon or one other value-oriented model akin to REI, Eddie Bauer, or LL Bean.
Specs at a Look
- Males’s and girls’s fashions can be found
- Complete Weight: 11.4 oz in a males’s XL
- Consolation vary: 23F-41F
- Insulation: 800 fill energy RDS-certified down (10% gray duck feather, 90% gray duck down)
- Insulation weight: 3.1 oz in a measurement medium
- Pockets: 2 zippered handwarmer pockets, jacket stuffs right into a pocket.
- Building: Sewn By means of
- Shell Material: 15d Polyamide
- Harness loop: Sure
Building
The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 is insulated with 800-fill energy RDS-certified duck down which is a bit uncommon for a jacket at this value, since most lower-cost down jackets are insulated with 650-fill energy down. Earlier than you ask, the 800-fill energy duck down utilized in MT100 is simply as heat as 800-fill energy goose down as a result of fill energy is a species-independent measurement. Duck down is inexpensive than goose down nevertheless as a result of there’s a a lot bigger provide of it.
The MT100 has a sewn-through baffle design, the place the inside and exterior material are sewn collectively to create pockets to carry the down insulation. Whereas some warmth can escape on the seams, this method is the norm on budget-priced down jackets as a result of it’s easier and cheaper to stitch than the field baffled design discovered on hotter and dearer jackets.
Options
The Decathlon MT100 Jacket has a minimal function set. It has an outsized, non-adjustable hood, a YKK zipper with a zipper storage on the prime, two zippered handwarmer pockets, elasticated wrist cuffs, and a shock-cord waist adjustment to seal out drafts from under. There’s no chest pocket for storing a telephone and no inner pockets for storing further gloves or snacks. The hood is outsized and never adjustable to seal in physique warmth, however it’s giant sufficient to suit over a climbing helmet. There’s additionally a harness loop so that you stuff the jacket into one in all its handwarmer pockets and connect it to a climbing harness.
Temperature Score
Decathlon assigns the MT100 jacket a consolation score of 41 levels F. That’s correct so long as you’re layering it over a jersey and a mid-layer and sporting a heat hat. It truly is a light-weight down jacket and is finest utilized in hotter climate.
Jackets just like the MT100 are supposed to be worn in camp while you’re hanging out with pals or cooking meals or throughout a relaxation cease so you may shortly put one thing heat on to keep away from a chill. They’re not an optimum lively layering possibility while you’re climbing since you’ll shortly overheat when sporting one, they don’t take up perspiration, and don’t wick it out of your baselayer like a fleece. See our Decathlon Quechua MH100 Evaluation for a mid-layer fleece we suggest, which enhances the MT100 properly.
Match
The MT100 in a measurement males’s XL is true-to-size by way of sleeve size and torso size though it’s a bit comfortable across the chest. The sizing is simply giant sufficient to accommodate a base and mid-layer. The hood is giant and non-adjustable. Whereas its opening is bordered by elastic, it’s too loosely tensioned to shut the hole between the hood and one’s face. We suggest you put on a fleece or wool hat when utilizing the hood to maintain your head hotter.
Advice
The Decathlon MT100 Hooded Down Jacket is an affordable packable down puffer insulated with 800 fill energy down that’s priced lower than comparable jackets provided by different producers. In case you solely want a down jacket for three-season climbing and backpacking use to maintain you heat to about 40 levels, then it’s a fairly good worth for the cash like lots of Decathlon’s different merchandise. However when you want a jacket for colder situations, I’d suggest getting a heavier jacket with a greater hood and extra down insulation. Decathlon additionally makes a hoodless down jacket referred to as the Forclaz MT500 which has a 32F diploma consolation score and could also be an excellent various. The benefit of a hoodless jacket is that it may be worn beneath hooded rain jacket or winter shell extra simply than a hooded puffy.
Disclosure: Decathlon donated a jacket for evaluation.
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