Mountain Hardware Mens Stretch Down Hoody
Mount Hardwear StretchDown DS Hoody Review
Though unique in its stretchiness, this jacket doesn't fare well in our weight and compressibility metrics
Price: $275 Listing | Check Cost at REI
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Pros: Stretchy, comfy
Cons: Expensive, heavy, non very compressible
Manufacturer: Mountain Hardwear
Past Matt Bento ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Mar 4, 2019
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Our Verdict
The StretchDown DS Hoody is Mountain Hardwear's latest iteration of their popular StretchDown series. Similar previous versions, this jacket gets annihilated past the competition. Our metrics favor lightweight and compressibility; two key reasons we've determined for purchasing a downward jacket over a synthetic culling. The DS underwhelms and is the heaviest, least compressible jacket in our review. On peak of that, it'due south expensive, taking a bigger bite out of your banking company account than some of the meridian performers. On the vivid side, we love the stretchy shell fabric, which proves to exist some of the toughest fabrics we've seen on a downwardly jacket.
Our Analysis and Test Results
We call up this burly coat'south closest competitor is the Black Diamond Forge Hoody, which has a similar fit and warmth as the StretchDown but lacks the stretch factor. The Forge Hoody is less expensive, stuffs away into its pocket and is 3 ounces lighter. The StretchDown is decent around town and close to the auto, but it's too heavy for human-powered excursions into the backcountry.
Performance Comparing
We received lots of positive comments near the look of this jacket. Even so, because of weight and lack of compressibility, it wasn't a favorite amongst our testers.
Credit: Matt Bento
Warmth
This jacket employs 800-fill up downwardly, simply like our Editors' Choice award winner, The North Face Summit L3 Downwardly Hoody. However, the Summit L3 is loftier and warmer, suggesting that in that location is more down stuffed in the baffles. The Stretch DS uses a unique stretch wielded channel construction instead of traditional baffles to concord the down in place. Mountain Hardwear claims this design is warmer than sewn through baffles; our feel suggests otherwise since great designs like the Feathered Friends Eos and the Rab Microlight Alpine both apply sewn through construction and are much warmer and lighter. The wielded baffles exercise give this jacket a unique look, allowing it to be fifty-fifty stretchier than previous versions.
No other jacket in our reviews looks quite similar this one with its square-shaped, wielded baffles.
Credit: Matt Bento
Weight
According to our scales, a men's size minor ways eighteen.4 ounces. This is quite heavy for a down jacket, especially considering that is stuffed with 800 fill up downwards, which generally offers a bang-up warmth to weight ratio. We choose down jackets when we want the most warmth for the to the lowest degree weight possible. The Feathered Friends Eos is much warmer and about half the weight. As far every bit we tin can surmise, the excess ounces are attributed to the shell cloth, a stretchy polyester that's much tougher, only much heavier than the Pertex fabrics ordinarily used in high performance down jackets. At 18 ounces, why non but become ahead and use a less expensive synthetic insulation? This would add together a few ounces to this model that we feel is already besides heavy tall missions and backcountry travel, but significantly reduce the price.
This was 1 of the heaviest down jackets nosotros've tested.
Credit: Matt Bento
Water Resistance
Mountain Hardwear includes a hydrophobically treated downwards that claims to stop water absorption. We didn't rip open our jacket to get eyes on the down, but the shell fabric doesn't resist water like a Pertex fabric with a DWR treatment. Water chaplet off jackets like the North Face Summit L3 Downward Hoody, but the stretchy mat end on the StretchDown absorbs h2o apace.
Fit
The StretchDown DS has an able-bodied fit that fits nicely nether a hardshell, and we enjoyed several storm days riding at the resort with this jacket as our midlayer. The shell cloth stretches more some of our favorite climbing pants, providing comfort and mobility nosotros're non used to from a down puffy. Our testers establish previous versions of the StretchDown to be little short in the sleeves, but this jacket has an excellent fit in the sleeves; broader folks may find it a piffling tight in the shoulders. The hem doesn't extend equally low as the Rab Microlight Tall or the TNF Summit L3 but nevertheless sits lower than the Arc'teryx Cerium LT.
The stretch provides great mobility for climbing and skiing, or in this instance, paying respects to deceased pets.
Credit: Matt Bento
Compressibility
The thick and burly shell fabric prevents this jacket from utilizing the compressibility of the 800 fill downwardly, and it doesn't stuff into a pocket or includes a stuff sack. This jacket does not compress near as modest as the lightweight Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer, though its unlikely to be full of holes after chasing the dog through the sagebrush. Durability is frequently the trade-off for lightweight compressibility, and if annihilation, the Stretchdown DS is 1 of the more resilient jackets we've worn.
Unlike nearly of the down jackets in our review, the StretchDown isn't very compressible.
Credit: Matt Bento
Features
The StretchDown comes with a prissy complement of features. It has two cinch cords with low-profile internal cord locks at the hem proceed out the drafts. Two zippered handwarmer pockets are generously sized and can adapt ski goggles or even a small water bottle, and an external zippered chest pocket secures whatever of import small items yous may demand to access chop-chop. Finally, 2 more drib-in pockets reside inside for keeping your gloves, h2o, or climbing shoes nice and toasty. The hood lacks a drawstring and is an bad-mannered size, being a little loose, but too small to comfortably vesture over a helmet.
This jacket kept our tester warm while biking around from crag to crag in the Owens River Gorge on a particularly common cold winter day.
Credit: Matt Bento
All-time Aplications
For those who similar the unique look of the wielded baffles, this is a dainty jacket for the effectually the city, short hikes, resort skiing, and climbing, every bit long information technology's not too far from the car. We prefer the Ghost Whisperer or the Feathered Friends Eos for ski touring, alpine climbing, and backpacking since they are light and compressible.
Value
If this jacket were less expensive, nosotros'd be calling a great puffy for scrambling, camping, and working outside because it's so durable. Every bit it stands, we don't think information technology's a very good value. It's ane of the more expensive, yet one of the lowest scoring products in our review.
If y'all really like the look of this jacket, perchance the high price won't seem so bad, but our testers expected higher functioning for the money.
Credit: Matt Bento
Conclusions
We've value down jackets for their warmth-to-weight ratio and their compressibility; the StretchDown DS just isn't up to snuff with the competition. We really like the improved fit, stretch, and durability of the DS, but feel that information technology's expensive, while the efficient 800 make full down insulation is underutilized due to its heavy vanquish materials.
— Matt Bento
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