Utilising 100% recycled Primalift insulation the Icarus Lite offers performance as well as environmental credentials. Primaloft is a great choice for insulation, although not as warm pound for pound as down, this synthetic insulation breathes well, provides good warmth, and still performs when wet. Primaloft is interspersed with stretchy thermo grid brushed back fleece panels down the torso and arms of this insulated jacket. This material is warm, comfortable, and super stretchy, so although the Icarus Lite jacket is slim fitting these panels allow for increased freedom of movement. Primaloft insulation continues into the hood for a warm and toasty microclimate with the zip done up. The hood isn’t adjustable so you will have to make do with what they give you in terms of sizing but for the most part, the hood stays put even in strong winds thanks to an elasticated hem. The two zipped hand pockets are large enough to be useful and feel luxuriously warming for hands on a cold day.
We found the outer material of the Icarus Lite jacket to complement the insulation perfectly. It provides a fantastic wind break while still allowing the body to breathe, and it’s also 100% recycled to match the filling. It’s incredibly soft to the touch on both the outside and inside of the jacket yet is still highly abrasion resistant thanks to the incorporation of reinforcement yarns to provide resistance to tearing.
The Icarus Lite doesn’t quite live up to its name on the scales, 420g is decidedly average for the warmth and functionality of the jacket and there is no specific packability claim or stuff sack included. You can still roll it up into a ball to stuff inside a daypack, but it will take up more space than a similarly warm down jacket.
Overall though, we like the Icarus Lite jacket, it looks great on but offers excellent performance on the hiking trails too.
