There are copious amounts of puffy jackets available to consumers. I am willing to bet you have at least one of these (maybe even two) in your closet right now. When the possibilities seem endless, how do you choose one brand over another? I often go by one of my favorite gear rankings: bang for your buck. Coming in at under $100 is the Craghoppers Nat Geo CompressLite II jacket. It is just as warm and light as its high-cost brethren, and after months of testing in all conditions imaginable, I can tell you that this Craghoppers coat can definitely take a beating.
The low-down on the CompressLite II Jacket
• ClimaPlus fill- a synthetic fill layer used by Craghoppers to keep loft up and weight down
• Attached hood with elastic-bound face
• Elastic-bound wrist cuffs
• Inner drawcord hem adjusters
• Two zippered side hand pockets
• Stuff sack included
• Total weight= 1lb
• Slim, technical cut with room for layering
The Nat Geo is a truly basic jacket, which is great. You don’t always need a ton of bells and whistles on a piece like this. Craghoppers promises several things with the CompressLite II: packability, versatility, lightweight mid/outer layer and warm enough for several seasons of use. I put this puffy through the paces everywhere from the desert to the mountains, to determine if Craghoppers could deliver real performance at a low price point.
Three Season Goodness
Is the CompressLite II jacket light? No doubt. It is rather easy to forget you are wearing it. It just sort of hangs out and keeps you warm without making any fuss. Packable? You bet! It folds up into its own stuff sack and disappears in a daypack. As for warmth, this jacket gets it done. On chilly autumn days I wore it hiking with only a tee underneath, and found myself having to unzip to let some air in. During trips to the desert, this was my favorite layer for hanging out after sunset. When winter finally arrived in the Wasatch, I simply added a wool base layer under the CompressLite II, and I was good to go.
The versatility of this jacket is what impressed me the most. I can honestly say I’ve worn this piece almost every day since late October. In fact, the only element that this coat isn’t suited for is precipitation. You’ll need a waterproof layer over the top if you want to stay dry. Which brings me to my next rave: this is a great midlayer for resort riding. My worry was that the affixed hood would be too bulky under my riding jacket, but that’s not the case. Because the ClimaPlus fill is so compressable, the hood tucked under my top layer with no problems. From fall to spring the CompressLite II jacket will do just about anything you ask it to, in just about any weather condition.
The Verdict
This jacket does have a few shortcomings. First, because of the lower price point, you can tell that manufacturing costs were kept down with less attention to detail on the stitching. I found several frays and loose connections right out of the box. Also, you get no adjustment points for the hood or wrist enclosures. For me, this wasn’t an issue, but it might be a deal breaker for some folks. Also, no interior stash pockets for phones or smaller items, but hey, for around $85 how much can you really complain?
That price point is pretty impressive. Some of my other puffy jackets have more pockets or adjustment points, but they also had much higher price tags, and don’t keep me a single degree warmer when I’m hiking or snowboarding. You can use the Nat Geo CompressLite II jacket through three seasons, and it delivers serious value and performance. My conclusion: it passes the “bang for your buck” test with flying colors.