There’s a vast universe out there called outerwear jackets. From the cheap rain jackets for your everyday commute, to the most technical and innovative top-of-market brands that’ll assist you when summiting your next steep mountain top. The market standard of a 3-layer jacket starts around $200 for lower-priced hard shells that might not have the durability or waterproofness level of a premium product.
Above $400 you’ll start to see the real gems with sustainable components, very high level of craftsmanship and the high-quality technical fabrics that will last you a lifetime. And the prices can go all the way up to $800 to $1000 euro when you buy the most premium brands. Looking at Cortazu, you can say that they’re the current challenger for these premium big outdoor brands.
Better and cheaper? We’ve put it to the test
Context is always important, especially when prices if such technical hard shell jackets can become quite hefty. The benchmark item of Cortazu, their Insulated Mountain hard shell currently sells for $399. Comparing this price to other outerwear brands with a similar product, the quality you receive for this price is much higher.
Some of their most notable features of this jacket include:
- Being 100% Water- and windproof
- 7 Pockets
- 3DeFX+™ Insulation with Dermizax®EV technology
- Recco® Rescue System
- Sustainable design with recycled components
Our thoughts
Being very honest, the Cortazu Insulated Mountain hard shell jacket is probably the most comfortable and sophisticated jacket we’ve ever tested. With the fall here in the Netherlands, we get some heavy rain and cold temperatures. Nonetheless, this jacket really thrives in these kinds of situations. From long trailwalks in the forest to quick bike commutes, nothing that this jacket cannot do. Especially the soft inside fabric of the jacket makes it hard to take it off!
We’ve considered to most important features and summed these up in a short pros and cons list for you.
Pros
- 100% waterproof
- Soft fabric with extreme comfort and warmth
- Useful pockets and a timeless design
- Value for money is outstanding
Cons
- Whilst much better priced than competitors of the same grade, the price is still quite an investment
- Some features that are not really necessary. (like the keycord inside one pocket)
- The warmth of the jacket only works for colder temperatures
Sustainability
One of the key values that makes Cortazu such a noteworthy outdoor company, are their sustainability efforts. As a Certified B-corp they aim to give more back to the environment they so enjoy than take from it. Hence, their initiative with JustDiggit where they re-green 100m2 per sold product in Africa. Beside this, in all of their jackets recycled materials are used and the jackets are made in factories. You’ll be sure to have a jacket with a positivie impact, giving you the possibilty to enjoy the outdoors today but also for years to come.
Conclusion
In short, we love the Cortazu Insulated hard shell jacket. The main element that really speaks to us is the immense quality you receive in exchange for the price of the jacket. When you add this up to the sustainability efforts, the product truly outclasses its competitors. We’re fans, and we think you’ll also be after trying one of Cortazu’s products.
