Is this Rab coat worth it?

[redrabbit29]

Been wanting a new coat for a while after my cheap Mountain Warehouse one finally just disintegrated. The one I have now is one fo those big ski type jackets which is annoyingly big when wearing.

Men's Infinity Microlight Down Jacket:
https://rab.equipment/uk/infinity-microlight-jacke... - £260



My Use

I won't be going mountaineering or adventuring
It's only for daily use, walking a few times a day, going to football, etc.

Features I like

It looks quite light/fits the body closely
Hooded
Zipped pockets
Chest pocket zip
Zips up quite high for when it's windy or rainy

Thanks

[LordHaveMurci]

Hunt around & you should find that for much less.

Not much use if it rains.

[croyde]

I've got 2 similar jackets from a Scandinavian company online called Revolution Race.

I've been so impressed that I've bought other gear off them as well.

The first one was in a Sale for £60, I think the usual price is £110.

Great to keep warm over casual clothes when it's chilly and I've used them for hiking worn over layers.

Packs down to nothing too. A lot of warmth for something so thin.

ETA Just had a look, seems they only have a blue in small for £89. Either they are discontinued, a real shame, or they are awaiting new stock.

https://www.revolutionrace.co.uk/men/jackets/winte...

Edited by croyde on Thursday 30th January 09:02

[vikingaero]

£199 at Countryside and Ski. Most of the other places below £200 are websites from abroad with .co.uk addresses.

[ChocolateFrog]

I've got the version without the hood.

Pretty decent. Initially was going to get a cheaper mid down jacket, my usual go to was always ALPKIT but the fit on the Rab was much better for me so paid the extra.

Funnily enough all the logos have long since worn off, you'd think that they'd make an effort for them to stay on given how important branding is.

[lufbramatt]

Recently got a new coat, similar use case to yours, mainly for watching my son play football when its freezing cold and raining. So needed good insulation and decent waterproofing. Lots of coats seem to be either one or the other. After a lot of looking around I ended up with a Didriksons coat. Really nicely made, decent zips, lots of pockets but looks decent. Nice insulated hood too. Got it from Go Outdoors.

[chip*]

Walks- you get hot and will strip off / want a light outer cover
Football - if you are standing around, you want a coat to retain your heat to keep you warm.

For daily use / walks, my go to is the Decathlon/ Forclaz MT100. Highly rated for price and pretty warmth and lightweight. For £60, it's a throwaway price and I don't worry about damage etc..

For colder condition / not moving around much- I have 2 other duck down jackets from Mountain Equipment (more outdoor look) and Rohan (more urban look). More chunkier look, but I know I will be warm.

If I was restricted to 1 jacket, I would just have the Forclaz accompanied with merino / technical layers for the colder conditions.

[Freakuk]

I've had a few Rab coats and they tend to be my go to when looking for this kind of jacket/coat etc.

What I will say is that they retain heat really well and you do not need a thick one for most of the time, even on some cold mornings you can feel hot.

My current one was a similar price but not the same jacket as per the photo. It's shower proof, not heavy rain proof and will let water ingress at the seams, so depending upon what you intend to use it for I would definitely check/confirm this before purchase.

[Mont Blanc]

redrabbit29 said:

Men's Infinity Microlight Down Jacket:
https://rab.equipment/uk/infinity-microlight-jacke... - £260

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't buy another Rab jacket.

I bought a Microlight, and I have just thrown it out. After about 2.5 years of regular wear, and being caught in a few showers, it went really really thin. Like rubbing a bin bag between your fingers. Much of the jacket felt like it had nothing inside it. I tried all kinds of things to revive it, like by putting it in a tumble dryer on low heat and with lots of those dryer balls to shake it about and fluff it up, but nothing worked.

I know it was never designed or advertised as shower proof or waterproof, but honestly it's been the worst jacket I have ever owned for the rain going straight through it after a few minutes of a shower, and as I discovered, you only need to be caught in the rain a few times for the down to clump, go thin, and feel like it has disappeared. My other complaint was, that it never really felt warm, even when new.

It's not just me. A friend and his wife both had Rab Microlights and also threw them out after 2-3 years saying they wouldn't buy another. Another mate still has one to wear to the pub and he says he'll be getting rid of shortly as he finds it cold, even when being active or walking.

I recently bought a couple of cheap Berghaus on sale at Arco (£80 and £130) very similar in style to the Rab, and IMO they are noticeably warmer than the Rab right from the go. They are synthetic 'hydoloft polyball' insulation and I doubt they will clump of fail like the Rab did.

Edited by Mont Blanc on Thursday 30th January 10:37

[toon10]

I'd probably shop around. Sports Pursuit tend to be better priced if they have the colour/size you want.

https://www.sportpursuit.com/products?bid=923&...

[Skyedriver]

Have a look at these.
https://www.didriksons.com/uk/men/jackets?gclid=EA...

[POIDH]

Puffy jacket - just find a good brand which fits in the sale, IMO they are much of a muchness and a lot of the prices are excessive because fashion and '10% lighter super fabric'.

Our household has a womens Rab down - £60 in TKMaxx, a Patagonia Down - £100 in local outdoor shop as someone put a slightly grubby grease mark on it in the shop, a Montane from outlet shop for £90, an Alpkit puffy as the shop is down the road from the his house, and a Craghoppers which was £30 and although heavier, is just as warm and long lasting as the other posher brands.

[RizzoTheRat]

I have the synthetic microlite without the hood, it's my every day coat,I wear it cycling, walking, standing around, going to the pub etc all year. I specifically wanted a jacket that would pack down small (it fits in it's own pocket). As above they're not waterproof, so I have a single layer goretex to go over the top when it's wet, this also gives a fair amount of extra warmth. It needs to be sub zero before I bother with my thicker coat.

The down one will probably be a bit warmer but more hassle to wash and you don't really want it to get wet. It's also a chunk more expensive than the synthetic.

After several years use the zip went on mine a while ago, RAB's own repair service was cheaper than a local tailor to get it replaced, i think it was about €35 plus postage.

[Ussrcossack]

Stone Island all day for the football

[marrow]

My Rab Microlight is 3-4 yrs old.

The good = close fit (which I like), still looks like new (wear it most days)
The bad = not very warm (but unsure if it's meant to be with it being called Microlight)

Overall, I like it a lot but for me wish it was a bit warmer.

[Road2Ruin]

LordHaveMurci said:

Hunt around & you should find that for much less.

Not much use if it rains.

All day long. I have had these (type) before. I find in the UK they are pretty useless, unless you can gautantee no rain while you are out.

[CLK-GTR]

The money in technical coats like these is spent on things like specialist fabrics, strategic pockets, better quality zips and trims and other things that make your life easier if you're using them as intended.

If you just want to stay warm whilst standing around you may be better off with a longer, thicker type of coat for a lot less money.

[Skodillac]

IMHO Regatta is just as good and far less expensive.

[Portofino]

Have a Rab Nebula Pro & it’s a great jacket. I just wear a t shirt underneath and I’m done whatever the weather.

You’ll be able to find it cheaper definitely.

[daddy cool]

I bought this one from Decathlon recently for a cheap down puffy that i wouldnt mind getting mucky on winter camps, but its actually very nice and toasty, and now i think of it too good to get dirty! Bargain at £90.
Not waterproof, mind.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/men's-mountain-and-t...