We provided local business owner and outdoor enthusiast Dan with this synthetic insulator from Rab, check out his review below.
The Rab Cirrus Alpine insulated jacket is stylish and versatile. It’s lightweight and easily packable yet still performs well and I’ve been lucky enough to test it in some of the wonderful, varying landscapes Devon has to offer.
The first outing took us on a 12 mile circular walk around Dartmoor, on a dry but crisp autumn morning. Right away, I was keen to reach for the jacket whilst the temperature struggled to reach double figures. Wearing the Cirrus over the top of my Rab Capacitor fleece, I was comfortably insulated from the light but chilly breeze which faced us.
Once we had covered a couple of miles and the body temperature was starting to rise, I found the breathability of the Cirrus meant I wasn’t rushing to peel it off again.
A few miles into our walk, the sun made an appearance and it was time to whip off the jacket. The Cirrus comes with its own packable bag to save space in the backpack and I had it stuffed away into this easily in no time.
The second test for the Cirrus came the following weekend, with an 8 mile jaunt along East Devon’s scenic coast path. The weather forecast indicated a mix of sun and showers, making it an ideal opportunity to evaluate the jacket’s versatility.
Being a warmer day than the previous outing on Dartmoor, I opted for a simple base layer with the Cirrus packed ready as an outer layer, for any change in weather.
Sure enough, later in to our walk, some light showers greeted us so I reached for the Cirrus.
Being listed more as a water-repellant jacket than waterproof, I initially worried that maybe I had come somewhat underprepared for the rain. But I was pleasantly surprised! The DWR lining saw all the rain bead away and once the wet weather passed, the coat was quickly dry and ready to easily stuff back into it’s packable bag.
In addition to it’s performance and packability, I’m pleased to say the jacket also seems durable. When passing some narrow pathways, I was pounced on by some stray brambles but was relieved to find no holes in the arms. The ripstop fabric clearly doing it’s job well!
Aside from performing well in a mix of weather fronts in the wilderness, the Cirrus also boasts a stylish design. Whilst it’s built for the mountains, I’ve worn it on numerous day-to-day outings closer to home now, and have come to appreciate that it feels just as comfortable around town as it does on the rolling hills of Dartmoor.
Diving in to the details of the Cirrus Alpine jacket, the fit is perfect for me. Being 6’2” and fairly slim, the size large is not too big and not too small. The bottom of it sits nicely just below my belt line and I have a great range of movement in the arms.
As mentioned, the outer material is a soft but durable ‘Pertex’ ripstop fabric with a DWR lining for water-resistance. The insulation is a synthetic ‘Primaloft’ insulation, which works well to effectively insulate and benefits from being more water repellent than a classic down jacket.
The elasticated hood fits snugly around your head whilst still not being restricting. It seems it would work well under a helmet, should you need to wear one.
The roomy pockets are harness compatible and have easy to grab string pulls on the YKK zips, there’s also a handy inner zipped pocket.
A slightly larger profiled YKK main zip also has a sting pull attached, this time with a rubber tab which I feel would be easy to operate whilst wearing gloves.
The inner liner, outer material and insulation are all 100% recycled materials, which is a big bonus for anyone at all eco-conscious. It’s great to see Rab always doing their best to create sustainable products and look to the future.
All in all, the Rab Cirrus Alpine insulated jacket is a winner for me, whether on the side of a mountain or simply out doing the shopping, it’s effective insulation, breathability, manoeuvrability and stylish design have made it that go-to jacket for those slightly colder days!
