Rab  Valiance Down Jacket - Men's

Sizing is true. Attention to detail is outstanding. From one of the top outdoor adventure clothiers in Europe. The Brits know a thing, or two about foul weather and it shows in this quality piece of kit. You will remember it's made in Britain every time you zip/unzip because the zipper is on the opposite side of where we yanks would have put it. Love it. Did a ton of research before "cutting a check". Could not find a better value proposition for a well-made, very warm, water and wind proof down jacket.

This jacket does it all. It’s completely waterproof, toasty warm, lightweight, and the mobility is great. I have worn it on 20° mornings and in the pouring rain and have never been cold or wet. The hood fits great with or without a helmet. Only thing to keep in mind is that the zipper is on the left side as it is a European jacket.

After reading multiple reviews about this jacket and the features it offers, I was sold. Once I received the jacket (it is going on 2 years old) now with only 2 mountain trips on it. The reason? first, during the first winter, I notice my arms getting unusually cold or like feeling a draft. When I got back in the house I started examining the jacket. Well, the down, or what down there was had migrated to the underneath part of the sleeves leaving pretty much just fabric with very little down in the top portion of the sleeves. I contacted Rab and sent it back to customer service. When I received the coat back they had done nothing and told me this was normal and I would just have to "occasionally" reposition the down in the sleeves. Honestly, my first thought was "Really?" why don't I have to "reposition" the down in the body of the coat? My take they did a good job using an appropriate amount of down in the baffles of the body and then cheaped out in the sleeves. If there was enough fill in the sleeves I would not have to "reposition the down" which I have to do almost constantly. Next, the velcro on the sleeves is now worn completely out, the straps will not even hold to keep the sleeves closed. This is definitely not acceptable. I have a Marmot Alpinist jacket that I purchased in the mid-90s and has been used extensively. The only thing wrong with the jacket is the DWR and gore-tex is seeping a little water if I'm out in a heavy downpour. Otherwise, it functions fine, and the velcro is holding fine. It's a little fuzzy but works. Next, the little plastic nubs on the ends of the hood drawstrings have broken off. Why? looks like cheap/bad design. I can say overall its not a bad jacket with great ideas and protection, but if Marmot made a jacket that was down with Pertex Shield fabric and Nikewax coated down I would have bought it. I've been using Marmot products for years and have had zero problems and their customer service/product support has been great. from my experience with Rab, their customer support and product support would rate a 2 also. This is my first Rab product and will probably be my last.

The jacket is light and warm. The quality of the material is solid. I do wish the main zipper has a double zipper pull and the body to be a bit tapered knowing that its a UK brand. Also would have be nice if the product came with a packable stuff bag. I want to keep this jacket but I ordered a size too big and is hoping for someone to return a medium of same color or one that I may like.