Meet the reviewer
Montane Fireball Lite Hooded Jacket: first impressions
Often, when you're out on the trail, it's cold, but you're not always standing around doing nothing. Usually, you're moving fast up a steep slope on a chilly morning or stopping to catch your breath on a windy summit, and for those times, you need an insulated jacket that's light and breathable. Enter the Fireball Lite.
This newest edition of the Fireball series by Montane delivers on its promise with a lightweight, versatile jacket made using recycled insulation that makes an effective mid layer in winter, and a great outer layer when it's not too cold out.
• List price: $249 / £200
• Gender specification: Men’s and women’s sizing available
• Sizes: Men’s S - XXL, Women’s S - XXL US, 8 -16 UK
• Weight (women's 6, per shoe): 10.5 oz / 300 g
• Materials: Outer: 90% Nylon, 10% Polyurethane; Insulation: 100% Polyester (100% recycled); Side Panels: 93% Polyester, 7% Elastane; Lining: 90% Nylon, 10% Polyurethane
• Colors: Eclipse blue, Deep forest, Moonscape, Stone blue, Dark garnet
• Best use: Hiking, climbing, fastpacking, ski touring
With an active fit and stretchy Thermo Grid side and underarm panels, you can just as easily wear this for scrambling, belaying and ski touring as you can for a straightforward hike.
Elasticated cuffs and and adjustable hem do the job to seal out a cold wind, and the stay-put hood provides extra protection. This jacket is on the pricey end for a mid layer, but it's versatile enough to be worn as an outer layer a lot of the time, and compared to the best synthetic puffer jackets the price tag isn't nearly as shocking.
Montane Fireball Lite Hooded Jacket: in the field
The first thing I thought when I pulled this jacket out of the packaging was that it could be the perfect replacement for my old Patagonia Nano Air Jacket, which I've been wearing for seven years and is starting to show the signs of wear and tear.
The Fireball Lite is a soft and lightweight jacket that was the perfect outer layer as I caught the last few weeks of cold weather here in the UK. I've been wearing it in the Yorkshire Dales and on the Scottish trails as an outer layer, and had to pull on a waterproof jacket over the top once or twice.
Here’s how it performed:
Sizing, fit and comfort
I usually wear a size 8 UK but I tested a 10 and it's a good fit which leads me to believe these run a little small. There's enough room that I'll be able to wear it over a base layer come the winter, but it's not loose or baggy.
It comes down to mid-hip, the sleeves aren't too long (for once) and the hood fits really snugly so it stays up in the wind and zips up to protect my lower face.
This jacket is really soft and comfortable, with lots of stretch to make it wearable all day and across different activities and adventures.
Warmth and breathability
I've mostly been testing this in cool and mild weather and I've been really impressed by its breathability. That's not to say I'd wear it in outright warm weather, but I've been able to happily hike away when it's cool without overheating or feeling chilly. I'm looking forward to wearing it this winter with a shell over the top. If you're looking for a jacket like this that's ultra warm, don't forget that there's a regular Montane Fireball jacket for you.
Weight and packability
At just 300 grams, I'm extremely happy with the weight of this jacket, which shaves about 45 grams off the regular version and is lighter than my Nano Air and my lightest down jacket while providing plenty of warmth.
It squashes down to about the size of my Nalgene so I'm planning on bringing it on a fastpacking expedition in the Alps next month where I'm expecting warm days but cold nights.
Storage, durability and value
I suppose if I were to split hairs, I'd complain that there's no chest pocket, but two hand-warming pockets are adequate for anything I want to carry.
I'm curious to see how this one holds up over time compared to my Nano Air which did eventually develop holes in the sleeves. I'm hoping that the stretchy panels in that area will be tougher.
At $245, this is pricey for a mid layer, especially if you compare it to a fleece jacket. That said, it's priced the same as the Nano Air and the Helly Hansen Odin Stretch Insulator and cheaper than the Arc’teryx Atom LT and when you consider how versatile it is, the price doesn't seem quite so high.
Montane Fireball Lite Hooded Jacket: the bottom line
If you're looking for a versatile, breathable insulated jacket that you can wear in winter as a mid layer and as your outer layer on cool spring and autum days, it's difficult to find fault with this jacket. It's priced in line with similar jackets from competitors but it's lighter so we can't really see any reason to point you in another direction.
