Treqa Women's Dablam Jacket
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bottom Line: You get a super warm, high quality synthetic insulating jacket at a very reasonable price point. What's not to love?
Best Uses: Fall and spring jackets and winter mid layers.
Full Disclosure: Treqa provided me with these jackets for the purpose of this review.
Best Uses: Fall and spring jackets and winter mid layers.
Full Disclosure: Treqa provided me with these jackets for the purpose of this review.
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