ProView – Mountain Hardwear Men’s Kor Preshell Full Zip Hoody

 I haven’t spent a ton of time with the Mountain Hardwear Kor Preshell Full Zip Hoody yet, but I have spent time with it doing a ton of different things. In the month I’ve had it I’ve worn it casually, running, and climbing. Thanks to a typical North Carolina spring I’ve been able to wear it from temperatures from 40-70 farenheit, rain, sun, and wind, and it has performed well throughout.

I love Fall and Spring! I love cool weather, but I hate it when it starts off cool and then warms up a ton. Like when you leave for a run and it’s quiet, dark, and cool, but before you’re done the world is awake, the sun is up, and it’s warmed up 20 degrees – it’s the worst. That’s where my favorite feature of the Kor Preshell comes in; you can put it on and leave it on.

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Fit/Comfort

This jacket fits great. I’m 5’9” 165 and the medium fits great with just a short sleeve shirt underneath or a light midlayer. The Quantum fabric is really comfortable next to my skin and isn’t “sticky” like most wind shirt layers. The Kor Preshell is also really comfortable over a wide variety of temperatures while you’re active.

Look/Style

This is definitely a technical outdoor layer. The fit isn’t really relaxed and the layer is so thin it wouldn’t really insulate much if you’re just hanging out. Also, the Quantum fabric is so thin that it wrinkles easily and stays wrinkled for a while.

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Features

The main feature of this jacket is the weight and material. The 20D Quantum Air fabric is breathable, but still has a decent amount of weather resistance. The hood is comfortable but doesn’t have adjustments, and a love the stash pocket.

Weight/Packability

This jacket is super light and super packable. It weighs less than 5 oz. and packs up to the size of a baseball.

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Function/Performance

This jacket has the ability to keep you just warm enough while you’re moving and dump any excess heat as you warm up. I’m not sure if this jacket is a super light softshell jacket or some sort of souped-up wind shirt, and I don’t really care, I just know it works.

Durability/Construction

While I haven’t had any durability issues after a few days of climbing and a handful of morning trail runs, I do have some concerns. Since the fabric is so light I think it will be more likely to get holes cut or rubbed into it than a typical softshell. The zippers are also super lightweight, and nothing ruins a perfectly good jacket like a botched zipper. Still, these are just concerns and not actual issues at this point.

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Friendliness to the Earth

The Kor Preshell Full Zip Hoody is made with Pertex’s Quantum Air fabric and is bluesign approved. Bluesign is a system for tracing textile manufacturing that provides safer and more sustainable environments for people to work in and everyone to live in.

The Final Word

The way this jacket keeps you comfortable while moving is on par with your favorite lightweight t-shirt, but it will keep you almost as warm as a softshell jacket. This is a great jacket for a wide range of climates and activities. While I wouldn’t recommend it as a true softshell I will be replacing my current softshell(s) with the Kor Preshell in a lot of situations. 

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