Follow Amy from Taunton Leisure Exeter as she goes walkabout with Rab’s new, innovative Xenair jacket and gives us her thoughts.
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As someone that always feels the cold I jumped at the chance to take our new Rab Xenair alpine jacket out for a spin and after daily use (for the past four weeks) it has not disappointed!
Initially, I was skeptical as it’s not as thick as other insulating layers I’ve used by Rab, however, it has kept me warm and cosy on countless early morning walks with the dog and performed equally well on my less intrepid journey to and from work. .
The 20D Pertex Quantum Air outer made the jacket feel far more breathable than the usual fleece or hoody that I’d normally chuck on in October meaning that I didn’t have to keep stopping to take in on and off when walking longer routes. It fits comfortably under my waterproof shell on the few occasions I’ve needed it to without restricting my movement as I get pulled along the trails by the spaniel.
You can stuff it down into its own pocket, but it was a bit of a squeeze so I just rolled it up into its hood when it needed to go in my day sack.
I can easily fit my phone in the external chest pocket. Although I wasn’t completely sold on the elasticated cuffs at first, they were really comfortable and fit snugly over my gloves when required.
Though the hood is fully insulated and helmet-compatible it was easy to adjust the size down for less techy adventures, like walking home from the pub.
It’s a warm, breathable and reliable jacket that has performed well in the great outdoors as well as on chilly weekends in the city. I’ll definitely keep reaching for my Xenair jacket as we head into winter.
