Comfort is one of the most important ingredients for a happy day spent outside. Being uncomfortable – whether that be wet, cold, sore, or something else – can very quickly lead to having a miserable experience, or worse. And while I would argue that a good waterproof outer layer is the most important bit of kit for anyone looking to spend lots of time outside, especially here in the UK, it’s easy to see why an insulating layer such as the Berghaus Cullin Insulated Hoody, comes a close second.
I was sent the women’s version of the updated Berghaus Cuillin Insulated Hoody (this one) back in mid-November. In fact, it arrived on my birthday, which was a rather nice coincidence! Something of a jacket-of-all-trades, Berghaus say they’ve designed this to be your first choice for all outdoor activities, at all times of the year.
I don’t get heaps of outdoor gear to test and review, so when I do receive something like this, I try and go all in. As such, for the last eight weeks or so, I’ve made this red puffy coat my go-to layer. And while I’ve been rather inactive over the last couple of weeks thanks to catching two of the many lurgies going around at the same time, I’ve had the opportunity to put this through a real-life test – both on One Hour Outside wanders from my own front door, and slightly bigger adventures away from home.
The Short Review
The Berghaus Cullin Insulated Hoody is a synthetic puffy jacket, which over the last few weeks has proven ideal for cold and wintery weather, and has quickly replaced the old and worn-out puffy coat I’d been hanging onto because I hadn’t found quite the right thing to replace it yet.
It’s an excellent outer layer when the risk of rain has been low, and a useful mid-layer when conditions have required. I’ve worn it for everything – work, shopping, urban wandering, short walks, hill walks, and in-the-snow winter hiking. It’s warm, comfortable, and my review here on Splodz Blogz after a couple of months of wear is going to be very positive.
The women’s version of this full-zipped jacket is nicely shaped, with a flattering-enough fit, plenty of space around the hips, and a dropped hem to insulate the bottom of the back. It can be cinched in for a closer fit if you prefer, or if the activity you’re taking part in requires it.
Usefully, the jacket packs down (into the chest pocket) just about small enough to have a place in my day pack or motorcycle panier as my insulating layer – an absolutely vital feature if a bit of kit is going to find a permanent home in my gear cupboard.
Puffy Coat Features
Berghaus say their Cullin Insulated Hoody has been designed for mid-level activities such as hiking, cragging, camping, kayaking, or general travel. Everything I like, then! It will keep you warm, even when wet, and is not only high performing in terms of fabric and construction, but is also an environmentally sustainable choice.
Features wise, this jacket has a close-fitting hood, a couple of zipped hand pockets, an internal pocket, cuffs with close-to-skin binding (to keep the weather out), and a dropped rear hem. That hem adjusts to fit as you prefer, it has both internal and external hanging loops, and the DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish means it’s not going to saturate in a light shower.
Weighing in at 307g, the Cullin is lightweight, and will pack into its internal pocket into a reasonably packable (accurate by my at-home measuring standards) 30cm x 13cm x 10cm. That’s certainly light enough and small enough to have a place in my day hiking pack, my kayaking dry bag, my motorcycle pannier, or my car camping grab bag.
On Choosing Synthetic
The key benefit of a synthetic puffy coat over a down-filled one, is that it is both quick-drying, and insulates even if wet, both of which down struggles to do. It also tends to be less expensive than down insulation, lasts a bit longer, and is naturally hypoallergenic.
With that, it’s still commonly assumed that down is better when it comes to gear that needs to keep you warm – it is probably still warmer, lighter, and packs down smaller. I choose synthetic fill warmth (puffy coats and sleeping bags) primarily due to silly allergies; if I want to sleep in the item, then I need to choose synthetic fill products that don’t carry dust and other allergens that in turn cause me issues. I take the hit on weight in order to look after my nose!
These days, with the development of manmade fibres such as the Hydroloft insulation you find in this Berghaus Cullin Insulated Hoody, synthetic fill is really getting very close to down in terms of technical specification, so you aren’t losing much (if anything) in real terms.
Being confident to wear this jacket out in a light shower is a game changer (no need to rush quite so quickly to find your waterproof shell), as you know it isn’t going to soak through straight away, and even if it does get damp, it will still do the job you require of it – keep you warm.
In Practical Terms
I used the chart on the Berghaus website to choose a size 12, which is pretty well spot on. While this jacket does have a women’s fit, it is not too form fitting, giving me space to move; I think it’s pretty flattering. Importantly, the cut provides the flexibility needed to wear another warm layer underneath it, and a waterproof layer over the top, when I choose to.
The pockets are high enough to be useful when wearing a backpack hip strap, but low enough to be comfortable to put hands in when on walks without a bag. And they’re big enough for all the random stuff I always end up with in my hands, such as phone, keys, wallet, a snack, a pair of gloves, and probably more besides.
It’s also very easy to keep clean. If the mud splashes or peanut butter drips won’t wipe off with a damp cloth, this synthetic filled jacket is not a scary thing to wash at home. Bung it in the washing machine on a gentle 30-degree cycle (keep it inside out to protect the hardware, and use a non-bio detergent as you will be doing for your other outdoor gear), and let it air dry outside on a windy day. Or, if you need to, tumble dry it on low with a couple of tennis balls (or these fabulous things from Grangers).
Repairing It
Many of us are asking more of our outdoor gear makers in terms of sustainability these days, and I’m very pleased to see what Berghaus are doing here. The Cullin Insulated Hoody is made from 100% Recycled Pertex® Quantum 20D ripstop, combined with 100% recycled Hydroloft® insulation (Heatball Eco+). That’s a lot of words, but in short means it’s a kind-to-the-environment way to provide synthetic warmth and weather resistance.
You can also make use of Berghaus’ Repairhaus team, who have been repairing kit since 1966. They will repair tears, holes, broken zips, and more. Even better, the repair is free, you just pick up the cost of postage. You can use the service an unlimited number of times, which will certainly lengthen the life span of this jacket, and ultimately mean you aren’t having to buy new every time you do a little damage.
In Real Life
This is a great jacket. I like wearing it, it does what I expect of it, and it looks the part. I have found it to be exactly as Berghaus describe it – ideal for every day wear, and certainly technical enough for walks in the hills. It performed particularly well on that very wintery weekend in the Lake District in December, and I will continue to rely on it as my warm layer of choice for the foreseeable future.
I can’t say I’ve tested this in cold camping conditions just yet, or even at the other end of the weather scale given that it’s currently winter here in the UK. But my feeling so far is that I would be confident to pack this as my puffy coat of choice on any outdoors adventure or travel experience – no question.
I’m very happy to say that in this puffy I have a firm replacement for my old and very worn out The North Face Thermoball (which I should have replaced well over a year ago); this is easily as good as that jacket was when I first got it.
The Berghaus Cullin Insulated Hoody is a workhorse of a jacket, designed to be thrown on when required, and stuffed into your bag when it’s not. A technical piece of clothing, which ticks all the boxes of this road trip loving hiker, but one that also looks good enough to put on whenever I leave the house.
Berghaus Cullin Insulated Hoody
You’ll find this jacket on the Berghaus website priced at a specification-appropriate £190 – about the same as you’d pay for something from one of Berghaus’ big competitors.
With thanks to Berghaus for sending me their Cullin Insulated Hoody to test and review. As always, while the jacket was a gift, the review is an honest opinion of the product based on my own real-life testing.