Mountain Hardwear Stratus Range Full Zip Review

The Mountain Hardwear Stratus Full Zip became our go-to jacket for climbing, evening hikes, and early morning runs because of its lightweight, well-fitted hood, numerous features, and excellent fit. Our testers loved the jacket's ability to breathe well while running in the Flatirons of Boulder, Colorado, and its mobility while climbing next to the river on steep sport climbs of Button Rock, Colorado. Though it had some minor flaws, the jacket stood up with the top contenders in this review.

Performance Comparison

Warmth

The thin Stratus Full Zip works well in its ability to trap heat while active. The grid pattern of the fleece kept our testers warm. The thumbhole cuffs kept the raglan sleeves in place and the well-fitted hood protected our tester's ears from too much wind. The Stratus tends to be a bit light for days when you're stationary in the cold, but during high amounts of activity, it excels, providing consistent warmth.

When the weather turned for the worse, when the temps started to dip, or when they stopped moving as quickly, our testers looked for a heavier fleece or put on a hard shell for further warmth.

Comfort

The lightweight, grid pattern of the 100% Polyester Stratus feels soft against the skin. The three-piece hood conforms to the head and the textured fleece is hybridized, with a bit of stretch to it, making it move easily. The fleece has a generally close, athletic fit which makes it great for moving.

Weather Resistance

As with most fleeces, in light rain and mist the Stratus did well, but when the clouds opened up, our testers needed to start running for shelter or put on a hardshell. One tester wore it climbing technical rock terrain at 12,000 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park; it kept them warm and dry until the afternoon thunderstorms really let loose at which point they quickly became wet. As with most fleeces, if the weather report calls for serious precipitation, it's best to bring a heavier shell.

The breathability of this jacket makes it less than ideal for weather resistance as does its thinness. However, the jacket did fine in comparison with the other models in the review.

Weight

The Stratus fell into the lightweight end of the scale for the fleeces we reviewed weighing in at a mere 13.3 ounces for a medium. Even with the hood and the full zip, the jacket achieved a reasonable weight.

This comes in part from the thinness of the grid pattern fleece, which saved a bit of weight. The zippers pulls are quite thin cord, which helped with keeping things streamlined but one tester had problems with the cords coming off of the zippers. Ultimately, the fleece feels like a heavily featured lighter weight model.

Breathability

This fleece performs well in this category. While trying to climb a difficult sport route next to the river at Button Rock in Lyons, Colorado, our tester stayed warm — without overheating. The grid fleece helped regulate our testers' temperature and allowed them to shed moisture when it became too hot.

A great feature of this jacket is the full-length zipper which allows for more ventilation when needed. If you're skiing or hiking uphill, the jacket can be fully opened without feeling like it will fall off.

Layering Ability

For a full zippered hoodie, the Stratus layers exceptionally well. The chest pockets — as well as the two handwarmer pockets — stay well out of the way adding little bulk to the jacket. The thumb loops keep the sleeves in place when putting on another garment and even the three-piece hood fits well under other layers.

The Stratus slides under a harness and our testers were able to comfortably climb in it even with the usual annoyance of a zipper. The jacket stays doesn't ride up despite not having an adjustability at the hem, making it a great piece for stand-alone use or for layering.

Should You Buy the Mountain Hardwear Stratus Full Zip?

Considering its high performance, the Stratus comes at a decent price. Similar to the Patagonia R1 Full Zip but at a fraction of the cost, it offers a premium model with great features — without the high price tag. As one of the more technical pieces in the review, it performs exceptionally well. Our testers were a bit disappointed by the overly thin pull cords, which came off the jacket and one tester had stitching come off at the hem, causing the elasticized waist to detach.

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