Mountain Hardwear  Stretchdown Light Hooded Jacket - Men's

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] **I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.** Real talk: most of my testing didn't happen on a summit. It happened at 2am in the backyard, waiting on a 4.5 month old puppy to finish his business. Add in early morning walks and runs, evenings out around town, a couple of crag days, and some rides around the neighborhood, and this jacket has seen a little bit of everything over the last 6 weeks. Fit and feel I'm a broader shoulder guy and usually land somewhere between a medium and a large. This medium has plenty of room through the shoulders and torso, which I love. No pulling across the back when I reach, crouch, or wrestle a puppy off something he shouldn't be chewing. The side pockets are deep and there's a solid inner belly pocket too. The one thing I kept wishing for was a zippered chest pocket. On short runs, my phone and keys bounced around in the hand pockets, and I'd love a spot to keep valuables close to my body. Sleeves and watch access Small detail, but one I noticed right away. The cuffs sit and stack just above my wrist, so my watch stays visible without having to push or pull a sleeve back. Checking pace on a run, keeping an eye on the time at the crag, or seeing how long we've been out on a walk is quick and easy. It's one of those things you don't think about until a jacket gets it right. Temps and breathability Mornings have been around 40°F with afternoons and evenings in the 50s and 60s. At 40 this jacket is right in its sweet spot. Not too warm, not too cool, just comfortable. That's my favorite temp to wear it in. Up in the 60s it can get a little warm, but it breathes well and cools back down pretty quickly once I'm not working hard. I’ve also been really impressed by its water resistance, where it holds up well (and kept me dry) in everything up to a real downpour. A true, do-it-all pretty well, jacket. Climbing I took it out for two days of climbing, both in the 50s and partly cloudy. As an off-the-wall and belay layer it handled temps really well. The downside is the pockets get squished under a harness, so I couldn't really use them while tied in. A zippered chest pocket and a waist cinch that allows it to sit above the harness (so you keep pocket access and can still see your harness clearly) would make it a go-to crag layer for me. Not my favorite climbing jacket, but definitely not a bad option. Biking Rides around town were in the 40s to 70s, sun and clouds. Temp-wise it was a great layer, but the roomier fit that I love everywhere else felt a little loose on the bike. That's personal preference, but worth knowing if you ride a lot. Durability (aka the puppy test) This is where it really surprised me. Six weeks of daily wear, a puppy who wants to shred everything he can get his teeth on, and not a single rip, tear, or stain. Honestly, good job, Mountain Hardwear. Bottom line For everyday wear, cool mornings, and anyone with broader shoulders who's tired of slim outdoor fits, this is an easy recommendation. If you're looking for a dedicated climbing or cycling layer, a chest pocket and a slightly trimmer option might suit you better. For me, it's become the jacket I grab by the door every morning.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was impressed using the Stretchdown Hoody as my ice climbing belay parka this fall season. It cut the wind chill and kept me warm down to the high 30s with just a sun hoody underneath. It held up against scree, stuffing into bags with ice tools and climbing gear. The material is definitely distinctive and left no cold spots so if you’re trying to turn heads and keep toasty this may be the light puff for you. I’m usually a borderline L/XL and went XL because I didn’t want to restrict any overhead movement for climbing but L might’ve been a better fit for me as it runs a bit boxy. (6’2” 220lbs, 34 waist, 44 chest)

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Disclaimer: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review. Received this jacket in the mail about a month ago and have worn it close to everyday as a casual jacket and outdoors up in the mountains. Coldest tempt I used it at was around 30 degrees static. I typically don’t tend to hike in something with this much insulation until it’s around 10°f. Looks: the color on this jacket really stands out and I received a few comments from people throughout the past month along the lines of “nice puffy” Fit: I’m 6’3” 200lbs and chose the large size and I feel like it was a great choice. I like my puffy jackets to run a bit big and this was perfect for that. Warmth: standard light puffy warmth nothing insane I found myself throwing it on when it was 30-40 outside. Great for staying comfortable around those temps but not too much. Mobility: not restrictive the stretch material seems to do its job to well. Pros: packable, the material feels rugged yet comfortable on bear skin, lined pockets (partially) Cons: no bottom cinch only a band I think overall it’s a solid piece of equipment I found myself wearing it way more day to day than I expected. It could be a bit warmer, the bottom cinch not being there is a bit of a bummer and no chest pocket gets it minus 1 star.

I have had a stretch down pullover hoody for about a year but wanted one that had a zipper. I found this fabric to be high quality and have never had any issues with tears. It does stretch but I wear mine fairly baggy so it doesn't get tested. Its super light and you can stuff it almost anywhere. It feels like a windbreaker but it does hold some heat. I'm a moderately heavy build and I do prefer slightly cooler temps than the average person. I feel comfortable wearing a t-shirt and this as long as its above maybe 25 or above for relatively short periods of time (hour or less). I live in central NC and on the rare occasion its colder than that, I reach for my regular stretch down hoodie. I do sorta wish it had a drawstring on the bottom but not a deal breaker.

[Employee of mountainhardwear] This is easily one of the best light weight puffy for moderate activity. It handles cold weather exceptionally well for how light it is. The stretch baffling makes movement incredibly natural. I have worn this jacket while bouldering on some colder days and I was impressed by how well it performed. The material is durable and holds up to abuse.

about this jacket a few months ago and was up in Grand Teton National Park when it was around 36° and started pouring rain. This jacket kept me 100% dry and about as warm as can be in this weather the only negative really is the waist does fit a bit too wide as other people have noted

I love this jacket! The warmth to weight ratio is great. The only downside is that the down seems to be not very evenly dispersed. Some of the baffles have little to no down and others are packed full. Overall not a deal breaker but you can feel it when the wind is blowing.

I've been a fan of Mountain Hardware products for years. In looking for this puffer I was looking for something light and packable yet warm enough, as I'm a very hot person. This seemed to fit all of the guidelines for what I'm looking for

My husband loved this jacket, we will get the shell as well. Sizing chart is off tho so I would say go with your actual size. He is a true large and it fits fine

Love it. Have the heftier stretchdown jacket but this one gets use a lot more often