It’s fair to say I was impressed by the Cirrus Ultra from the moment I got it and was really looking forward to getting out and testing it.
Apart from a few local walks the first big test of the jacket was a cold wet trip to the Lake District. Throughout the 4 days I was in the Lakes I barely took this jacket off. It was warm, comfortable and even held up well during some of the wetter days. I was really impressed by how warm it actually was for its weight; this could be down to the PrimaLoft® ThermoPlume®+ insulation and the TILT lining. TILT (Thermo Ionic Lining Technology) essentially reflects body heat back towards the wearer, which keeps you warmer for longer.
While the Cirrus Ultra isn’t waterproof (and doesn’t intend to be) the Pertex Quantum outer with DWR coating did a great job of repelling the odd shower and even if the jacket does get wet, the synthetic insulation will still perform well unlike a lot of down jackets. Whilst technically the jacket does fine in the wet, I’d always make sure to put a waterproof layer over the top in the heavier rain and due to the jacket not being super bulky, a waterproof layer fits well over the top.
One feature I found myself really appreciating was the two-way zip as it allowed me to open the jacket from the bottom to provide some airflow if I was getting a bit warm. If I did get too warm the Cirrus Ultra was easy to pack away into a backpack due to the fact you could stash it away into its own pocket.
Overall as I’m sure you can gather, I have been really impressed with this jacket and can see myself wearing it a lot going forward. There’s no wonder it won Outdoor Clothing Winner – The OIA Winter Award (2024).