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Combining the typical Scandinavian attributes of superior form and function, the new Lopt Vest is your perfect three-season companion.
Key features
- Lightweight
- Sustainable materials and manufacture
- Stylish
- Stuffs into hand pocket
- Integrated hood
Klättermusen had been the sort of ‘under the radar’ company for a while, that sort of low-key Scandinavian outdoor outfit that quietly got on with making premium kit for those in the know. More recently, they have positioned themselves in the same category as premium brands such as Arc’teryx, Patagonia and other Scandi brands such as Narrona. We here at CGR have been watching closely and have been impressed. We asked to review the new Lopt Vest, which looked like a great early autumn/fall piece: light, compact and warm. Perfect for stuffing in a pack for those hiking lunch stops or breezy belay sessions.
The Klättermusen Lopt Vest is a great, useful piece of kit that you would find yourself reaching for time and again when the temperatures begin to take a plunge. Practical enough for all outdoor activities and stylish enough for casual wear (more on that later). It’s stuffed full of useful features as well as made with top-quality materials, and the Lopt Vest hasn’t disappointed. I’ve been using it all season for hiking and climbing, as well as commuting to the climbing gym and meetings.
Well featured, light, compact and warm The Lopt Vest stuffs into the tightest of packs.
The fit is what you might call ‘regular’, with enough room to fit over outer layers. I tested the usual size medium ( my chest size is between 39 and 40”), and the fit has been generous enough to wear over a fleece or softshell jacket. It’s a bit of a push with fleece plus a hard shell, but it fits fine with my summer weight hard shell. There is plenty of room at the arms, which is welcome and offers good arm movement without the jacket riding up. The cut has worked well with a harness on, although after my last escapade using a down vest for climbing in, I’m not planning to use it for climbing often! It’s much more useful as a belay jacket for those breezy sport climbing or bouldering morning sessions. It compresses well and fits into any small space you have in your pack. The trusty CGR scales weighed it in at 294g (the stated weight is 305g). The vest does stuff into the right-hand pocket, which has a double zip, but it does lack a loop tab, so it cannot be clipped onto a harness for multi-pitch climbing. This would be an easy fix for the designers to fix on any future updates. In the meantime, it’s easy enough to thread some 2mm climbing tat through the zip pull.
Perfect for those shady belay sessions. The lack of a hanging loop in the stuff pocket means you will have to add your own if you want to use it for multi pitch climbing.
The down is high quality, which you would expect from a premium brand, sourced using RDS-certified goose down, it offers a nice warm 800 Fill Power of insulation. It has lofted well on all occasions. The baffles are stitched through on the main body, and the shoulders are internally baffled, which is a neat piece of design and means there is zero down leakage when wearing the vest with a pack. This is usually an area where you would find down leakage with the constant rubbing of the shoulder straps. The stitch count is also very high on the baffles, and to date, there has been no down leakage from the baffles – impressive, as I have some very expensive down jackets that have leaked down since the day I got them. Klättermusen uses a system called HCR (Heat Conductivity Resistance), which has a scale of 3 – 9 (the MFR rating even numbers), and the Lost Vest has a 3 rating, which means that its optimum performance temperatures are between 10 and 0ºC which works perfectly for 3 season wear.
There are two handwarmer pockets but, disappointingly, no chest pocket. When I wore the vest with a hiking pack, there was limited access to the pockets when using a hip belt. Also, a great update would be to add either a zipped chest pocket or an internal mesh pocket. A signature feature of Klättermusen jackets is the diagonal pattern at the shoulders, inserting a discrete pocket on the left-hand seam would be ideal without disrupting the overall theme. Just having the internal bags of the hand pockets stitched at the bottom would offer an easy couple of internal pockets. The pockets have sturdy YKK Vislon zips with durable hyperlon-style zip pulls that are bar-tacked for extra durability. They are finished off with a taped-backed zip guard to offer shape and stability to the pockets.
The regular fit means that the Lopt Vest will easily fit over shell layers. But is still cut snug enough to be worn under a pack. The soft material was really quiet when scrambling up technical ground.
The main zip is also a two-way YKK Vislon and has a taped backing for extra durability. The Lopt Vest has the signature offset closure that is common to most Klättermusen jackets. Another well designed feature is the concealed hood, which is just about big enough to go over a helmet and comfortably fits over a cap. The hood deploys from an internal pocket that is kept in place with three press studs. The advantage of this is that it doesn’t affect the look of the collar from the outside. This means the wind won’t catch it, and it makes the vest look more ‘normal’ in casual or office settings. I haven’t needed to use the hood much, but it’s nice to know it’s there if needed out on the hill.
Klättermusen uses a system called MFR (Mass Flow Resistance), the scale is 2-10, with two being breathable with slight wind resistance and 10 being fully waterproof and windproof. The Lopt Vest is scaled at MFR 8, which is Excellent Windproof. The high-denier, ripstop outer fabric is made from Klättermusen’s Leviatend fabric, which is a 60% bio-based polyamide (made out of castor beans) and 40% post-consumer polyamide; it has been designed to adhere to the strict sustainable requirements Klättermusen has for fabrics and fillings. It feels robust in use and is not showing any signs of wear with repeated use throughout the season. I have full confidence that the vest will stand the test of time (assuming I don’t do any stupid chimney thrutching in it!). The DWR is PFC-free, Klättermusen were a first mover in sustainable outerwear, and they have been 100% PFC-free since 2018. It has a nice, soft and quiet feel to it and has been great to wear.
Premium finishing touches include a discrete, embroidered Klättermusen logo, durable front and rear reflective flashings, elasticated hem and arm piping, microfibre chin guard and taped and insulated zip baffle, a bar tacked taped hanger loop, as well as a super tiny Swedish flag tab (al la Fjallraven). Those who appreciate a Scandi minimalist approach to outdoor wear will love this vest.
At the price tag, it would have been nice to have a chest pocket, but overall, the Klättermusen Lost Vest hasn’t disappointed. It is light, compact and a joy to wear, it has a premium feel to it and would fit perfectly out on the crag or hill as well as in the office. It has plenty of useful features, and it has quickly become a staple of my autumn hiking wear. Availability has improved with the opening of the new London shop as well as direct delivery; some items are available through the premium Scandinavian Lifestyle store Market (although I have noticed that they are only stocking bags and the super popular cross-body bags).
The Klättermusen Lopt Vest comes in 3 colour options and sizes XS – XXL.
The SRP is £289 with free delivery and returns (for members – free sign up).
There is a female specific version which comes in 3 colour options and sizes XXS – XL and the same price.
It can be bought directly from Klättermusen UK and the London Store.
Disclosure – CGR reviewers and writers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers who accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item.
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