Klattermusen Allgron - Women's Review

Hands-On Review of the Allgron

The Klattermusen Allgron is an unusual hardshell jacket. It is made of recycled materials and has a nice feel and cool look, but is not the most versatile for mountain use.

Weather Protection

The 3-layer 3L Cutan Stretch provides strong storm protection in a relatively thick shell material. The jacket offers good coverage and many adjustment points to further seal out the weather. The hood seals well around your head but is a little too tight for helmet compatibility. If protection from the elements is a critical category for you, you might consider the top-notch Arc'teryx Alpha SV, which comes at a price. But if you're still inclined toward style and don't need as much versatility, we think you might dig the Patagonia Triolet.

Mobility

The Allgron features a stretchy fabric which feels almost like a sweatshirt. The slender fit allows you to move comfortably. However, the off-angle zipper causes the front of the jacket to articulate awkwardly, and when we half-unzipped it to ventilate from the front, it was confusing at best, and sometimes downright uncomfortable. For a jacket with a similarly soft feel, we like the award-winning OR Clairvoyant. For truly top-notch mobility, check out our other award winners, the Arc'teryx Beta SL and the Norrona Trollveggen.

Breathability

The stretchy 3 layer Cutan fabric is reasonably breathable, but also thick, so the jacket tended to feel warmer. The pit zips offer ventilation, but in general, this was best in cooler climates and for lighter activities like easy hiking. For a softer feel, with excellent breathability, we really liked the OR Clairvoyant.

For a layer better suited to highly aerobic mountain activities, we liked the Arc'teryx Beta SL.

Weight

At 13 ounces this jacket is one of the heaviest in this review. For the limited range of activities, this makes it best suited to lifestyle and easy hiking if you like the style of the jacket. The Klattermusen was a relatively heavy hardshell. If weight is really important to you, the OR Clairvoyant would be the most similar because of the soft feel of the fabric, but you might also really like the ultralight Arc'teryx Beta SL.

Features

This jacket fell behind in the features department. The off angle front zipper felt awkward at best and often uncomfortable; the cuff has drawcords that are bulky and often got caught up on things.

And the high hood adjustments on the front of the hood were complicated to adjust. The hood, in general, is not best for helmets—it's a little too small to be comfortable with a helmet underneath.

The Allgron has a Recco reflector which has become popular for ski wear. This is a reflector that allows you to be found if you're buried in an avalanche at a ski area. We're not a fan of these because any electronics will also reflect a signal, so your phone in your pocket will do the same thing—but mostly because this is about body recovery, not rescue. Some winning designs included the very simple Arc'teryx Beta SL which is minimally but thoughtfully featured. If you like more features, check out the Arc'teryx Beta AR

Durability

This jacket is quite durable, with 3L Cutan Stretch 140 g/m² weight fabric. It is 100% polyester, with 70% from recycled polyester. It looks cool and holds up well. However, there are patches on the underside of the forearms which showed a high level of wear early in our testing. This has a rustic look but does not inspire confidence. This was a very durable jacket, but there are a few that are even more burly. The Marmot Spire comes to mind, as well as our award winning Norrona Trollveggen.

Versatility

This jacket is comfortable, stretchy, and stylish, but not very versatile for a range of outdoor activities. For an excellent all-around jacket, we like our award winners, the Norrona Trollveggen and the Arc'teryx Beta AR. You'll love this jacket if it fits your needs, but it is not the most versatile that we reviewed. If versatility is important to you, check out the OR Clairvoyant or the Arc'teryx Beta AR, both excellent all-around hardshell jackets.

Best Applications

This jacket is best considered a lifestyle jacket if you like the style. It is soft and supple, which is pleasing, but the features do not support many outdoor related activities beyond light hiking. If light hiking is your jam, you will appreciate the Allgron.

Value

This jacket is a relatively high price for the quirks and limited applications. If you like it as a lifestyle piece, it may be worth the price, but for us, this jacket was a weak mix of limited applications and relatively high price.

Conclusion

The Allgron is an interesting jacket, but not one that achieves high marks in this review. We like the use of recycled fibers and loved the soft, supple feel of the material, but the design was just a little too quirky to be useful for a range of outdoor pursuits.