 Poster: A snowHead
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Just been in to TKMaxx following the untimely downfall of my previously rather good White Rock jacket.
They have a couple of Maier jackets that they claim were £200 on sale for £40.
So, the question really is whether they are actually any good - the little details look to be high quality, 10,000mm waterproofness claimed (and not plasticky material) and it seems ok, but interested in someone who has used one for a while if possible on how they hold up to the usual abuse.
The downside is they look a lot like the red ESF jackets, so I can see that I'll be getting some stick for that, and probably have people asking for directions and tips on ski lifts. But that would be ok if it really is a £200 jacket for £40.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My wife has used one for the past two seasons and it's been great.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Monium, It is an excellent mid-range producer from Austria. I've used bits and pieces from them over the years and have never been disappointed. I'm also currently looking for a new jacket and Maier will feature if they have something I like in style and features.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Samerberg Sue wrote: |
| Monium, It is an excellent mid-range producer from Austria. I've used bits and pieces from them over the years and have never been disappointed. I'm also currently looking for a new jacket and Maier will feature if they have something I like in style and features. |
Thanks Sue. By mid-range, do you mean £200 for a jacket mid-range, or Surfanic/Tog24/Trespass mid-range?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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THE QUESTION IS IS IT GOOD FOR YOU.WHO CARES ABOUT THE BRAND SNOBS I FLY PAST THEM
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| waiter_fisherman wrote: |
| THE QUESTION IS IS IT GOOD FOR YOU.WHO CARES ABOUT THE BRAND SNOBS I FLY PAST THEM |
So how on earth would you evaluate how hardwearing something is? A good brand with a reputation for lasting more than a season or two is usually an indicator of quality. I'm not interested in the name, I've never heard of it. That's why I'm asking whether it is any good. I can see whether it fits and what features it has for myself.
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IT SEEMS YOU HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTION YOURSELF.AS TO HARDWEARING WHAT ARE YOU DOING DRAGGING IT BEHIND YOU DOWN THE PISTE.
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| waiter_fisherman wrote: |
| IT SEEMS YOU HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTION YOURSELF.AS TO HARDWEARING WHAT ARE YOU DOING DRAGGING IT BEHIND YOU DOWN THE PISTE. |
Do you have any experience of Maier products? If not, do you think you could find somewhere else to share your "wisdom"?
I have asked for opinions on whether something is likely to be a good quality product, having never heard of it. You don't seem to know anything about the brand. I haven't answered the question myself - two other very helpful people have provided feedback, and I'd welcome any more from anyone who has used this brand of gear. I am trying to work out if it is a good deal at the price offered.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Monium, It is not as cheap as D2B, McKinley, Columbia or Surfanic but not as expensive as Kjus, Salomon, Haglöffs, Peak Performance, etc. It is probably on a par with Schöffel (which also produces good kit). As to the UK prices, I have no idea to be honest - 200 Euro would be about right for one of their better jackets.
Does that help?
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Samerberg Sue, perfect, thanks. I'll go and see how they fit, for £40 sounds like a pretty good deal based on that - I'd happily spend that on a decent jacket from a lower end brand.
Anyone know if 10,000mm is a good waterproof rating? It sounds like a lot, but I have nothing to compare it to.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I also bought a Maier Sport Jacket in white from TKmax about 4 years ago for about £50. It's been a great jacket that has been warm, waterproof and stylish. In fact I wear it all the time in winter as my everyday coat.
Been skiing in it many times in all conditions , some quite blustery and never had complaint.
I would buy another without hesitation.
Edited to add that mine does not look like any in the above link, I think it looks better than any of them.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Monium wrote: |
| Anyone know if 10,000mm is a good waterproof rating? It sounds like a lot, but I have nothing to compare it to. |
Pretty standard for a shell these days, and a fairly uninteresting figure. I think the legal definition of 'waterproof' for garments sold in the UK is much less; something like 1500mm... falling rain is unlikely to generate that sort of impact pressure unless you're going at fairly hefty speeds in lousy weather.
As a comparison, the groundsheets of most hiking tents are under 10000mm HH. Quite waterproof enough.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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"The downside is they look a lot like the red ESF jackets, so I can see that I'll be getting some stick for that, and probably have people asking for directions and tips on ski lifts. But that would be ok if it really is a £200 jacket for £40."
Monium,
I bought one of these for my son last January'ish and it has lasted really well, no broken zips, seams or anything and he reckons it is plenty warm enough. In terms of waterproofness he has only really used it during the ski seasons but he has never complained of it being wet through. At £40 I would say it is well worth it, I think we paid £35 to be honest. The one he had does not have a hood and has no facility for one that we could see, not a problem for him as he always wears a helmet when skiing. The red ESF style seems to pretty popular with quite a few brands this season so I do not think you will be pestered that much and anyway a gallic shrug is quite easy to master I would have thought. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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These use one-way stretch M-tex. That's 'sideways' stretch not lengthwise, so it's semi softshell. Thus they are by design pretty snug around the athletic mesomorph, so check that you have the internal volume for any extra layers, and there's no pull under the armpit with a radical pole plant. I bought mine (2010/11) cos it fits, and is unusually elegant on the street as well as on an alp, so two pieces of kit in one. Black, £60. XL and XLL were £80. Hood unzips, and collar makes a fantastic snow seal. Stuffed with clever details, like expensive jackets. Can't answer the crucial things about sweat-handling on an April piste, or insulation at minus 20C, but 2 layers of Merino can cope with all that, and the zip doesn't have to be done up for closure, and the M-tex 10k figures look good enough for me at that price. Ultimately, it probably isn't vapour-permeable enough, but what the heck. Feels and sounds like a ca £200 piece to me. Trim enough to wear GoreTex shell over it if you have to in the rain !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think that is decision made then. Perhaps. Off at lunchtime to have a good look at the fit and make a decision. Thanks all. Speak now or forever hold your peace and all that, nobody has seriously got anything really bad to say about this stuff? No tales of seams failing, soaked through skiers, zips falling apart?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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No probs at all: Taped seams thro'out. 5 year durability guarantee. Built like a Panzer. German Vorsprung..... including the hard nodule of various materials on right flap of collar, at very top of zip. This - on a high collar, probably 15mm too high!! - is a design compromise by the styling office at Koengen, and a pain in the neck easily averted with a silk or fleece neck roll and unzipping by 2 inches if it ain't snowing. Easy to live with. Good practice anyway, as the neck material stays free of human oils, and the jacket never needs washing. The design priority was total snugness in a 70 kmh blizzard, which I enjoy in that jacket as the hood can lift the collar into the perfect position, over the chin.
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FAQ
