Rab Neutrino Pro Review

The Rab Neutrino Pro is a down parka geared towards technical use, meaning it provides exceptional warmth and some weather resistance in a lightweight and packable package, but at the expense of durability and useful features like pockets and removable hoods.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The Neutrino Pro is a warm parka. It packs tons of high-quality 800 fill-power down into box baffles on the front torso and traditional sewn-through baffles in the arms and back. The hood provides full head coverage without protruding too far in front of the face, and the hem extends down past the waist to keep the lower body warm. The hem and the hood are adjustable with drawstrings to seal in warmth.

While some jackets on the market are warmer, the Neutrino is warm enough for most winter climates. We felt warm in just the jacket and a T-shirt with no additional layers until about 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-6.5 degrees Celsius). For the price, this jacket is an excellent value for the amount of warmth it provides. The super-packable down in this parka also makes it a great option for cold winter hiking, where you can stash it into a backpack easily, then pull it out during breaks or when the trail heads into the shade.

Weather Resistance

The Rab Neutrino Pro features Pertex Quantum Pro shell fabric, which in our experience is moderately resistant to rain and water but highly resistant to frozen precipitation like snow. The shell fabric isn't as waterproof as heavier options and doesn't even come close to a standard rain jacket. Still, in the interest of saving weight, it does the job and is especially appropriate for cold winter climates where winter precipitation falls mainly as snow instead of rain. Down loses its insulation when wet, so the shell fabric needs to do a good job of keeping water out. But in a rainy downpour, liquid water is likely to reach the feathers through the stitching of each baffle. The zippers aren't waterproof, either.

The hood features a stiff brim that helps deflect rain and sleet, and the hood protrudes about an inch in front of the face, which keeps the whipping wind off the sensitive skin of the face. We found enough room to fit a beanie under the hood during our testing. The wrist openings are elastic and feature velcro cuff straps, which act together to create an effective seal over bare skin or your favorite gloves. And the down feathers are treated with a water-resistant coating, meaning that even if water gets through the shell, the feathers will keep their loft longer.

Comfort

For a technical jacket, the Neutrino Pro is remarkably comfortable. The Pertex shell fabric and interior lining are both constructed from very small fibers, making the material more comfortable against the skin. The large down baffles lay gentle over the body, and fleece lining inserts in the handwarmer pockets and the chin area make the jacket a joy to wear, even when bundled up. The jacket weighs in at just 1.38 pounds in size XL, which is very light for such a warm jacket. This lightweight is a welcome relief from the heavy and bulky winter jackets that we are used to testing. This jacket feels more agile and flexible than most other winter jackets.

As a technical winter jacket, the Neutrino is designed with a fit that hugs the body's contours more than other traditional winter jackets and trench-style designs. The result is a much more comfortable garment than most winter jackets due to the anatomical components that work with the body rather than against it. It feels easy to wear when hanging around, walking, or being active with outdoor winter activities like chopping wood and shoveling. Overall, we're big fans of the comfort and fit of this garment.

Style

The look of the Neutrino Pro is decidedly technical and form-fitting. It looks more at home in the mountains or on the trails than it does on the urban streets of a cold city, but it still manages to earn an above-average score in this metric. Some users like this look, but others won't. We purchased a size larger than indicated by Rab's size chart, and by sizing up, we found ourselves with a jacket that looks great both in the great outdoors and the big city.

Style is subjective and the hardest metric to test. Still, from the comments we received on style when asking around, this jacket has the potential to look great in a variety of contexts, from technical outdoor use to urban centers, from areas where understated styles dominate to those where people like to be unique. We generally like the style of this jacket.

Features

The Rab Neutrino Pro is decidedly light on features, owing to its design as a technical-minded jacket. It earned a score which is on the low side for the group. It avoids any additions that would create areas where the material would stick out, like removable hoods, fur accents, cargo pockets, and snap closures. Instead, it features just two handwarmer pockets on the exterior waist and one internal zippered chest pocket.

If you are the type who likes pockets everywhere, this jacket won't be handy. But, we found that the handwarmer pockets are large enough to fit most users' needs. They are deep enough to stash accessories like a pair of gloves, a winter hat, or a scarf. They can also fit larger items like water bottles. The chest pocket is large enough to accommodate modern smartphones and wallets. But other options on the market have way more pockets and other useful features like headphone ports, cuff gaiters, and removable hoods.

Durability

The Neutrino Pro uses Pertex Quantum Pro 20-Denier fabric for the outer shell. This material is thin and water-resistant, but its supple feel means it won't stand up well to sharp objects and hard impacts. We didn't find any problems with the fabric's durability during our test period, but in our experience with this material, users will want to be gentle with this jacket. We paid close attention to where we placed the coat to avoid snagging sharp objects, and we made sure not to brush past harsh or abrasive surfaces when walking.

Down insulation retains its loft longer than synthetic insulation, and we have found that similar jackets remain warm for many years after purchase. The zippers feel burly, but the thin shell fabric occasionally catches in the zipper teeth. The velcro wrist straps will also wear out over time if used heavily. In general, if treated with care, this jacket presents decent durability.

Should You Buy the Rab Neutrino Pro?

The Rab Neutrino Pro is a warm and packable winter parka that is highly versatile. It provides warmth for the coldest winter days, weather resistance against snow and wind, and can be used in urban environments or the great outdoors when hiking, skiing, fishing, hunting, and more. It is stylish enough for all but the most high-brow contexts and does all of that at an attractive price. This jacket is a great choice if you want a lightweight, technical-minded parka for cold winter use.

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