Marmot Guides Down Sweater $399 (MW)
The Guff
Outer Fabric Ardent P-160R DWR Inner Eclipse N-150WR. Insulation 650 fill power goose down. Colour Black, Forest/Dark Cedar, Burnish/Chai, Bonfire/Terra, Northsea/Twilight (m) Black, Auburn/Cinnamon, Cardinal/Fire, Rainwater/Celestial Bue, White/Lapis (w) Weight: 624g
The Good
Despite its name, this is very much a jacket and not a sweater. The Ardent outer is highly effective at blocking wind and keeping showers at bay. It is also up there with the more durable fabrics found on other models in this review.
The inner is very comfortable and has a soft ‘hand’ to it that feels good against bare skin. Other comfort features are the DriClime® lined collar and chin guard and the lined hand warmer pockets, which provide instant warmth for numb fingers. These pockets also contain the hem drawcards, which can be pulled super tight to prevent loss of warm air from inside the jacket.
There’s also a large inner pocket that doubles as a stuff sac. The jacket easily stuffs into this, creating a moderately-sized bundle about the size of a lunchbox. Marmot’s Angel-Wing Movement works well to prevent cold spots caused by over-reaching or bending over. The jacket tends to stay in place regardless of your activity.
All outer zippers have pull tags on them that make using them a cinch with or without gloves. It comes in at a good weight – not too light to doubt its durability but not too heavy to consider leaving it at home.
The Bad
We’re still looking.
The Verdict
A great winter jacket that tips the scales in its favour thanks to its great warmth to weight ratio and top quality insulation.
To check out the range go to Men's Down or Women's Down
