Insulated Jackets
Product 2021
Woman, Man
The Helly Hansen Lifaloft Insulator jacket has Primaloft Lifaloft insulation. We have said many times how good we think this light material is, very insulating, hydrophobic, soft, and it doesn’t pierce through the jacket like down feathers do, super-fast to dry, compressible and doesn’t smell. We can also add that unlike down, it does not settle into the jacket sections and it seems to us more breathable.
The Helly Hansen Lifaloft Insulator jacket weighs 330g in size M, this jacket doesn’t have a hood unlike these two other products we tested: 360g for the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Shadow Hoody in Primaloft or the Mountain Hardwear Phantom Hoody in down feathers 271g.
The Helly Hansen Lifaloft Insulator jacket is very pleasant to wear on its own over technical underwear and/or over a mid-layer. It can be used for ski touring, trekking, fast hiking, snowshoeing, etc. It is highly recommended for downhill skiing, because it doesn’t have a hood and therefore doesn’t create extra thickness around the neck with a helmet.
Its thermal performance is very good for sports where you stay active, it is, of course, less warm than a big thick down jacket. But the thinness/heat ratio is high. You can also slip this jacket into your backpack without any problem, it doesn’t takes up much space. There is no compression cover, but you can compress and store it in one of the two side pockets, but Helly Hansen did not provide a reverse zip to close it, which is a shame.
The jacket is water repellent but not waterproof, although it resists humidity for a long time. It dries very quickly and doesn’t weigh much more when humid.
We weren’t sure how tough the outer fabric was, so we were careful around branches, and carrying skis that had badly deburred edges on our shoulders. We’re used to the Pertex that is on other jackets, it endures wear and tear and holes, with the Helly Hansen, we can’t yet comment.
The central zip slides well without getting stuck in the fabric. Your chin is well protected and therefore no rubbing. The hand pockets are really deep and lined with a very nice fine polar fleece. The waist adjustment is classic but effective.
We liked the softness and the lightness/warmth ratio of this Helly Hansen Lifaloft Insulator jacket. An excellent lightweight product designed for outdoor action. Very efficient in skiing.
We used this equipment over a long period of time
These are our thoughts after intensive use:
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