UKC

I pre-ordered and brought a alpkit down jacket off the back of some pretty good reviews and a very attractive price. When it arrived the jacket was to big, there was down already coming through the seams at the front and lose stitching on the hood. I sent it back to be replaced but they had already sold out. They have refunded the money and suggested I re-order when the next batch come in.
Before I consider it I'm interested to hear anybody else's experiences with the newest batch of jackets, in all honesty I was not very impressed but maybe it was a one off!
Cheers, Tom

In reply to superman12: I know a few people with this jacket with no problems, I intend on getting the womens sleeveless one be interested to see if your next one is ok!

In reply to climbhannahclimb: cheers, thats the general feedback I had before buying the jacket but was pretty disappointed with what I received... I guess there is the argument of you get what you pay for?

In reply to superman12: not sure about the mens one, but womens says order a size smaller anyway. shit happens

In reply to superman12: i just got an alpkit filo and havent had any problems with it, there is some down visable where the stitches go through but i dont think this is a problem as i havent had any come out.
ive found it warm but ive not had very cold weather to really test it and the dwr seems effective, as i havent had it long i cant speak to durability but ive found my other alpkit products have held up well.
i susspect you were just unlucky hopefully you will try again when the next batch arrive and recive a better example.
hope that helps.

In reply to superman12:

When you say it was 'to big', too big for what exactly? Did you not see the dimensions of each size available given in great detail on the Alpkit website? Did you check beforehand what size you would require or thought would be most suitable to your intended usage? Did the size differ from what their dimensioned specification advised it would be?

How much down was coming out of the seams? For an ultra-light, natural, loose-fill material like down, I would have thought it's quite hard to stitch up the seams without some feathers being trapped in the stitching, depending on their orientation, and thereafter coming right through the outer shell. My guess is you've never had a down product before.

Just for the record, I received my new Filo a few weeks back and have had no problems regarding sizing. It's exactly the sizes it says on the site. I've had a few feathers coming through at the seams, but nothing I wouldn't have expected. My first Filo did the same - it's only natural.

I'm not sure how bad the 'lose stitching on the hood' was, but if this is as legitimate as your other 'complaints' then I must admit, I'm skeptical.

The company gave you a refund, presumably without any quibble. Personally, I'm not convinced you actually had a faulty jacket but I do suspect you didn't research the sizes properly and you don't understand the production process of such a garment. Given your experience, what more could Alpkit have done?

(PS. I have no connection to the company nor do I know anyone who works for them.)

In reply to Fraser:

thanks for the feedback on your jacket and experiences with alpkit.

In reply to RhysRolfe:

cheers for that

In reply to Fraser: I was searching through the forum for any other feedback on the Filos and although the majority is very good there have been different issues highlighted by people, your self included.

My sizing was based on a friends MK1 jacket which although I couldn't personally try due to him living at the other end of the country, he knows me, my size etc and recommended going a size larger than normal. My thoughts were go XL if it's to big send it back and get a smaller one...pretty normal practice when buying over the internet.I had emailed Alpkit straight away and told them I was returning the jacket and why, their response was prompt and said they'd kept a few jackets back and would sort me out. However due to their popularity they'd sold out by the time Alpkit had been able to start processing returns.

The down coming through may well have been normal to somone who has owned a variety of down jackets, although to me didn't look right. My previous jacket was a ME lightline, brought from a friend so never got to see it brand new.

The loose stitching on the hood was approx 5-6 cm of thread that was hanging off the stitched line attached at both ends.The ends were part of the seam and my concern was by cutting it off or leaving it and it maybe getting snagged it would lead to the stitching line loosening.

I am really interested to find out if the issue you were having with the loft resolved it self and also do the cord adjusters dig into your chin when the hood is raised as I to like to wear my hood up?

In reply to superman12:

Okay, thanks for clarifying the background to your OP. Sorry if I came over as a bit judgmental in my post btw!

Picking up your points, I think the sizing issue is just human error on your/friend's behalf. I imagine the jacket was the size Alpkit said it would be on their site. I didn't check the dimensions when I got mine but had tried on a friend's 'small' which was just slightly tight on me, so went for the 'medium' and the fit was spot on.

I wouldn't expect a huge amount of down to leak at the seams, just the very occasional feather, but it does happen, even from new. If it's leaking a lot, then it is an issue that needs to be resolved. I'm sure, like every other manufacturer, rogue garments get through the quality control procedure on the odd occasion.

Straggly bits of thread seem par for the course these days, no matter what clothing/gear you buy. It's not ideal, but it does happen a lot. I had to snip a 3-4cm piece of loose thread from the base of my zip stitching (on the new Filo.) So far, there have been no other issues with the stitching.

Onto the issues I had with mine: the loft hasn't really changed as far as I can see, however, I think the design has probably just been tweaked since the Mk. 1 versions. The fill seems tighter packed in the fore-arms now, or the outer shell 'pockets' are smaller. Either way, I have no complaint regarding the heat loss there and in fact find the new jacket warmer than my Mk. 1. It is however visually less 'bulky' in this area.

The toggles for the hood cord adjustment is still my one bone of contention. IMO, it's a poor design and one that I still have issues with. So far, on the few occasions I've had the hood up and closed at the chin-strap, I've only used the upper of the two snap fasteners and the cord hasn't been pulled really tight. I'm not sure how I'd try and arrange things if I really had to 'batten down the hatches'.

The non-velcro closure cuffs is a minor quibble too. I think the theory might be that, if you're wearing such a warm jacket, you're more than likely going to be wearing warm gloves too.

One final point I'd note is that the two-way zip, on mine at least, is very snag-prone and is guaranteed to take 3-4 times before I can fully open or close it. Unlike some zips where the upper 'fastener' sits over the top of the lower one when they're both in the down position (like a male-female connection almost) both fasteners are the same size on the Filo. I find this a minor pain, but a pain nonetheless. The Mk. 1 didn't have a two-way zip, so this is at least a slight improvement when belaying.

Having said all this, I still think they're excellent jackets, particularly at this price point. Hopefully you'll manage to get something sorted with Alpkit - their customer service is excellent. Best of luck.

In reply to superman12:
All the down jackets & sleeping bags (and pillows!) have had some feathers poke through at some time.

Sizing is maybe for a belay jacket? i.e. To go over other jackets.

Loose threads aren't uncommon on new gear, as long as the seam is OK. Personally, I knot them before cutting them off.
Hope you get sorted soon!

In reply to superman12: I've been very impressed with Alpkit gear, for the price it is impossible to beat I think and the quality has always proved to be better than expected (ie above it's price bracket).

I have had their down jacket from four years ago, and wouldn't hesitate to buy another. I recently received their tent lantern and am amazed at the quality and brightness for 1.3rd the price of Black Diamonds offering.

Their chalck bags are a bargain also

No affiliation, just a very happy, regular customer

In reply to superman12: Thanks for all the feedback, really useful