Good-value mountain jackets sold direct to consumers.
This review is part of our New Brands Gear Guide.
By Chris Townsend
Dutch company Cortèz used Kickstarter crowdfunding to successfully launch its first collection two years ago – they raised over $292,000 from more than 600 backers. This spring, it launches a second expanded collection after another Kickstarter campaign. By only selling direct to consumers from its website, Cortez says it offers “extraordinary value which is 40% less than competitors of the same grade”. The three founders are described as “passionate outdoor enthusiasts with an extensive background in clothing production, fashion and entrepreneurship. Their mission is to make high-quality outerwear affordable”.
The new collections consists of three-layer shell jackets, shell trousers plus full-zip fleece jackets. The shell jackets and trousers are made from Toray Dermizax EV, which has a 20,000mm+ hydrostatic head and 16,000+g/m2 moisturepermeability, so it should be waterproof and pretty breathable. Dermizax is a hydrophilic membrane that is very flexible so the jackets are stretchy for ease of movement.
The shell jackets (Cortez don’t bother with fancy names) have helmet-compatible hoods, chest and side pockets, large inside pockets for gloves, a phone pocket, sleeve ski pass pocket, adjustable cuffs and extended backs. Cortez says the jackets are perfect for skiing, hiking or commuting. I reckon they look a good hillwalking jacket, especially for cold conditions. The polyester fleece jackets are described as warm, durable and breathable, which sounds fairly standard for fleece.
cortez-outerwear.com.