Chris Townsend reviews a close-fit down jacket that’s warm for the weight.
This review is part of our down jackets gear guide, and was first published in the January 2019 issue of The Great Outdoors.
Lovely and soft to wear, the Fenrir feels like a luxury product even amongst this swathe of cushy down garments. It’s conventional in design but with a few neat touches that distinguish it from similar jackets. There’s synthetic fill in the cuffs and the front of the collar, areas prone to dampness from contact with snow or from your breath. The hood has the common elasticated brim but also a rear drawcord, so it can tighten round your head to keep the wind from blowing it off. There’s a stiffened baffle behind the front zip. The cuffs are made from wide stretch fabric rather than the thin elastic seen on many jackets. The pockets are roomy, but access to them is cut off by a pack hipbelt.
The DownTek hydrophobic down is claimed to stay dry ten times longer than untreated down and is free of fluorocarbons. I haven’t had it wet enough to judge, but it’s certainly fine in drizzle and damp mist. The down is sourced according to the Responsible Down Standard.
Jöttnar describes the fit as standard, but the Large is smaller than most of the other Large jackets tested, even those labelled as ‘slim fit’. I can wear it over a thin fleece and base layer but nothing more.
The Fenrir is very warm for the weight and an excellent winter jacket. It is quite expensive but should last.
