UKC

Just got myself a new jacket for the mountains this winter.  It is the Crux Pyro down jacket.  Beats my old Phantac jacket from Alpkit which was good down to about 0 degrees C wearing nothing but a base layer.  Compared to this the Crux is hot as hell if you are going for a walk at this temperature.  However, it's comfortable at this temp while at rest wearing nothing underneath.  It's not waterproof.  It can handle a splash or one maybe 2 minutes of light rain but that's all.  You definitively need a raincoat with this jacket.  Got a super lightweight rain jacket from Alpkit which does the job. The Gravitas weighs next to nothing, very waterproof and breathable but is designed for a snug fit.  You need at least the next size up to cover a down jacket like the Crux.  One big issue I always hate with down jackets is seeing down plumes which come out of the jacket.  With the Crux however, so far so good.  Have used the jacket on and off for almost a week and hardly a down plume insight.  A very well made jacket but the design in my opinion is not good at all.  It's no good if you can't see where you are going.  This jacket was made to be worn with a helmet.  But's what if you want to use it with no helmet???  No problem if you're head is AS BIG AS A PUMPKIN.  When using a helmet all the slack of the extra material is taken up.  But if you just want to cover your head with the hood and keep freezing wind out by by clinching the hood around your face, BIG PROBLEM.  All that extra material just pulls down over your eyes and you can't see a thing.  And the plonkers that Crux employed to design this thing did not think of fitting cords so that you can use this jacket without a huge helmet.  OK I like the jacket but I am now forced to either send the jacket back or make alterations myself which involves a lot of work.  PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS

It does have cords in the hood?

https://www.crux.uk.com/product/new-pyro-jacket

Sewing on some kind of velcro strap around the back of the head like on other jackets could be a plan...

I think the op means a draw cord to cinch in round the back of the head to reduce the volume.

Still, it does seem like a bit of an oversight for a down jacket. My old ME Vega has a simple velcro strip at the back of the hood to reduce volume. It's not very effective.

To the op: didn't you try the jacket on first before shelling out a lot of cash for one? I caved in last year and bought a micro down after the UKC group review. I planned to get the Rab alpine summit after it got best in test but the hood felt baggy in the shop so I ended up getting a Berghaus one instead which has an awesome hood with or without a helmet on.

They may be plonkers for designing a jacket which can only be worn with a helmet.  

And there's always a plonker who buys a jacket which can only be worn with a helmet.

Check it first!  I think if its been worn for a week you may well be lucky to get it exchanged as the shop may well have expected you to have checked the fit and function before you bought.  Anyway I guess if its so warm you won't be doing much walking in it anyway - just belaying?

It wasn't me who bought the jacket.

Did you try it on before purchase?

The Ramche? I reviewed that one!

It's a jolly nice duvet isn't it? I've grown rather fond on my one.

I nearly did based on your review but it was a bit spendy so went with the micro extrem 2.0 instead. Brilliantly designed jacket.

Sorry Timmd I was replying to the OP - not you but obviously pressed the wrong key.

No worries.

Well you could be right about being plonkers if I had been in a shop to make the purchase.  Unfortunately I made the decision and purchase over the net so I didn't have the luxury of trying it on till I received it in the post after the purchase was done.  And on top of this the information available was deceptive.  How the hell would you suspect a jacket of this quality not having a clinch to keep a pumpkin sized hood out of your face??? 

Unfortunately I bought it over the net.  Didn't get a chance till it was too late. What made things worse, and this really did piss me off, when I complained about it the dude in the store told me he had one and he could manage by making adjustments from time to time. Well I tried that at home and had to pull the hood off my face every few minutes.  All you have to do is move your head around a bit and you can't see.  Yea  it's a great jacket if you are blind with a white stick.  You would have a warm face 

At the price of £350 it seems nuts needing to make alterations on a new jacket.  Besides, a move like that would void the warranty.  Only had it a few days and will attempt to send it back. 

This really is a design dysfunction and I have seen fruit cake designs before. For example, a laptop cooler unit that a laptop sits on to assist in keeping a high power laptop cool.  ONLY IT BLEW AIR THE WRONG WAY in opposition to the laptop fan.  I'm wondering if this has something to do with things being made in China