Tired of your phone battery losing power when outside in cold temperatures? So was I. Not only does my battery power drop over the course of a day outside but also my phone's battery health after a winter normally drops 5%. I scoured the internet to find a solution. After not finding many options with positive reviews, I tried a couple of options including non-insulated cases combined with handwarmers, and finally the Treqa Artic and Polar insulated phone cases. The non-insulated-handwarmer combo was no comparision to the Treqa options. I tested these two cases out over the course of the winter of 2022 while downhill and cross country skiing, winter camping, and teaching outdoor education.

Never heard of Treqa? They are experts in synthetic insulation and have created these phone cases for the purpose of multi-day winter travel. They recommend wearing the phone case in an inner pocket but I tested the cases out in the inner, outer and also hanging off my pack chest strap.

Treqa Arctic Insulated Phone Case
Size: 3.5" x 7.25" (Fits all iPhones and most Android/Samsung Phones)
Colour: Navy, Indigo, Yellow, Sky Blue, Orange, Slate Blue
Price: $24.99 CAD

Treqa Polar Insulated Phone Case
Size: 4” x 7.25”
Colours: Orange, Red, Yellow, Mint, Sky Blue
Price: $39.00 CAD

Features:

Similarities: Both the Arctic and Polar cases are designed to work best while used in a inside pocket. They they both use synthetic insulation, have durable outer fabrics and zippers that don't snag or slide improperly.

Differences: The Artic has 150gsm of synthetic insulation whereas the Polar bumps it up to 200gsm. The Polar case is slightly larger in size and has a corner zip whereas the smaller Arctic case has a top zip. The Polar case has a more robust outer fabric that is water resistant therefore being at a higher price point.

Both cases are windproof, are filled with hypoallergenic insulation and have a black webbing belt loop that sits vertically on the back of the case.

Pros:

They work! After a winter of testing, my battery health percentage has not dropped from 100%! In addition my battery power level never once dropped rapidly like it does without a case. I didn't always wear the phone case on the inside pocket either. I wore it on the inside pocket, outside chest pocket during cross country skiing and sometimes even hanging off a backpack chest strap on milder days.

After a winter of testing both insulated cases, I found that they are both very durable. The photo above is after a winter of testing and they both still look new!

The Polar case is slightly larger and therefore I reached for it a bit more than the Arctic case. It also has the advantage of a higher amount of insulation and a water repellant fabric which I seem to gravitate to more then using it in the jacket outside chest pockets and hanging off my backpack. For the Arctic case, I tended to use it more when stuffing it inside an inner pocket when downhill skiing. Both cases fit my iPhone 12 Pro and Lifeproof Case inside with ease. Note: I normally only wore the case externally in temperatures above the freezing mark and inside below freezing. If wearing the case externally in below freezing temperatures, I would recommend adding a hand warmer as the phone does get cold to the touch.

Both cases are lightweight and slim. They are not bulky and come in a variety of colours. I think they are both priced at an affordable price point.

I liked both cases and would recommend either. This is the first case I have found that my battery was preserved well and would highly recommend this case for anyone wanting to recreate outdoors in the winter while maintaining battery power and battery health of their phone.

Cons:

When my phone was stuff inside the case inside an inner pocket let's say while downhill skiing it worked perfectly. When cross country skiing I stuff the phone and case into a outer chest pocket as my cross country ski attire is much thinner and pocket options are more limited. When building up heat and sweat aerobically, the moisture travelled from my skin through my baselayer and jacket and then the case to produce some moisture on the outside of my phone. This would be something I might want to address or change in future versions of this case. An outer fabric that is a bit more moisture repellent would be ideal.

The corner zip on the Polar case is a neat feature but I didn't find that it worked well with my iPhone 12 Pro and Lifeproof case. When stuffed in a chest pocket (inner or outer) it was difficult to access the phone as it kept getting caught on the corner. I would need two hands to remove it instead of one. Apparently this design issue will be fixed in the next roll out of cases.

There has been a movement towards winter insulated products that are battery powered. I would love to see a case with heating elements inside with a small battery to power it. This would be great for those extra cold days!

Best Uses: Outdoor cold weather recreation for anyone wanting to maintain cell phone battery power.

Full Disclosure: Treqa provided me with these cases for the purpose of this review.

Looking for a warm synthetic layering jacket? Look no further than the Women's Treqa Sonam and Dablam jackets. Never heard for of Treqa? Neither had I, but I am paying attention to this small Canadian company working it's way into the outdoor market. Interesting fact: They get all their products manufactured in Nepal, a place near and dear to my heart. 

The Sonam and Dablam jackets are meant for warm in cold environments where you are doing more sedentary activity. Both have equal levels of insulation, but the Dablam is meant for layering under a shell whereas the Sonam can be used on it's own and is more windproof. I tested out both these jackets throughout the cold winter of 2022 while downhill skiing, winter camping, ice fishing and teaching outdoor ed.

Treqa Sonam Jacket
Sizes: XS to XXL
Colours: Green, Black, Blue
Price: $182 CAD
Weight: 21.2oz

Treqa Dablam Jacket
Sizes: XS to XXL
Colours: Black, Red, Blue
Price: $184 CAD
​Weight: 16.6oz

Features of the Treqa Sonam Jacket:

Features of the Treqa Dablam Jacket:

Pros:

Both jackets were very warm! Both the Sonam and the Dablam have a whopping 150 grams per square meter of insulation. What does that mean? Both jackets are best for temperature ranges of 0C to +10C. That said, I wore those jackets as midlayer under a shell most of the winter down to -25C. The insulation is woven so that it doesn't shift therefore reducing heat loss which you can feel when you wear it! 

After using them as midlayers for an entire winter, I can say that they performed equally or better than my down midlayers. They performed better for warmth than my existing synthetic fleece jackets and synthetic Arc'teryx Atom LT.  I was pleasantly surprised that both jackets kept me warm and cozy during a colder-than-normal winter. The Sonam is more windproof than the Dablam, and I used it often without a shell overtop on milder days. I am looking forward to wearing them as stand alone pieces in the spring and fall.

Treqa boasts that you get more insulation per square meter compared to mainstream name brand synthetic insulated jackets on their website but you pay more for it. At $182-$184 per jacket they are well underpriced compared to other manufacturers. A Treqa jacket offers you better insulation for less money! Check out their comparison chart versus big name brands on this page. 

As a woman who fluctuates between small and medium sizing (small in OR an Patagonia, medium in Arc'teryx), I found that the small Treqa jackets fit best. I could fit a baselayer or other thin layers underneath and the small jackets fit well under my shells.

I found the features of this jacket to be well thought out. Two hand pockets and one inner pocket big enough to fit a phone in an insulated case and maybe more! The high collared neck and easy to use zipper work well, and I had no issues with the fabric wearing during any of my testing.

Style wise, I preferred the look of the Sonam jacket. I just like the quilted pattern better and all round fit. 

Cons:
The con of the superior insulation quality is weight penalty​. Check out the comparison test below. The small Sonam jacket weighed in at 441g (15.6oz) whereas the small Dablam only weighed 309g (10.9). Compared to my small Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody at 298g (10.5oz), the Treqa Sonam Jacket definitely weighs significantly more, but it was constructed with a second layer of windproof fabric inside making it an insulated jacket and windblocker in one, hence the heavier weight. While downhill skiing, winter car camping, and teaching Outdoor Ed I am more sedentary and value warmth over weight in those situations. Plus if synthetic material gets wet, I don't worry about losing warmth like I do with down.

As a woman who winter recreates, I almost always buy my jackets (even mid layers) with hoods. I would like to see Treqa add hooded versions to their line up in the future, especially the Sonam. The Dablam may be close to the Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody in weight, but that includes a hood.
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Comparison Test:

​The Sonam and Dablam jackets come with their own stuff sack but I don't have one so I used a generic one. I looked a compressibility compared to down and weight. Predictably the synthetic jackets weighed slightly more and the Sonam jacket was not very compressible. Surprisingly the Dablam compressed to a similar size to the down jacket.