Mountain Warehouse - any good?

[DreamingOfSoftWhiteSand]

I have noticed that whenever I walk or drive past a branch of Mountain Warehouse it has sales going on (a bit like DFS!). So I went in and they have an enormous range of reasonably-priced fleeces, thermals, etc. Their stuff seems good quality if a little boring. Any Mountain Warehouse customers here who could share their thoughts on this brand's winter clothing please? I'm looking for stuff that's very warm and comfy (I WFH full time) but that I can also quickly pop to the shops in. Thank you.

It’s probably ok for basics. But my ski trousers I brought first from there weren’t very warm or waterproof

It's not stylish but it's mostly decent stuff. The exception is their summer dresses and skirts for women, some of which are made from horrible fabrics. The sales are permanent - nobody pays the non sale price, and you can also find a discount code if buying online.

I have a mountain warehouse fleece lined hoodie that I wear for wfh in winter. Its very comfortable and super cosy. Compared to my more expensive fleeces like North face the main difference is cut / colour / finish rather than function. It’s definitely my warmest though!

We use mountain warehouse a fair bit.
It isn't wildly stylish but I've always found it pretty functional, including the ski wear.

They have multiple ranges, the cheap stuff isn't great quality but I have a really good technical mountain walking jacket that doesn't leak even with a full day of rain in the Peak District. It's easier to distinguish the ranges online though eg they had 3 pairs of waterproof trousers at 3 price points.

My thermals are all from there too, their more expensive range

I live in Snowdonia so I have a lot of practical clothing and do buy a lot from Mountain Warehouse. It's not top quality but it's definitely not bad.

I'm still wearing the fleece lined walking trousers I bought 5 years ago. They have faded but still keep me cosy whilst out with the dog and being smart and fashionable doesn't matter to me when out in the mountains. Warm and dry does!

I have the "extreme" range waterproofs which have a hydrostatic rating of 10,000mm. They keep me a lot drier than the very expensive set I had from Rohan before which was hopeless although carried the same rating.

As far as I'm concerned a fleece is a fleece. You either like the colour and styles or you don't.

not to be confused with Mountain Equipment which is high quality/technical & expensive!

Thank you all very much. I will definitely get a couple of fleeces this weekend then. I have a couple of fleeces from Tesco but they are quite thin and not very warm, so I'm looking forward to getting something warmer!

I've become quite a fan of them in recent years, though I haven't tried their specifically winter ranges. Their sale prices are fantastic, the items good quality and, as someone who's 5' 2", it's a relief to find clothes that aren't made for giants. I also like the fact that, unlike some outdoor/technical brands, they don't assume that women always want outer wear in fuchsia or purple.

I love their wool socks, and also have a couple of their merino base layers. I have a jacket from there too that is a lovely colour, and wind/waterproof (for playground wear - I haven't tried it in a downpour!)
Their children's clothes are nice too, though as usual there isn't a great selection for boys.

I probably wouldn't get a walking coat or boots from them, but they're good for basics. Also I used to find them good for practical childrens wear and footwear - like that they have 'kids boots' in a variety of colours rather than practical but dull 'boys' ones or colourful but less practical 'girls' options like some shoe shops.

Or Mountain Hardware which are more expensive and more technical!

We just got Dd her second ski jacket from Mountain warehouse. She likes them, the old one is in great shape still even though it's been well worn.

My husband rates their walking shoes for day to day wear, an likes their trousers even though they never have ones short enough and I have to hem them

I use them for kids clothes and winter basics for myself. They do longer length cargo shorts for girls which are fab for my super tall skinny daughter (and cheap).

I just learnt they are on Amazon at the same prices as their own website. But with Prime I don't pay for P&P so it actually works out cheaper than shopping from the MW website. And it arrives the following day.

Forgot to say: since you mentioned fleeces, I recently found the identical black fleece, right down to the exact sizing and piping, in both the women's and men's sections, just with a different label inside... and the men's one was a good few pounds cheaper. So depending what size you're after, and if you're able to check in-store, could be worth bearing in mind. Also, if your branch is like my local one, as well as the sale items in the main part, there's also a separate clearance area with some real bargains. Recently got some lightweight all-purpose black trousers for £7 and a lovely warm cable-knit jumper for £9.

I love mountain warehouse . Reasonably priced especially sales stuff. As pp have said not that stylish but great for walking the dog and chilling at the weekend. and their summer dresses which are great for quick changes on the beach and stuff have pockets.

Also their camping chairs are really comfy.

Love it for kids stuff! Great bargains.

Order placed via Amazon - very excited now :-)

I disagree about the dresses, perfect casual t-shirt dresses for the summer, wash well and UV protection.

Anyway, for fleeces and stuff for working from home/ walking the dog/ pottering around hill walking in the UK they are perfect, better quality than the supermarkets but not as good quality but substantially cheaper than more technical brands which you would want for trekking through the Himalayas or skiing in the Alps.

It’s good for warm stuff - I think stock is mainly brands from previous seasons. Also look for merino at Cotswold Outdoor online. Bridgedale socks are great and very long lasting, and Craghoppers do great fleece lined black walking trousers.

My only problem with mountain warehouse - and Cotswold, which I like for boots and slightly higher end items - is that they've both left my high street in the last couple of years. We've now just got trespass in the town (which I don't particularly like) and a go outdoors on the retail park which is a bit hit and miss.