GEAR | Putting The Berghaus Women’s Extrem Micro 2.0 Down Jacket To The Test

December 28, 2020 Shell Robshaw-Bryan

Homepage Feature, Outdoor Gear Reviews, Reviews, Sponsored Product/Stay

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In need of a warmer jacket to see me through my winter outdoor adventures, the Berghaus Extrem Micro 2.0 down jacket looked like it ticked all my boxes. After 3 months of testing, read on to find out what I think of it.

WOMEN'S EXTREM MICRO DOWN JACKET 2.0 — *Trig point at The Cloud, reached during a bracing winter hill walk*

What is it?

Berghaus Women’s Extrem Micro 2.0 Down Jacket WAS £200 NOW £149

Overall Rating (5 / 5)

Stockists

Features

Hydrodown powered by NikWax insulation
MTNHAUS body mapping heat distribution
Windproof Pertex Quantum outer fabric
Helmet compatible hood
Available in sizes UK8 – UK18
4 different colour options
Weight: 417g

What I thought

When the jacket arrived, the box was so light I didn’t think there was any way it could have a jacket inside, let alone one capable of keeping me warm and dry in winter!

Receiving something new to test is always exciting, but there’s the mild anxiety of wondering whether something will fit, and also how it will look once it’s on. Upon unboxing, the jacket felt light as air, soft and fluffy and I rushed upstairs to my full-length mirror to try it on for the first time.

Hovering somewhere between a 14 and 16 I had always worried that a down jacket in this style would make me look chunkier and be less flattering but oh how wrong I was!

I’ve spent the last 3 months wearing this jacket at every given opportunity, from autumn countryside rambles to bracing winter hill walks and even as an everyday jacket, slinging it on after winter open water swims, wearing it to the gym and so on.

I finally feel I’ve had enough use of the jacket to deliver my verdict and spoiler alert, the Extrem Micro 2.0 is an outstanding jacket!

Performance

I have a much loved Craghoppers jacket which is now several years old, in fact, it feels like for the last few years almost every photo I’ve posted of me outdoors, has been of me in my bright pink jacket! As much as I love it, it’s thin and requires careful layering for winter use and as such, I prefer it for use in the warmer months.

The Extreme Micro 2.0, by comparison, is down-filled, making it super effective at trapping body heat and keeping you warm, making it the perfect addition to my outdoors wardrobe. The jacket uses body map technology which enhances heat retention and I’ve got to say that during many bracing winter walks, in terms of performance, it has never let me down.

From mild but wet autumn rambles through to freezing cold winter hill walks, the jacket has performed amazingly well in every single condition.

High up, gazing out over the Cheshire plateau during a Twixtmas hike up to The Cloud, the wind at the summit was freezing cold, but I remained warm and toasty.

On the Winter Solstice, we went for a late-night walk to do a meditation in the woods during a torrential rainstorm. My walking trousers were wet through, but the jacket remained waterproof and didn’t let any rain in.

In early Autumn on a mild day, with just a t-shirt underneath on a long local countryside walk, once again, the jacket performed surprisingly well.

I’m prone to overheating and assumed a down jacket would be stiflingly warm, but that really isn’t the case and I find it excellent at regulating my temperature, making this jacket superbly versatile.

Jacket Fit

My only niggle with the jacket is that it’s a bit snug on the old hips for apple or pear shapes. I’ve lost over 8kg in weight since this jacket first arrived, but the snugness around the hips remains – I guess it’s those Jamaican genes!

*The jacket is a little snug around the hips*

That said, the hip snugness hasn’t impeded me in any way, and as a result, rather than the jacket riding up, it stays firmly in place even when I’m scrambling over rocks and climbing trees.

The bottom of the jacket comes down slightly lower than the front, which means you can sit down on wet surfaces and the coat protects your bum. It also has quite long arms with slightly elasticated cuffs, both things that I really like and the elastic cuffs aren’t tight or restrictive, just enough to stop wind blowing up your arms!

**Look how happy I am wearing this jacket!**

Looks

The colour of the jacket is called dark pink but it’s a really difficult colour to define, I’d call it more of a raspberry colour and in terms of hue, it sits somewhere in between burgundy and cerise pink, either way, I love the vibrant colour!

In some photos it very much looks more pinky, but in others, and depending on the lighting, it looks much more of a deeper burgundy colour. Suffice to say, even though it’s called dark pink, the colour is bright and cheerful, without being too garish or too ‘girly’.

Looks-wise I’d give the jacket a solid 9.5/10 for sure. Despite being down filled the jacket neither feels or looks bulky and has proved extremely versatile. It looks great with my gym gear, walking gear and with my jeans, so I’ve found I’m wearing it pretty much every time I leave the house!

From a design point of view, as well as slightly more generous width on the hips, the only thing I’d change would be to go with a lining colour that contrasts more (purple, orange or turquoise for example) and I’d prefer the zip pulls in a colour other than red. Very minor, and highly personal gripes on aesthetics though there!

**I love the high neck and that it doesn’t rub on your chin**

Pros

It’s ridiculously tactile and a real joy to wear
It keeps me warm without adding too much bulk
I love the high neck and the fact that it doesn’t rub on your chin when fully zipped up
It’s ridiculously light and highly packable
The jacket performs brilliantly in bad weather, keeping me toasty on windy days and dry on wet days
Generously sized pockets that are well located
I love that the hood is helmet-compatible

Cons

I found the small zip pulls a little fiddly at first
It’s a bit snug around the hips
It’s expensive

Berghaus Women's Extrem Micro Down Jacket 2.0

The verdict

Our Rating

Fit 4.5/5

Practicality 5/5

Looks 5/5

Value 4.5/5

Overall Rating (5 / 5)

This is one of those products that is fully deserving of its £200 price tag, but even so, having never spent that sort of money on a jacket, not even on my highly technical snowboarding jackets, the fact it’s currently on sale at £140 makes this jacket that bit more affordable and I’d not hesitate in snapping one up at that price!

I’ve got to say, I’m head over heels in love with this jacket!

The Extrem Micro 2.0 is well worth considering as it is a truly excellent jacket designed for serious outdoor enthusiasts and I’ve got to say, I’m head over heels in love with this jacket!

Performance-wise I really can’t fault it and it’s a jacket that genuinely makes me happy to wear each and every time I put it on, keeping me warm and dry in any weather.

This is a superb jacket in every respect and I really can’t praise it enough. Mine was gifted to me, but If you like the look of it, you’ll find it available to buy from Berghaus and Cotswold Outdoor.

DISCLOSURE | Thank you to Berghaus who supplied the featured product to us to test. We were not paid to write this review.

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Shell Robshaw-Bryan

Editor & Owner at Camping with Style

Shell loves all things travel and outdoors and is a nature-loving, comfy-camping kinda girl. Shell started the Camping with Style blog after a serious snowboarding accident which left her with a broken back. Despite this she used the outdoors and healing power of nature to aid her recovery and she continues to spend time outdoors whenever she can.

From open water swimming, snowboarding and kayaking to hill walks and meditation, Shell shares her travels and microadventures here on the blog and in various publications she's written for, Shell has a particular interest in promoting wellbeing and the many benefits of nature therapy.

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