Nice features, craftsmanship less than expected

By tba2709735 Ranked #1163 - Men's Ski Jackets February 16, 2009

I bought the MH Dado jacket because I wanted an insulated waterproof jacket with technical features for a reasonable (i.e. non-Arcteryx level) price. I was initially pleased, but after wearing it for only 4 days of moderately aggressive in-bounds skiing, the stitching on the chin guard started fraying and the stitching on the zippers began to unravel. I ordered a replacement (Backcountry was fantastic in handling this), and I noticed that some of the stitching in those same places was a little frayed to begin with, even before being used. I emailed the manufacturer to see if others had reported similar defects, and they said no. Backcountry also indicated that no one else had reported problems. I subsequently saw this jacket in a retail store, and again noted that the stitching on the zippers in particular had a frayed, unfinished sort of look. This is how my original jacket started out before unraveling with more use. While none of the flaws noted are fatal, the overall craftsmanship is less than expected for a $270 jacket from MH. I subsequently found the now-discontinued MH Torque jacket for 50% off on another website. It has essentially all the same features, with a few exceptions: hood not insulated, different color schemes, storm-closure on front zipper, and slightly different detailing, including different zipper materials. The craftsmanship appears better.

I can recommend the Dado jacket only with hesitation. The features are nice, and the jacket is warm but breathable for snowsports. The specs suggest that the seams are not taped, but they feel taped to me and a person at another store thought so as well; you'll have to be the judge (an email to MH about his issue was unanswered). The only difference between this and the Mortise is that the Mortise has fleece in the body, and primaloft in the sleeves, whereas this is primaloft throughout.

I recommend Backcountry wholeheartedly; they have been very helpful throughout this process.

View Details: Mountain Hardwear Dado Jacket - Men's

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