Rab relaunches its classic Microlight down jacket

Rab comes from Great Britain and has been making gear for cold days in the mountains for decades. The Rab Microlight has been around since 2008 and is one of the brand's great classics. It's the down jacket many people simply always have with them: as a warm layer during a summit break, while belaying on rock, on hut-to-hut tours and on winter hikes.

The reason is quickly explained. The jacket weighs little, keeps you properly warm and packs down small. Often that's all you need.

For autumn/winter 2026, Rab has reworked the whole family. At its centre is the Microlight Alpine.

Rab has given the Microlight a new look and a revised cut. The real news, though, is the fabric. As with the previous model, Rab uses Pertex Quantum, a light, windproof and breathable outer fabric. For the first time, however, the Microlight is made from Pertex Quantum with NetPlus. According to Rab, the yarn comes from fully traceable fishing nets that were collected after use.

The jacket is filled with down. According to Rab, it is 100 percent recycled and has a fill power of 700 cuin. The number tells you how much the down lofts: the higher the value, the more warmth for the same weight. 700 cuin is a good value for a jacket you'll wear often.

The down is also treated to be water-repellent. That helps in snowfall and a short shower. According to Rab, the fabric's water-repellent finish is fluorocarbon-free.

Discarded fishing nets are durable and hard to recycle. According to Rab, they are often thrown away or left in the sea, where they burden marine ecosystems and coastal communities for years. Rab says that through NetPlus it supports fishing communities in sending old nets to recycling at the end of their working life.

This is how a net becomes a new fabric: the collected nets are cleaned, dried and shredded. They are turned into a nylon yarn that, according to Rab, is made into light and very robust fabrics. Besides the Microlight, Rab now uses NetPlus in other products too. According to Rab, the Microlight combines reliable performance with lower raw material consumption.

The Microlight Alpine is the model with a hood. It comes as the Microlight Alpine Hoody for men and for women.

You can tell it's built for movement. The down-filled baffles aren't all the same size. Under the arms they are small, so you can move freely. On the chest, back and shoulders they are larger. That's where you need the warmth.

The hood is adjustable and has a wired peak that you can shape. In the wind it stays where it should. The sleeves are pre-shaped, which is comfortable when climbing.

Three zipped pockets hold your phone, map and gloves. One of them has a loop for your climbing harness.

According to Rab, the men's jacket weighs 428 grams in size M, the women's model around 375 grams.

A good fit if you're looking for a jacket for many occasions: hiking, climbing, high-altitude mountaineering and the commute.

Less suitable if you stand still for a long time in hard frost, for example while belaying in winter. It's too thin for that. Sharp-edged rock is also hard on the light fabric. And in persistent rain you need a rain jacket over it: our rain jacket buying guide shows you which one suits you.

Not everyone needs a hood, and not every tour calls for the same amount of warmth. That's why the Microlight comes in several versions.

The same down, the same fabric, just without a hood. The Microlight Jacket for men fits well under a rain jacket because nothing doubles up at the neck. It's also the more understated choice for the city. The jacket is also available for women.

The vest keeps your upper body warm and leaves your arms free. That's handy when you're moving a lot, for example on a brisk hike or on the bike. According to Rab, it weighs just under 300 grams and packs into its own pocket. It comes as the Microlight Vest for men and for women.

The Microlighter is made for days when you keep moving. Here the down is processed into a thin sheet. The baffles are flatter, the jacket is barely bulky and lighter still. It's less warm than the Microlight. In return, you won't overheat as quickly while walking.

Without a hood, there's the Microlighter Jacket for men and for women. With a hood and a short zip comes the pullover: the Microlighter Pullover Hoody for men and for women.

The table shows the main focus of each model. How warm a jacket feels also depends on you: whether you get cold quickly and what you wear underneath. For all models at a glance, plus a finder to pick yours, see our Rab Microlight brand world.

Still unsure? Think about the moment you need the jacket most. If it's on the move, the Microlighter or the vest is enough. If it's during breaks and at belay stations, go for the Microlight.