What is the Microlighter Jacket?
The Rab Microlighter Jacket is a lightweight, insulated jacket designed to keep you comfortably warm during active use, whether hiking, fastpacking or climbing.
It's built to provide efficient warmth with minimal weight and maximum breathability, making it easy to layer or stash in your pack when not in use.
Unlike traditional down jackets, its Txdown® construction offers the best of both worlds of down and synthetic insulation, making it a reliable option for active use, where consistent warmth and breathability are important. With the added bonus that it's easy to care for too!
Materials & Technology
Pertex® Quantum with NetPlus® Outer
The Microlighter Jacket is built from a fully recycled Pertex® Quantum fabric with NetPlus® yarn made from recycled fishing nets.
NetPlus® is developed in partnership with Bureo, which collects discarded fishing nets from coastal communities and recycles them into high-performance nylon yarn. This helps tackle one of the most harmful forms of ocean plastic pollution while reducing reliance on virgin fossil fuels.
The fabric itself uses a blend of finer 20D yarns in one direction and tougher 30D yarns in the other, which creates a tight, highly durable weave that provides excellent levels of wind resistance with minimal bulk and weight.
Txdown® Sheet Insulation
For warmth, the jacket uses TXdown® sheet insulation, which is an innovative blend of natural down and synthetic insulation for reliable warmth in unpredictable conditions.
TXdown® is essentially a sheet of insulation that uses a blend of 75% natural fibres with 25% technical fibres to provide a balance of warmth and durability. Its fixed sheet construction ensures the insulation cannot migrate over time or when washed, keeping it evenly distributed across the jacket, eliminating the risk of cold spots forming over time compared to loose-fill down. This not only increases the insulation's durability, but also makes it much easier to care for than a traditional down jacket.
This combination of fibres delivers more efficient warmth than the same weight of synthetic insulation, with less weight and bulk - it's a win, win!
Fluorocarbon-Free DWR Finish
The outer is finished with a fluorocarbon-free DWR (durable water repellent) coating to provide light water resistance for added protection in changeable weather conditions. However, please note that this does not make the jacket waterproof - we always recommend carrying a waterproof shell for wet conditions.
Features and Functionality
Lightweight Baffle Construction
The Microlighter jacket uses a combination of low-bulk stitch-through baffles filled with TXdown® sheet insulation for an even distribution of warmth across the jacket and to help ensure it stays firmly in place throughout the jacket's lifespan, whether it's being compressed or washed.
Lightweight Insulated Zip
The jacket is fastened with a lightweight YKK® centre front zip with an insulated baffle to prevent heat loss through the zip, whilst keeping the jacket's overall weight and bulk to a minimum.
Pocket Layout
For storage, you'll find two YKK® zipped hand pockets for keeping your essentials safe, close to hand and easily accessible.
Packable Design
The jacket is highly compressible and packs down into its own pocket for easy and compact storage when not in use, meaning it will take up minimal space in your pack. However, please note, we always recommend storing your down jacket fully lofted at home to protect the down and maintain its lifespan.
Articulated Sleeves
Articulated sleeves provide a natural range of movement throughout the arms for better freedom of movement during various activities and a more comfortable fit when layering, to prevent you from feeling restricted.
Adjustable Hem
Part elasticated cuffs ensure maximum insulation around the wrists, whilst providing a comfortable fit around bulky gloves to effectively seal in the warmth and keep out the weather. At the bottom, you get a drawcord at the hem to tailor the fit over various layers to maximise warmth and help seal out cold drafts.
Key Features
- Pertex® Quantum outer fabric with NetPlus® yarn
- Txdown® down-infused sheet insulation (50gsm)
- Lightweight baffle construction
- Lightweight YKK® centre front zip with insulated zip baffle
- Two YKK® zipped hand pockets
- Integrated storage pocket with clip-in loop
- Fully articulated sleeves
- Drawcord adjustable hem
How does the Microlighter Jacket fit?
The Microlighter Jacket features Rab's regular fit, which is designed to sit comfortably over base and midlayers. It's trim enough to layer under a shell but not restrictive, making it versatile across different layering systems.
What is the Microlighter Jacket best for?
- Fast hiking and hillwalking
- Fastpacking and lightweight travel
- Climbing and active mountain use
- Cool, dry conditions
- Layering in variable weather