The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 ($100) is a no-frills hooded down jacket designed for use as a lightweight three-season insulation layer when camping or during hiking rest stops to avoid becoming chilled. Insulated with 800 fill power down, it’s surprisingly inexpensive compared to similar jackets that cost two or three times more. If you want a down hooded jacket that will keep you warm down to 40F degrees and you don’t mind the jacket’s slightly oversized hood, the MT100 is a good buy. For colder temperatures, we’d recommend purchasing a warmer down jacket from Decathlon or another value-oriented brand such as REI, Eddie Bauer, or LL Bean.
Specs at a Glance
- Men’s and women’s models are available
- Total Weight: 11.4 oz in a men’s XL
- Comfort range: 23F-41F
- Insulation: 800 fill power RDS-certified down (10% grey duck feather, 90% grey duck down)
- Insulation weight: 3.1 oz in a size medium
- Pockets: 2 zippered handwarmer pockets, jacket stuffs into a pocket.
- Construction: Sewn Through
- Shell Fabric: 15d Polyamide
- Harness loop: Yes
Construction
The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 is insulated with 800-fill power RDS-certified duck down which is a bit unusual for a jacket at this price, since most lower-cost down jackets are insulated with 650-fill power down. Before you ask, the 800-fill power duck down used in MT100 is just as warm as 800-fill power goose down because fill power is a species-independent measurement. Duck down is less expensive than goose down however because there is a much larger supply of it.
The MT100 has a sewn-through baffle design, where the interior and exterior fabric are sewn together to create pockets to hold the down insulation. While some heat can escape at the seams, this technique is the norm on budget-priced down jackets because it is simpler and less expensive to sew than the box baffled design found on warmer and more expensive jackets.
Features
The Decathlon MT100 Jacket has a minimal feature set. It has an oversized, non-adjustable hood, a YKK zipper with a zipper garage at the top, two zippered handwarmer pockets, elasticated wrist cuffs, and a shock-cord waist adjustment to seal out drafts from below. There’s no chest pocket for storing a phone and no internal pockets for storing extra gloves or snacks. The hood is oversized and not adjustable to seal in body heat, but it is large enough to fit over a climbing helmet. There’s also a harness loop so you stuff the jacket into one of its handwarmer pockets and attach it to a climbing harness.
Temperature Rating
Decathlon assigns the MT100 jacket a comfort rating of 41 degrees F. That is accurate as long as you’re layering it over a jersey and a mid-layer and wearing a warm hat. It really is a lightweight down jacket and is best used in warmer weather.
Jackets like the MT100 are meant to be worn in camp when you’re hanging out with friends or cooking meals or during a rest stop so you can quickly put something warm on to avoid a chill. They’re not an optimal active layering option when you’re hiking because you’ll quickly overheat when wearing one, they don’t absorb perspiration, and don’t wick it out of your baselayer like a fleece. See our Decathlon Quechua MH100 Review for a mid-layer fleece we recommend, which complements the MT100 nicely.
Fit
The MT100 in a size men’s XL is true-to-size in terms of sleeve length and torso length although it is a bit snug around the chest. The sizing is just large enough to accommodate a base and mid-layer. The hood is large and non-adjustable. While its opening is bordered by elastic, it is too loosely tensioned to close the gap between the hood and one’s face. We recommend you wear a fleece or wool hat when using the hood to keep your head warmer.
Recommendation
The Decathlon MT100 Hooded Down Jacket is an inexpensive packable down puffer insulated with 800 fill power down that is priced less than comparable jackets offered by other manufacturers. If you only need a down jacket for three-season hiking and backpacking use to keep you warm to about 40 degrees, then it’s a pretty good value for the money like many of Decathlon’s other products. But if you need a jacket for colder conditions, I’d recommend getting a heavier jacket with a better hood and more down insulation. Decathlon also makes a hoodless down jacket called the Forclaz MT500 which has a 32F degree comfort rating and may be a good alternative. The advantage of a hoodless jacket is that it can be worn under hooded rain jacket or winter shell more easily than a hooded puffy.
Disclosure: Decathlon donated a jacket for review.
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