In reply to onlyhalfwayup:
> That price is really taking the piss, it's a GoreTex jacket for god's sake, basically the same as most other top shells. Big whoop.
Did you read the whole review? John discusses the price at some length noting its actually halfway between the top of range ME jacket and the top of the range Arcteryx jacket - so definitely expensive, but not the most expensive.
There has clearly been an increase in prices since 2020 when we did this group test https://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/clothing/waterproofs/bombproof_winter_mount... . Although there are much cheaper options there, already 500 to 525 seemed pretty standard for top of the range Goretex Pro mountain jacket. I've always thought ME seemed to charge a bit less for their jackets than competitors, but if their flagship jacket is now well over 600 quid, I expect many other brands will have a jacket in the 600 - 700 quid range.
The group test came out in late February 2020, just as we were all becoming of aware of this new disease spreading around the world. We've seen lots of inflation since COVID and the war in Ukraine. In the 2020 test the top of the range North Face Summit jacket (which I actually reviewed) was RRP £550. Using the Bank of England inflation calculator that is the same as £665.05 in Jan of this year (most recent date available). So 720 for this jacket is more than just an inflationary increase, although it is interesting to note that TNF after making a massive thing about their new better-than-anything proprietary fabric FUTURELIGHT, and using it in the Summit jacket, have - after 'mixed reviews' - gone back to Goretex Pro for their top jacket here. It maybe that buying you fabric from Gore accounts for the beyond inflation price increase.