What is it?
Rab's Electron down jacket offers the serious end user a brilliant combination of midweight and high performance. This versatile jacket is perfectly suited to year round climbing and mountaineering and thanks to the Pertex Quantum Pro outer fabric and the Hydrophobic down filling it will keep on performing in damp and miserable conditions. The minimal design keeps the weight and pack size to sensible levels and the Electron has enough features to make it practical and useable as an everyday cold weather jacket. As with all of Rab's women's products the fit and shape of the Electron Jacket is absolutely spot on with a flattering and comfortable design.
What is it made of?
Insulation: Rab have filled the Electron with 170g of 800FP superior R.D.S Certified European Hydrophobic Goose Down. This high quality and sustainable insulation has a very impressive 800 fill power and is controlled with a stitch through construction throughout the jacket. The baffles are of variable sizes throughout the jacket to fully optimise insulation by eliminating cold spots and this also helps to reduce bulk. Rab use Hydrophobic down in all their down jackets, basically each and every cluster of down is treated with Nikwax products to make them perform better in damp conditions. Although Hydrophobic down is not waterproof it dries much faster, absorbs less water and retains loft far better than untreated down.
Fabrics: The outer fabric used is the ever reliable Pertex Quantum Pro fabric to give this brilliant jacket superb weather resistance and durability. This lightweight rip-stop fabric is made from a tightly woven nylon and has an ultra-thin Polyurethane water-resistant coating on the back to provide increased weather resistance. Despite the high water resistance of the face fabric the Electron Jacket is not totally waterproof, so always pack a shell if, and when, the weather turns really nasty.
What are the features?
YKK VISLON water resistant zips are used for both the main zip and the handwarmer pocket zips; whilst not completely waterproof these zips will keep out most of the water and will run freely even in freezing conditions. The hood, as with all Rab products, just works really well, it features a reinforced peak and has full helmet compatibility. Another really nice feature of this jacket is the soft woven and stretchy cuffs that seal closely around your wrist without being restrictive or uncomfortable.
How does it fit?
As an insulating layer, it is designed to be a close, snug fit, yet features enough room to layer up underneath on the particularly chilly days. The rear of the jacket features a slightly dropped hem and the jacket has a flattering, tapered waist. The Electron uses Rab's 'Regular Fit' so this means you'll have a bit of wiggle room, so it'll easily fit an extra layer or two on underneith.
Where does it fit in the layering system?
The Electron is a midweight, breathable and packable down jacket. Use it as an appropriate insulating layer depending on your activity level and the weather conditions. It works perfectly well as a standalone jacket on those crisp, dry, freezing days or as a cosy casual jacket. Layering is not a precise science and there is no one perfect system that will suit every person, situation or the weather conditions. Some of us feel the cold, others, like me, get hot very quickly, but for more advice on using layers please check out this video.
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Pertex Quantum Pro outer fabric
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Nylon ripstop inner fabric
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170g of 800 fill power Hydrophobic R.D.S Certified European Goose Down
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Stitch-through midi baffles on torso hood and back
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Stitch-through mini baffles on the sides and arms
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Helmet compatible hood with wired peak
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YKK flat Vislon front zip with insulated baffle
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YKK flat Vislon zipped handwarmer pockets
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YKK zipped internal security pocket
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Elasticated stretch woven cuffs
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Hem drawcord
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Stuff sack
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Regular fit