Product Review - Mountain Hardwear Superconductor Jacket

As a part of the Active Endeavors Ambassador program I was given the opportunity to test out a fairly new jacket from Mountain Hardwear called the Superconductor and I must say that I am really impressed.

***Disclaimer: I received this jacket as a gift to review with no anticipation of a positive review. All comments below are my true thoughts behind the use of the product***

MH is a brand that I've known about for many years. I was originally exposed to the brand as they were sponsors of some very high profile ultra runners in the past. The brand has since scaled back their appetite in the running world, but continue to be a leader in the hiking/climbing/skiing world. Their products are a mainstay on ski slopes and trails all over the world.

I'll be very honest that I've been pretty brand loyal when it comes to winter jackets in years past to another outdoor giant. I've always been satisfied with the products but when given the opportunity I felt like this was a great chance to branch out.

After MANY hours of searching Active Endeavors...seriously....the employees laughed at how long I was contemplating because of the shear number of awesome available options...I finally decided on the Superconductor. A lot of thought went into the decision and one of those was that I wanted to review something of good quality, but be VERY affordable to the budget conscious consumers.

According to the MH website the jacket features:

• Thermal Q™ 100g insulation for unrivaled warmth in all conditions
• Two zip handwarmer pockets are harness and pack compatible
• Stretch woven face fabric is supremely comfortable yet tough
• Smooth nylon quilted liner for comfort and added wind resistance

Honestly, I love the look of soft shell jackets, but was looking for something warmer than standard soft shells. I wanted something that was more "form fitting" than other winter coats that I've worn in the past, but allow some room to layer with a hoodie or long sleeve if necessary. With the softshell exterior and the quilted insulation on the inside, the Superconductor fit those requirements. 

Features

It features two side pockets and one chest pocket. All of the pockets feature openings that are large enough to fit an iPhone 7 in an Otterbox case with no problems. The zippers are standard zippers with no additional bells and whistles.

The chin guard is pretty standard to jackets in this category is really great at providing the wind protection and not chocking your neck. 

The exterior shell is slightly thinner than other soft shells that I've worn, but the shell definitely has more stretch when layering or moving. Keep in mind that the thinner material of the shell doesn't appear to take away from the strength of the exterior. At 6' 2", I have somewhat long arms and have no issues with the sleeve length in the size Medium

A double waist drawsting on the interior cuff of the bottom will allow some more customization of the fit of the bottom. I have a fairly long torso and tend to wear my pants slightly below my hips. The jacket does come down slightly over the hips. The drawstring is a nice feature for anyone who does prefer a tighter fit around the bottom of the jacket.

The liner is probably favorite part of this jacket. I RARELY wear long sleeves. When I say rarely, it is a joke around my office because I will wear a short sleeved polo all winter. I run fairly warm all of the time. I was worried with the quilted material on the interior of feeling like the liner was sticking to my arms. Just to get an idea of how the jacket was going to perform, I've worn it when it's 45F and did not feel the jacket cling at all. That is a BIG win for me.

Pros

This is a very plain jacket. Not a lot of additional features to drive the price up.

I had read some comments on the manufacturers site regarding the fact that it wasn't as warm as people were hoping for and that it didn't block as much wind as people wished. The best test that I had was wearing the jacket to a 4 hour soccer tournament where the temps, with the wind chill, were going to dip into the upper teens. The winds were a steady 20mph with gusts into 30mph. I wore a single cotton t-shirt, a Craft Sportswear hooded sweatshirt and the Superconductor. I'll be very honest to say that my torso was actually sweating. The wind was not penetrating the two layers that I had underneath.

Even when layering, I never felt like this jacket was restrictive. I do want to be very up front that I typically wear a size large in nearly everything and I did need to size down to a Medium. The large felt very bulky and I was swimming in it. 

I haven't had a chance to wear the jacket in rain or snow to date, but as a father of 4 I am constantly getting spilled on. One evening my son was drinking out of a sippy cup and apparently forgot that he was drinking and did spit all over me and the jacket. It beads up beautifully and cleans very easily.

Cons

Looking back on my choice, I wish that I would have grabbed the option with the hood. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but I do enjoy having a hood and I wish that I would have had a chance to look at the hooded option.

For some, the sizing is going to be strange. As someone who at one point in my life wore a 2XL, buying a jacket with an "M" was an amazing feeling :)

I believe with the latest version of this jacket they took out the handwarmer pockets on the interior of the side pockets. I do wish those were still available.

A very small gripe that I have is the absence of the headphone port that would lead into the chest pocket. Again, would be a nice feature, but not a deal killer.

Overall

Overall, this is a really great piece. Lightweight enough to wear in the late spring/early fall, but appears as though it can take on the harsh Iowa winters even if it requires you to throw on a lightweight mid-layer or hoodie when taking on the slopes or other outdoor activities.

The absolute greatest feature of the jacket...the price!!!! At $150 among all of the competitors in the same category I have yet to find a jacket that offers the insulated feel of a puffy with the look of a soft shell that is even close to the price. Other manufacturers will have jackets in a similar price point, but none combining the two.

I would definitely recommend this jacket for many folks. If you are constantly cold, you may need to throw on another layer. This is not a jacket for Alpine adventures or serious excursions into the arctic. What it will serve is the budget conscious individuals who are looking for a coat that they can wear and spend several hours in temps below freezing. This is a great piece for hiking, down hill skiing, snowball fights and enjoying your own winter wonderland

If you like this review, please remember to support locally owned shops. I recommend you stop by Active Endeavors in West Des Moines, IA. Make sure to tell them that Brad sent you....it probably won't get you anything...but it's always worth a shot :)