Review: Carinthia – Loftshell Climate

Introduction

It has been a while since I last wrote about a product by Carinthia and this review on the Carinthia Loftshell Climate was in the pipeline for way too long. One of the main reasons was that I simply didn’t wear it often enough to form a thorough opinion. But not after some time with it, I am finally able to give you guys not only an overview on the jacket, but also some long time experience with it.

So as always: Overview – Specs – Review:

Overview

The Carinthia Loftshell Climate jacket is designed for everyday and outdoor use. Its three-layer construction — consisting of a quiet four-way stretch outer fabric, G-LOFT® Climate lining, and merino wool inner layer — aims to provide insulation, breathability, and moisture management. It is wind- and water-repellent without a membrane and features a simplistic design, functional pocket layout, and integrated hood.

Specs

Insulation: G-LOFT®, 100% Polyester
Outer fabric: 100% Polyamid
Inner fabric: 50% Merino wool / 50% Polyamid
Weight: 810g (size M)
Sizes: S-XXL
Colors: olive, black

The Carinthia Loftshell Climate

The Carinthia Loftshell Climate jacket is part of the company’s new Loftshell portfolio. It features a soft and quiet four-way stretch outer fabric, a G-LOFT® Climate lining, and a merino wool inner layer. This mix of materials provides a well-balanced level of insulation and breathability.

One of the features of the material are its moisture wicking properties. The moisture is transported away from the body, while the jacket maintains a comfortable microclimate during both movement and rest. The stretch properties of the outer fabric allow for unrestricted motion.

Review: Carinthia - Loftshell Climate — Carinthia Loftshell Climate

The Loftshell Climate is wind- and water-repellent without relying on a membrane, which results in a noticeable better breathability. The overall design follows Carinthia’s usual understated style – clean lines, a practical pocket layout, and decent workmanship.

There are two zippered side pockets, with the end of the shock cord on the inside that regulates the bottom of the jacket. A zippered compartment on the chest provides room for smaller items. On the corners of the inside, you will find additional cordlocks for more adjustment. Staying on the inside – on the left and right you can find elastic slippockets made of mesh, with a rounded, elastic opening to keep your items in place.

The sleeves feature elastic cuffs to prevent wind from slipping in and to keep your pulse warm. There is only one upper arm pocket, zippered, located on the upper left arm. They also come with the obligatory velcro areas and are covered by Carinthia branded patches.

Coming to the hood, one will find several adjustment options. There is shockcord placed on the back to make it tighter around the head to make the hood opening follow your head movements. There are also the usual shock cords to adjust the opening as well and fix it with cord locks. So overall you can completely adjust the hood to your needs. That being said, it is fixed on the outside of the collar with no option to roll it up or stow it away.

As already mentioned you will find merino lining in the inside of the jacket, the hood and partially in the sleeves. The jacket is insulated with G-Loft Material to add extra warmth combined with the merino.

Level of Manufacture

Carinthia is known for its high quality of manufacture. The Loftshell jacket is no exception in this regard and makes a very nice impression directly out of the “box” as well as when worn. There are no loose threads or crooked seams.

Carinthia_Loftshell — Excellent level of manufacture

Size and Fit of the Loftshell jacket

The overall fit of the Loftshell jacket is normal, with a tendency to be on the smaller side. In the last few years most of the garments of Carinthia changed their fit to be slimmer in general. With this jacket it is not as bad, however if you prefer a loose fit, you might consider sizing up one number/size.

That being said, the outer fabric is indeed very stretchy so the jacket is forgiving, if you order your normal size and realize it is not as loose as you might have thought. There is no restriction in movement and the comfort level is actually really high when moving your arms around.

The Carinthia Loftshell Climate in use

The comfort level of this jacket is amazing to say the least. I usually do not like to use hyped words, but the combination of the four-way stretch fabric and the very comfy merino wool make for an extremely comfy user experience. It basically feels like you are covered in a blanket.

My initial fear was that the jacket might be too small, as Carinthia’s sizing has become awkward over the years, but the Loftshell Climate has a snug but accurate fit. As a result of the stretch fabric, there is no restriction in movement, even if you are not going for a bigger size to have the loose fit.

Looking at the hood, there will be some people complaining that it is not stowable – personally I like it the way it is, as collars tend to become bulky with a rolled up hood. At the same time the lining of the hood is merino as well, which would add to the bulk. This lining makes the hood extremely valuable however. When putting it on, you immediately feel the warmth and not a cold synthetic fabric that needs to warm up first.

Breathability is excellent – the wool has inherent moisture-wicking and breathable properties, and the four-way stretch fabric does the rest. While the choice of fabrics has its advantages, it also has its disadvantages. For example, although the outer fabric is soft and stretchy, it is not as abrasion-resistant as other outer shells. While both the outer fabric and the merino wool are extremely comfortable, they do tend to pill.

Light pilling on the outer shell after light use

These are things to keep in mind, but they are not a reason not to buy the jacket. Ultimately, it’s about using it for the right purposes and managing expectations. The simple design and layout of the pockets is everything you need. The upper arm pocket on the left side obviously favors right handed persons – personally I rarely use these pockets.

Conclusion

Those of you who are looking for a breathable and warm shell for those colder months in Spring and Autumn, will find the Carinthia Loftshell Climate to be a comfortable and practical jacket. The combination of technical fabrics with merino is a very smart evolution of Carinthia’s product portfolio and the quality of the jacket speaks for itself.

Size and fit leaves no room to complain and personally I enjoy the jacket in my EDC use. That being said, one must consider where and when to use the jacket, as the fabric itself is not as abrasion resistant as other softshells.

With that being said, I want to thank Carinthia for making it possible for me to give you guys these insights!

Thank you for reading!

Take care!