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Super Speedy Summary
This jacket has a higher waterproof and breathability rating than some of the most expensive top brands on the market and does this for half the price. The Cortazu Hard Shell is well tailored and flattering to wear, runs true to size with loads of waterproof pockets in and out for everything from keys to credit card, phone and goggles or sunglasses. I love the small waterproof pocket on the left arm cuff too. The jacket packs up small, has a huge hood that can accommodate a helmet if needed and adjustable draw strings and cuffs to keep the worst of the weather out.
PURCHASE $388In Depth Review
I was once asked what invention I wanted next to help people that spend time outdoors hiking and running. My response was I was still waiting for someone to invent a jacket that was actually waterproof AND actually breathable.
This Outerlayer jacket pairs perfectly with the Cortazu Mid layer jacket when its cold and wet outside. With a DWR coating the jacket beads any rain or snow and makes sure that the jacket doesn’t get soaked. A quick shake and almost all rain flies off this jacket leaving it dry again.
Material and Fit
The Hard Shell Jacket is made from Dermizax which despite the hard shell name creates a very lightweight 3 layer thin jacket that’s very breathable and very waterproof. There is a very ‘European’ cut and fit to the jacket and it comes true to size. If you find that you are out in bad weather a lot and might wear more than 2 layers underneath this you might want to go up one size, but generally I found the jacket sizing chart they provide was perfect.
Arms and Cuffs
The arms are shaped in such a way that they are much more comfortable if you move round a lot and the slight stretch to the fabric increases the comfort too. The sleeves are long enough that they go past your wrists which I always like with waterproof jackets because it provides protection and warmth for your hands too. The cuffs have a velcro tab on them so you can also seal up the wrists in particularly bad weather.
Pockets and Gizmos
The jacket has a lot of storage options. It has two large pockets on the outside that you can keep a lot of things in, or keep your hands warm. The inside of the jacket has a large mesh pocket that I would use for gloves or sunglasses and a second waterproof pocket for a cellphone. The mesh pocket also has a smaller credit card pocket too. There is also a neat pocket on the cuff of one arm to store things in. The zips are waterproof too so rain doesn’t make all your gear damp. My biggest smile from this was from the big external pockets, which both have a mini bungee tag to attach your keys etc to, but one also even has a mini microfibre cloth to keep your ski goggles clear.
More Bang For Your Buck
Cortazu only sell direct to customers and so avoid the huge markup we pay when we buy from an outdoor gear store. As a result this jacket is about half the price I would expect it to be. Although $380 seems steep I would compare this to the Arcteryx Beta LT which is nearly twice the price.
All Good in the Hood
The hood on the jacket is big enough to allow you to be wearing a helmet, but also has adjustable draw cords to bring it in tight so it doesn’t flap about in strong wind.
Gripes
This may be the best waterproof breathable jacket I’ve ever reviewed and I’m hard pushed to critique anything on this jacket. I don’t think Id make any changes.
Verdict
This jacket has a higher waterproof and breathability rating than some of the most expensive top brands on the market and does this for half the price. The Cortazu Hard Shell is well tailored and flattering to wear, runs true to size with loads of waterproof pockets in and out for everything from keys to credit card, phone and goggles or sunglasses. I love the small waterproof pocket on the left arm cuff too. The jacket packs up small, has a huge hood that can accommodate a helmet if needed and adjustable draw strings and cuffs to keep the worst of the weather out.
PURCHASE $388Specs
About Cortazu
They’re passionate skiers with an extensive background in clothing production, fashion and entrepreneurship.
As the founders of Sqetch Wiebe and Wouter have helped hundreds of fashion brands and clothing suppliers to grow their business. Herman has been working in the field of clothing production for 40+ years.
Cortazu got selected by a jury panel of 43 judges and received an ISPO Gold Award in 2019.
This means they are the best product in our category. ISPO is the World’s largest Trad Fair for the outdoor business.
