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Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic Jacket - Women's Review

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Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic Jacket - Women's Review
Credit: Mountain Hardwear
Price:  $185 List
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Manufacturer:   Mountain Hardwear
By Amber King and Amanda Fenn  ⋅  Nov 11, 2014
61
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Warmth - 25% 5.0
  • Weight - 20% 10.0
  • Weather Resistance - 20% 3.0
  • Comfort - 15% 6.0
  • Breathability - 15% 6.0
  • Style - 5% 8.0

Our Verdict

The Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic Women's Jacket is Discontinued as of Fall 2017
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Compressible
Feminine fit and style
Hefty carabiner loop
REASONS TO AVOID
Fabric pills after limited use
Absorbs water

A technical jacket that has cozy features and an attractive cut and design, the Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic Jacket really impressed us. We thought this thin, lightweight jacket performed well during big adventures and still looked great; it's the lightest of the jackets we tested - packing down to the size of a one-liter water bottle. Throughout the testing process, we closely compared the technical attributes of the Thermostatic with the Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket - Women's, Outdoor Research Cathode Hooded Jacket - Women's, and The North Face ThermoBall Jacket - Women's. We approached these four jackets as a subcategory of the review since they were the lightest and most compressible and we wanted to see how they stood up against each other.

This jacket hasn't changed too much over the years, but this year they added a fancy new carabiner loop! Feel free to clip take this jacket onto a harness for any alpine adventure.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Two year ago, the Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic Jacket earned an award for its light weight and flattering features. With the introduction of many new contenders, it was dethroned - even though it's been the same jacket for two years. This product serves as a great technical workhorse jacket and has a burly zipper our testers loved. Additionally, it has a flattering feminine fit and a few critical features that significantly increased its comfy factor. This piece works well as a mid or outer layer whether you're running errands around town or belaying 400 feet up a wall. We just wish that it had a gear loop so that we could clip it to a harness or backpack.

Performance Comparison


mountain hardwear thermostatic jacket for women - approaching mt. sneffells in the san juan mountains. on a mission to...
Approaching Mt. Sneffells in the San Juan Mountains. On a mission to find some early season ice, the Thermostatic did a great job keeping Amber warm on this hilly hike.
Credit: Jared Vilhauer

Warmth


Like the other pieces in this “subcategory” of insulated jackets, this product has 60 g/m2 of Thermal.Q Elite insulation. After performing a head-to-head test, during which our testers wore the jackets on a cold evening while camping, this product was not quite as warm as the Patagonia Nano Puff or the Rab Xenon X Hoodie - Women's. Instead it was on par with the Outdoor Research Cathode. Neither the Thermostatic nor the Nano Puff, however, were as warm as thicker jackets like the Arc'teryx Atom AR Hoody - Women's or Outdoor Research Uberlayer - Women's. Even though we tested a non-hooded version of the Thermostatic jacket, you may still be able to find the discontinued hooded version from select online retailers.

mountain hardwear thermostatic jacket for women - hmmm....which jacket is warmer? doing some fun comparison testing in...
Hmmm....which jacket is warmer? Doing some fun comparison testing in Indian Creek with our best lady friends. The Thermostatic lost this comparison test, but not by much.
Credit: Chris Kalous

Compressibility & Weight


This was the most compressible and lightest weight jacket tested. Weighing it at of 9.7 ounces (medium), it compresses into one of its hand pockets and measures a little smaller than a one-liter Nalgene bottle. This is a perfect size for long missions when you need to go light.

This year, Mountain Hardwear changed things up and fulfilled our wishes! They added a hefty loop to the jacket, making it far more versatile and upping its scores in this category.

mountain hardwear thermostatic jacket for women - the thermostatic packs down into a stow pocket in the hand pocket...
The Thermostatic packs down into a stow pocket in the hand pocket. Though we found it difficult to stuff and a little annoying that it did not have an additional accessory loop we loved how light and small it got.
Credit: Amber King

Weather Resistance


None of the quilted jackets that we reviewed, including this one, did shed water as well as the continuous shell jackets. Additionally, we were unimpressed by how much water it absorbed after standing underneath a showerhead for five minutes. We were shocked to learn that it absorbed the most water of all the jackets tested and took the longest to dry out. As a result, it was docked a few points in this category, as it wasn't nearly as water resistant and resistant to absorption.

In terms of wind resistance, this jacket performed on the same relatively low level as the other quilted jackets. The ripstop outer provides a great barrier for a little while, but with frigid, blowy conditions, this jacket is just not built to stand up to super cold and windy situations. Continuous shell coats like the Xenon X and the Arc'teryx Atom AR did a much better job.

Comfort & Coziness


This jacket works hard to outdo its competitors in this category. This piece features really nice fleece-lined hand pockets (but no chest pocket), as well as a fleece-lined chin guard and garaged zipper. It has comfy elastic cuffs and a drawcord at the hemline to seal in warmth; however, it's worth noting that these pull cords are a little bulkier than those on other jackets. This piece is definitely not as comfy as the plush Columbia Kaleidaslope II Jacket - Women's, but as a technical piece, it impressed us with its extra features.

mountain hardwear thermostatic jacket for women - ooooh! we love comfort extras. the thermostatic has a few of them. a...
Ooooh! We love comfort extras. The Thermostatic has a few of them. A felted garage for the zipper, a little room for a tiny bit of chin protection, felted chin guards, AND felted pockets. Oh...oh! And the zipper is big, burly, and easy to zip without snags.
Credit: Amber King

Breathability


Even though its wind resistance was sub-par, this jacket did not score highly in breathability. Like the ThermoBall and Nano Puff, the Thermostatic lacks breathable fabrics and insulation. If it featured softer, more breathable materials like the Patagonia Nano Air Hoody - Women's (Our Top Pick for Breathability) it would have scored higher in this category.

Style & Fit


We were pleasantly surprised at the flattering fit of the Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic. This jacket is cut slim enough that it looks feminine while still providing enough space to layer lightweight pieces underneath. Plus, its arms and torso were plenty long for even our longer limbed testers. Since 2013, Mountain Hardwear has not changed the style and kept the vertical zig zag design that we really loved.

mountain hardwear thermostatic jacket for women - the relaxed, athletic fit on this jacket makes it a great option to...
The relaxed, athletic fit on this jacket makes it a great option to bring up into the mountains or into town. We really loved the color combinations for 2014, and the great diamond zig-zag patterning.
Credit: Amber King

Best Applications


Since it's lightweight and compressible, but still provides a good amount warmth, we would recommend this jacket for a wide variety of outdoor adventures, including hiking, backcountry skiing, alpine adventures, and rock climbing. It is also great for wearing out with friends or running errands around town.

mountain hardwear thermostatic jacket for women - ahhh...versatility at its finest. not the warmest jacket, but it...
Ahhh...versatility at its finest. Not the warmest jacket, but it works great as a stand alone layer during all seasons except winter. It's also a great layering piece that fits nicely under a shell.
Credit: Chris Kalous

Value


At just $185 (cheaper than last year!), this is one of the least expensive insulated jackets we tested. It's a great value if you are looking for a lightweight jacket with plenty of features and an added stylish flair. But, if you're looking for piece that still compresses into its pocket (with a carabiner loop) and offers more warmth for a slightly higher price, check out The North Face ThermoBall.

mountain hardwear thermostatic jacket for women - we observed quite a bit of pilling on the thermostatic...
We observed quite a bit of pilling on the Thermostatic (discontinued) after just two weeks of use. Pilling, torn stitches, and holes can give your jacket a very “worn” look.
Credit: Amber King

One red flag that we did observe was that the fabric started pilling after just two weeks of use. That said, all the other components have remained intact and its burly large-tooth zipper makes us confident that zipper replacement won't be necessary for a very long time. Even if it was, Mountain Hardwear will replace your zippers free of charge - another plus for this piece.

mountain hardwear thermostatic jacket for women - a beefy zipper and a great look wins points for the thermostatic...
A beefy zipper and a great look wins points for the Thermostatic. Though, we were disappointed to see pilling and wear and tear after just two weeks of wear.
Credit: Amber King

Conclusion


We liked the Mountain Hardwear Thermostatic because of its light weight, compressibility, flattering style, and comfy features. If you're looking for a strictly technical piece, the Patagonia Nano Puff may be the way to go, but if you're seeking a little more balance, we think the Thermostatic is a good choice.

Amber King and Amanda Fenn