The Decathlon Simond MT100 (formerly known as the Forclaz MT100) 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 23°F (when worn with a fleece mid-layer) and you don’t mind the jacket’s slightly oversized hood, the MT100 is a great buy at just $119. 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: 12.2 oz (346g) 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: 3.6 oz (103g) / in a size XL
• Pockets: 2 zippered handwarmer pockets (the jacket stuffs one); 1 internal drop pocket
• Construction: Sewn Through
• Shell Fabric: 15d Polyamide
• Harness loop: Yes
• Fit: I normally wear a size large and recommend sizing up

Construction

The Decathlon Simonds MT100 is insulated with 800-fill power RDS-certified duck down, which is somewhat unusual for a jacket at this price, as most lower-cost down jackets are typically 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 features a sewn-through baffle design, where the interior and exterior fabrics are sewn together to create pockets that 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 Simond 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, 1 internal drop pocket, elasticated wrist cuffs, and a shock-cord waist adjustment to seal out drafts from below. There’s no chest pocket for storing a phone. 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 or 23 degrees F when worn over a jersey with mid-layer insulation and a warm hat. It’s a lightweight down jacket, best suited for use in warmer weather.

Jackets like the MT100 are designed for use in camp, whether you’re hanging out with friends, cooking meals, or taking a rest stop, allowing you to quickly put on something warm 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 they 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.

The fit is a bit snug across the chest, so I recommend sizing up.

Fit

The MT100 in a men’s XL size is true to size, but I normally wear a size large, and would advise sizing up. 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 Simond MT100 Hooded Down Jacket is an affordable, packable down puffer jacket, insulated with 800-fill power down, and is priced lower 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. However, if you require a jacket for extended use in colder conditions, I recommend getting a heavier jacket with a better hood and more down insulation. Decathlon also offers a hoodless down jacket called the Simond MT500, which features a 32°F comfort rating and may be a suitable alternative. The advantage of a hoodless jacket is that it can be worn under a hooded rain jacket or winter shell more easily than a hooded puffy.

Disclosure: Decathlon donated a jacket for review.

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