Berghaus "Everyday Outdoors" Jackets feedback thread - now with final feedback questions

[AnnMumsnet]

Dear Berghaus tester

Many thanks for taking part in the Berghaus product test.

We'd be grateful if you could add feedback at least a couple of times over the next month or so - for now, your first impressions and then after a month or so we'll post some more detailed questions.

Everyone who is part of the test and who adds feedback here will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will win £150 of Berghaus products.

So, generally speaking, what are your first impressions? Was it as expected? Anything you particularly liked or disliked? How is the colour/ size etc? (any major problems which mean you want to exchange it, please do let us know)

You are more than welcome to add other comments/ feedback to this thread over the next month.

In your response please state which jacket you are testing.

Many thanks

MNHQ

Yes, I've been ditching the NF puffa in favour of the Richmond. It's just so nice having your bum & thighs covered too. And you can wear a skirt & boots with it, without looking all top heavy.

And yes, it's warm. Even when it's brass monkeys outside.

The Akka coped wonderfully in the snow outside preschool today. Why in God's name can't they let them out on time when we're all standing in the snow, though?!

horton - at least your school is effing open!

my god i am glad i got this coat. it is a total life saver atm. got caught in hailstorm yesterday while sledging. coat kept me toasty and warm and dried in no time

This is true! But, you know, if there's ever a case for making sure the kids get out on time, it's when it's snowing heavily and all the poor parents are standing in it freezing their arses off (except me, of course, in my toasty warm Akka ). Felt really sorry for the woman with a tiny newborn freezing its tiny bottom off in a buggy! Although I suppose under all those fleecey blankets, it may well have been warmer than its mum!

Has to walk part of the way to work today, then took the children at school outside to make snowmen, and then walk up to DD's school from work, and then was in town too - all in minus temperatures and heavy snow.

My Akka was great. Didn't feel any cold once. Amazing.

I'm going to go against the grain I'm afraid. I've reverted back to my knackered old parka for this freezing weather

But I think I'm the problem.
I wore the Berghaus parka at the weekend with a fleece underneath and I was cold. The coat felt really flimsy.
Today, I had old parka, 2 fleeces and a thermal vest.
Actually I think the problem is the wind... I'm on exposed flat land and the wind whips right through here.
I really think the coat is brilliant for 95% of the year, just not standing outside for long periods, in this extreme weather. sorry.
Oh and the zip is really doing my head in.
sorry.

Ingles, I have the opposite problem - I find the parka too hot a lot of the time! When I'm outside, I'm moving, usually quickly, either cycling or pushing a double pushchair and I'm baking. Today it was about -3 and snowing lightly, and I had a long sleeved tshirt on under the parka and was plenty warm enough on the pre-school run (over an hours walking in total).

A few more niggles:

• the zip that holds the hood on keeps coming undone, up to about halfway at times, leaving the hood hanging at a daft angle
• when I pull the toggles to adjust the hood, the fur trim doesn't gather very well so there's gaps between the hood and the fur. Not really a biggie, but irritating because I can see the gaps out of the corner of my eye and it bugs me!
• the fur seems to be moulting slighty!

Still enjoying it though, and have had a few positive comments. I do think though that if I was to go out in more extreme weather (heavy rain, heavier snow) I'd choose my other coat. It's also a Berghaus (by coincidence! it's a few years old) but is one of the active ones and has a better hood and is slightly longer.

The other day I was in town and managed to try the Akka down jacket on, I was just curious to see what it was like! Sizing definitely generous, perhaps even more so than the parka, and I was surprised by how light it is. Also surprised that it was as unflattering as I thought it would be. I wanted to see the Richmond IRL too, but Blacks didn't have it. Did manage to try the parka in a size smaller than I've got and although it fitted round my body better than the size I have (14), the sleeves were noticably shorter and wouldn't have been right for pushing buggies or cycling.

doh, should preview - the Akka WASN'T as unflattering as I thought it'd be!!

I did an outdoor market in Scotland today and once i had sorted out my feet (dh's snow boots and 3 enormous pairs of socks) i was supper warm in my akka. So 4 hours solid standing at a stall, in the snow, in relative comfort, thanks to berghaus.

Well, I thought that the parka was a bit loose, but now that I've tried it out in sub-zero weather, I realise that it's perfect for getting a lot of layers underneath. And it still provided a lot of warmth, in and of itself.

In fact, the only problem that I have with is so far is that I am struggling a bit to get the hood fitting well.

No comments from friends so far - I wonder if it's because we are all anonymous online and don't want to betray ourselves. My family like it alot, although I suppose that Berghaus aren't really so keen on the opinions of 60-plus men. :)

Agree with MrsTittleMouse. My parka is perfect size for adding extra layers. I have not been cold once in the snow.

Lots of jealous friends.

Have been wearing my Akka all weekend in minus temperatures and have ended up too warm at times, lol! On Friday walking up the hills to DD's school I had to undo it at the top as was so warm. Really very impressed.

Have had many comments on my coat - from people who don't know it was free either. Was suprised at how many positive comments it has had from younger women (20-30s age band). But not suprised at how many people have been envious of it during this cold weater.

I have another slight niggle with the Akka...

I have managed to sort out the zip as in I think it is getting easier the more I wear it (oooo that'll be everyday then at the moment!), but a few times I have done it up leaving the bottom zip at the bottom, and then either got in the car by obviously opening my legs or by sitting down rather un ladylike (usually wrestling a small twin trying to get their coats on!) and I hear the ominous sound of the zip coming apart without the actual zip bit moving.

I am trying to consciously not open my legs too wide when its on and done up (christ what do I get up to with this coat on?? ) but the first time it happened I almost cried because I thought I had killed my lovely coat!

Has anyone washed theirs yet?

The zip is pretty crap on the Akka, I agree. I spend a lot of time zipping and unzipping because it zips itself onto the fabric of the coat inside very easily and I don't want to ruin my wonderful warm coat! And it feels kind of flimsy, as though I might easily break it. It's a shame on such a lovely, smart, clearly expensive coat.

Not washed mine yet but will need to soon as I haven't stopped wearing it since I got it.

It kept me toasty in the snow although I did put a lot of layers underneath.

I personally love the (parka) hood and would rather put the hood up than wear a hat as it keeps everything so snug.

I do think that one of the issues for Berghaus will be the marketing of these coats though. Unless people had read the rave reviews, then I'm not sure that they would be able to see that the high cost is justified. If a customer picked up the parka for example, they might struggle to see how something so light could be so warm.

Mind you, I normally get my coats from ebay so I'm probably a bit out of touch.

I agree, crikey. I've had similar coats to the Akka before but never one as light and warm. And waterproof! Don't forget waterproof!

Dear Berghaus "Everyday Outdoors" Jacket Tester

Many thanks for trying the Berghaus Jackets over the last month or so - the weather has certainly given most of them a good challenge!

Below are the questions Berghaus would like you to respond to for the final part of the project - they are very grateful for all the comments you've been adding over the past month - these will all be shared with the Berghaus team for future developments.

If you haven't already please do also add a review of your jacket to the Berghaus website if you can (use the links below).

Everyone who adds their feedback here will be entered into a prize draw where one winner can select £150 worth of product from the Berghaus range.

Please add in your reply the name of the jacket you've been trying and the colour - just to remind us. The three jackets were:

1. The Akka Long Down Jacket RRP £150
2. Insulated Richmond Jacket RRP £175
3. Mid Insulated Parka RRP £170

Feedback questions - please feel free to add any additional comments:

Q1 What expecations did you have of the jacket? Did the jacket meet, exceed or fall below your expectations?
Q2 How did it feel to wear?

Q3 Did you feel that the jacket looked flattering?
Q4 Did your friends or family notice or comment on it? If so, what did they say?
Q5 Did it perform well for your day-to-day activities?
Q6 Would you recommend this jacket to other people? If so what would you say? If not, why not?
Q7 Do you think the jacket represents good value for money? What price would you be willing to pay for the jacket?
Q8 What did you think of the colour? What colour/s would you like to see in the colour range?
Q9 Any final observations/comments?

Many thanks and good luck with the prize draw
MNHQ

I am reviewing: (1) The Akka Long Down Jacket RRP £150

Q1 What expecations did you have of the jacket? Did the jacket meet, exceed or fall below your expectations?*

I didn't really have any set expectations as such. I guess I assumed it would be decent quality because of the name. When I saw the image of the coat I would recieve I was expecting quite a bulky padded coat.

However when the coat arrived I was very suprised that it was very light and not at all bulky to wear, yet was still incredivbly warm and well made.

It has exceeded my expectations and as a result I am now likely to buy berghaus again.

Q2 How did it feel to wear?

Lovely :) It is very lightbut so snug and warm. The fit is slightly bigger ime, but this is ideal in hcold weather as it means you can fit an extra jumper layer underneath should you wish.

Q3 Did you feel that the jacket looked flattering?

Yes, overall I did. As said before I was expecting it to be much bulkier, but it realy isn't at all. Have had many compliments on the coat.

Q4 Did your friends or family notice or comment on it? If so, what did they say?

As mentined above I have had many comments on my coat, especially in this cold snowy weater. Many of the younger women in my work have commented very positively on it in particular. I think many people were quite jealous of how warm I stayed even when doing playground duty in the snow!

Q5 Did it perform well for your day-to-day activities?

Excellent for having to walk to and from work last week in the snow, when I couldn't get the car out. And fantastic for playground duty in the cold.

Q6 Would you recommend this jacket to other people? If so what would you say? If not, why not?

Definitely would.

Q7 Do you think the jacket represents good value for money? What price would you be willing to pay for the jacket?

Yes, I think the price of £150 reflects the quality of the coat. I would be happy to pay this amount for this jacket.

Q8 What did you think of the colour? What colour/s would you like to see in the colour range?

Initialy I was unsure of the colour ( a green colour) however it looks much nicer on and the colour has been complimented bu others. I would probbaly have chosen black if chosing myself, but have been pleased with this coat colour in the end, and nice to have a colour I don't normally go for.

Q9 Any final observations/comments?

Thank you so much. Love the coat and will buy again - looking at one of the smarter versions for the future as well.

Oh, and not had any problems with the zip on my Akka.

I've been wearing the mid insulated parka.

Q1 What expecations did you have of the jacket? Did the jacket meet, exceed or fall below your expectations?
I was hoping for a warm, practical waterproof jacket. It's actually exceeded my expectations because I didn't expect it to look so good.

Q2 How did it feel to wear?
It's mostly comfortable to wear. I find it a little stiff and constricting, mostly around the tops of my arms (I have big biceps!) and I do find the stand up collar very stiff and get annoyed with it poking me in the chin. I do tend to be very sensitive to these things, though - I'm the sort of person who will scratch myself until I'm raw if a label is too rough.

Q3 Did you feel that the jacket looked flattering?
Incredibly. There's just enough waist shaping and some nice details on it.

Q4 Did your friends or family notice or comment on it? If so, what did they say?
My husband really likes it. He's a man of few words, though!

Q5 Did it perform well for your day-to-day activities?
Very well. I've worn it every day to take the boys to school and back and it's smart enough to go shopping in. There have been days when I've been cold in it, but that's because it has been freaking cold! :o

Q6 Would you recommend this jacket to other people? If so what would you say? If not, why not?
Definitely. Not sure what I would say though. It would depend on who I was talking to.

Q7 Do you think the jacket represents good value for money? What price would you be willing to pay for the jacket? I'd never pay more than £100 for a coat, even a good one like this!

Q8 What did you think of the colour? What colour/s would you like to see in the colour range? Black is always good for me. I think this style with the fur trim suits neutrals best, but if it didn't have the fur, it would look fabulous in a bold red. That would probably be a great colour for the Richmond jacket, in fact!

Q9 Any final observations/comments?
I ended up having to wash it, last night, because it was getting a bit whiffy from all the wear it's had and had a few slat splashes on it. I used Ecover for delicates, since I had some to hand and it's nice and gentle and the jacket's all cleaned up well, even the fur collar. It took a while to dry. I had to spin it twice, since it was still full of water after the short spin of the gentle wash cycle I used. (I washed it with the kids' waterproofs, which didn't help). I also had to tumble dry it twice, once the right way out and once inside out and hang it overnight in a warm place to get it completely dry. It looks and smells much better now.

Also adding my thanks! It's been a very welcome freebie!

Q1 What expecations did you have of the jacket? Did the jacket meet, exceed or fall below your expectations?

I expected it to be thicker, and good quality. I found out soon enough the thickness was decieving as it was super warm, and the quality was excellent.

Q2 How did it feel to wear?

I got a size too big which I did not need unfortunately. However it felt great to wear despite this.

Q3 Did you feel that the jacket looked flattering?

I felt it looked good. I felt smart in it and not just like I had thrown on the first thing I grabbed on teh school run. It goes with a lot of outfits.

Q4 Did your friends or family notice or comment on it? If so, what did they say?

Yep, my friends, thought it was very lightweight and were amazed when I wore only a t-shirt underneath it as it was that warm. Lots of them tried it on for size and a few were then looking to buy as they loved it.

Q5 Did it perform well for your day-to-day activities?

Yes, it was great on the school run. It was excellent on forrest walks with the kids, I really can honestly say I have never felt cold when wearing it for any activity.

Q6 Would you recommend this jacket to other people? If so what would you say? If not, why not?

I would highly recommend this coat to other people. I would say how light it is, but yet warm, so you can move easily without loads of layers to keep you warm. I would say it is smart enough to wear out for social events too.

Q7 Do you think the jacket represents good value for money? What price would you be willing to pay for the jacket?

I think the price is a bit high. I could never afford this coat at this price, though saying that, now I have tried this brand, I feel it will last for years, so that makes it a very good investment and I will buy from them in future. I would be £130 for it.

Q8 What did you think of the colour? What colour/s would you like to see in the colour range?

I loved the green colour i choose, it goes with most things I own. Maybe some other colours, a grey one would be nice.

Q9 Any final observations/comments?

Thanks so much for this trial, it has been a life saver of a coat

oh I was wearing the mid insulate parka !!!

Hi, I am reviewing the akka down coat

Q1 What expecations did you have of the jacket? Did the jacket meet, exceed or fall below your expectations?

I expected it to be very practical and hard wearing as that is my experience of Berghaus. I thought it would be quite bulky. i wasn't expecting it to be hugely stylish.

and yes it is practical and so far wearing well. but as i have mentioned a million times already it is incredibly light and not bulky at all. it is more stylish than i expected and in this cold weather i think it is a good look!

Q2 How did it feel to wear?

It feels great to wear because it is so light. and if i get too hot i just unzip and cool down so i don't end up hot and bothered going in and out of shops.

Q3 Did you feel that the jacket looked flattering?

No, it isn't the most flattering jacket due to the lack of waist definition. it does look good unzipped but zipped up i do feel conscious of looking frumpy.

Q4 Did your friends or family notice or comment on it? If so, what did they say?

yes i have had lots of envious 'oh you look warm' comments and people seem to like it. also a few 'oh berghaus!' comments from the more gortexy crowd.

Q5 Did it perform well for your day-to-day activities?

yes, this coat has absolutely saved my life, my normal coats would not have been as comfie and warm in the -10 temps i have been out in. again because it is light and warm it really makes life easier in teh cold.

Q6 Would you recommend this jacket to other people? If so what would you say? If not, why not?
yes i would, because it is so light and warm.

Q7 Do you think the jacket represents good value for money? What price would you be willing to pay for the jacket?

it is fairly good value for money, before the trial there is no way i would have spent this much on a coat like this. previously, i would have spent the money on a gortex coat for hill walking or on a 'fashion' coat that i really liked but now i definitely think it is worth the money.
Q8 What did you think of the colour? What colour/s would you like to see in the colour range?

i have black which is practical but a bit dull. i would love a nice bright colour.
Q9 Any final observations/comments?

thanks again. i adore the coat and have worn it pretty much everyday since i got it.

marking place so i don't forget later