Decathlon Quechua X-Light Down Insulating Walking Jacket for Men
Product Review & Walking Gear Test
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 Quechua X-Light Down Insulating Walking Jacket for Men Vital Statistics: Colours: Sizes: Weight: SRP: |
Features to Note:
- Front/Back: 75% grey duck down/25% grey duck feathers
- Sides/Hood/Arms: 100 % Polyester Wadding
- Outer Fabric/Lining : 100% Polyamide
- Down Fill: 540 CUIN
- Made in China
In-use Test:
This down jacket from Decathlon's Quechua range is certainly priced extremely competitively. And the features provided for just under £30 are quite impressive. The front/back of the jacket is filled with a down/feathers mix at a decent 540 CUIN. (CUIN - cubic inch per ounce - is effectively a measure of the 'loft' of the filling. The higher the CUIN measurement, the better is the warmth/weight ratio.) There's a decent hood plus two, hip level zipped pockets - though unfortunately the pockets are located just where a daypack belt sits which is little awkward. It packs down reasonably well and can be stored in one of the pockets. It comes with its own stuff-sac, which can be found in an unzipped pocket on the inside right of the jacket. There's a short zip baffle that runs down the top few inches of the front.
I've been trying it out over a few weeks in relatively mild late Autumn/early Winter conditions as part of a layering system, with and without an outer jacket. The fit was a first problem - largely because the sizing seems to be inaccurate. I usually wear a standard Medium size and found that I needed to wear this jacket in a Large. As a Large, the sleeves are a good length and the freedom of movement is ok although I found that the jacket tended to ride up a little when I raised my arms - there isn't any adjustment possible around the bottom hem.
For me, the crucial consideration about a down jacket is how warm it keeps you. I've been comfortable in the reasonably mild conditions (6-10 deg C) in which I've had opportunity to try this out. I've compared it with other insulating jackets I have (that I use for winter, mountain walking) and it isn't as warm as these. The shiny, outer fabric also doesn't feel that robust so I would be concerned about long term wear and tear. But then this jacket costs much, much less than the higher performing options with which I'm comparing it - so is a really very good value option for less challenging conditions.
Not the lightest, warmest or most robust insulating jacket for high mountain/winter walking in rugged conditions but certainly an excellent value option for general outdoor/leisure. Do check the sizing though!
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