REVIEW: Quechua X-Light 2 jacket

When it comes to outdoor gear, we love a good bargain, and a down jacket for under thirty quid certainly falls into that category. Considering you can pay upwards of £250 for top-of-the-range technical jackets, Quechua’s X-Light range – exclusively available at Decathlon stores – is a snip at just £27.99. But is it too good to be true?

It’s stating the obvious that no matter how little you pay for something, you’re only getting good value for money if the product is actually fit for purpose. But after a couple of weeks of wearing an X-Light 2 in various conditions – including a frosty November hike along the banks of Loch Lomond – we’re pleased to say it passes with flying colours. Lightweight, warm and comfortable, it ticks all the boxes if you’re looking for a jacket to wear on autumn and winter walks or for out-of-season camping trips.

What makes down jackets so popular is the amount of warmth they provide in relation to the weight. The X-Light tips the scales at just 380g, is easily compactible (is that a word?) and comes with its own stuff sack, which allows you to fold it away and carry it in your backpack without significantly adding to your load.

Down products are assessed on their fill power using a cubic inch per ounce rating known as CUIN. In simple terms, the higher the rating the warmer the jacket and, at 540 CUIN, the X-Light is considered to be above average. The front and back of the X-Light is made up of 75% down (plucked from Chinese ducks reared for their meat, apparently) and 25% feather, while the sleeves and hood are filled with synthetic wadding. Presumably this helps keep costs down, but we noticed little in the way of diminished performance.

While it’s not waterproof, the material of the jacket is water repellent so can be worn in light rain. The close fit allows you to wear a fully waterproof shell on top, if conditions require. The hood is not adjustable but is elasticated and fits snugly round the head. The same applies to the cuffs.

The jacket also features two zip side pockets, two inside pockets and a zip guard at the chin for comfort. The model we tried is a particularly vivid hue of green, but if you prefer something a little more subtle, with more than 20 different colours available for men, women and kids, there’s no shortage of choice. Quechua also offer a two-year guarantee. 

EDITOR'S VERDICT: We like it a lot. OK, perhaps it’s not for the serious hardcore adventurer, but for long winter walks or out of season evenings around the campsite the X-Light is ideal. And for the price it’s unbeatable.

Review by Camping editor Iain Duff

See the full range of X Light down jackets here