Decathlon Quechua MH500 Review - Bargain 3-Layer Budget Waterproof Jacket??
Summary
TLDRIn this Camping Secrets video, the presenter reviews the Quechua MH500, a budget-friendly yet feature-packed waterproof jacket. Priced at £79.99, it offers three-layer technical fabric, high breathability, and windproofing, competing with more expensive brands. The video showcases its features, including pit zips, adjustable hood, and pocket design, and shares the presenter's experiences after testing it in heavy rain. The jacket impresses with its performance, earning a thumbs up for value, despite minor drawbacks like the hood's design. Viewers are encouraged to consider this jacket for its exceptional quality at an affordable price.
Takeaways
- 🧥 The Quikchua MH500 is a waterproof jacket that offers three-layer technical fabric at an affordable price of £79.99.
- 💧 It is highly waterproof, breathable, and windproof, making it suitable for various outdoor activities.
- 🏞️ The jacket has been tested in torrential rain and has shown no signs of leaking, demonstrating its reliability in wet conditions.
- 🌈 Available in four colors and seven sizes, the MH500 is designed to fit a wide range of users.
- 🔗 Features include waterproof zippers, Velcro cuffs, and pit zips for ventilation, enhancing the jacket's functionality.
- 🧳 The jacket is relatively heavy at 574g, making it more of a shell-coat hybrid rather than a lightweight shell.
- 🌡️ Breathability is rated at an impressive 6 on the RET scale, indicating high breathability for a jacket in its price range.
- ♻️ The jacket is made with 30% less carbon dioxide emissions than previous models, reflecting the brand's commitment to the environment.
- 🔗 The hood design is a minor drawback, as it lacks a wired peak and isn't suitable for use with a helmet.
- 🌟 The MH500 comes with a two-year warranty, providing peace of mind and a testament to the brand's confidence in its product quality.
Q & A
What is the main product being reviewed in the video?
-The main product being reviewed is the Quechua MH500 waterproof jacket by Decathlon.
What makes the MH500 jacket stand out in the market?
-The MH500 jacket stands out because it is a three-layer waterproof jacket available at a significantly lower price point (£79.99) compared to other three-layer jackets, which usually cost over £200.
How many colors and sizes does the MH500 jacket come in?
-The MH500 jacket comes in four colors (black, blue, orange, and green) and seven sizes (small to 3XL).
What are some key features of the MH500 jacket?
-Key features include three-layer technical fabric, waterproof and windproof properties, pit zips for ventilation, adjustable cuffs with Velcro, a durable water-repellent coating, and multiple pockets.
How does the MH500 jacket compare to more expensive jackets?
-The MH500 jacket offers similar waterproof and breathable performance to more expensive jackets, despite its lower price. It has a hydrostatic head rating of 25,000 mm and a RET rating of 6, making it highly breathable and waterproof.
What are some cons of the MH500 jacket mentioned in the review?
-Cons include the hood design, which lacks a wired peak and is not large enough to accommodate a helmet, and the jacket's relatively heavy weight (574g), which may not appeal to those seeking a lightweight shell.
How does the MH500 jacket perform in terms of waterproofness?
-The MH500 jacket performs well in terms of waterproofness, with the reviewer noting no leaks during testing in heavy rain. Its durable water-repellent coating also helps water bead on the surface.
Is the MH500 jacket suitable for activities like climbing?
-The MH500 jacket may not be ideal for climbing as the hood is not large enough to fit over a helmet, and the hood's peak lacks a wire for better shaping.
How does the jacket handle breathability during physical activity?
-The jacket has a RET rating of 6, indicating high breathability. The pit zips help release hot air during exertion, but like all waterproof jackets, it may still result in some perspiration buildup inside.
What maintenance tips are provided for the MH500 jacket?
-To maintain the jacket's water repellency, Decathlon suggests tumble-drying it, which can help restore the durable water-repellent coating over time.
What warranty does Decathlon offer for the MH500 jacket?
-Decathlon offers a 2-year warranty for the MH500 jacket, providing peace of mind with options for replacement or refund if there are any issues.
How does the reviewer summarize their opinion on the MH500 jacket?
-The reviewer gives the MH500 jacket a positive review, stating that it offers excellent value for its price, providing high levels of waterproofing and breathability comparable to more expensive jackets, despite a few minor drawbacks like the hood design.
Outlines
🧥 Introduction to the Quechua MH500 Waterproof Jacket
The speaker introduces the Quechua MH500, a waterproof jacket from Decathlon, highlighting it as one of the most affordable three-layer technical fabric jackets in the UK. They mention having tested other brands like The North Face, Mountain Equipment, and RAB, and express curiosity about the MH500's ability to compete with more expensive options despite its £79.99 price point. The jacket is described as highly breathable, waterproof, and windproof, with the speaker planning to discuss its features, test results in heavy rain, and personal thoughts on its value for money.
🌈 Features and Design of the MH500 Jacket
The speaker details the MH500 jacket's features, including its four color options and seven size choices to fit a variety of users. They discuss the jacket's three-layer technology, which is typically expensive but is offered at a lower price point by Decathlon due to their buying power. The jacket includes a zip pocket, adjustable waist toggles, and waterproof zippers. It is noted as being heavier than some lightweight shells, weighing 574 grams, and having Velcro cuffs to prevent rain entry. The speaker appreciates the jacket's understated color scheme and the lack of rustling noise, which is a common issue with other technical fabrics like GORE-TEX.
💧 Testing the MH500's Waterproofness and Breathability
The speaker shares their experience testing the MH500's waterproofness and breathability. They mention the jacket's three-layer bonded technical membrane, which provides high breathability with an RE rating of 6, indicating top-tier performance. The jacket is also said to withstand 25,000 mm of hydrostatic head, a measure of waterproofing. The speaker has not experienced any leaks and appreciates the jacket's ability to bead water effectively. They also discuss the jacket's pit zips for ventilation and the material's quietness compared to other jackets. The environmental impact of the jacket's production is noted, with 30% less CO2 emissions than previous models.
🌧️ Real-World Testing and Performance Review
The speaker recounts real-world tests of the MH500 in various weather conditions, expressing satisfaction with its performance in heavy rain. They note that the jacket kept them dry despite sweating from physical activity, crediting the pit zips for aiding breathability. The speaker also discusses the jacket's durability, having not experienced any issues after six months of use. They mention the hood's limitations, such as the inability to wear a helmet underneath and the lack of a wired peak for shaping, but overall are impressed with the jacket's performance for its price.
👍 Conclusion and Recommendation of the MH500 Jacket
In conclusion, the speaker gives a positive review of the MH500, recommending it for its exceptional value. They acknowledge the hood's minor shortcomings but appreciate the jacket's high waterproof rating, breathability, and durability. The speaker suggests the jacket could provide warmth in winter due to its thickness and reiterates that the price of £79.99 is a significant advantage. They encourage viewers to consider the MH500 for its budget-friendly three-layer technology and give it a 'thumbs up', ending with a prompt for viewers to like and subscribe for more content.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Quichua MH500
💡Three-layer technical fabric
💡Waterproof
💡Breathable
💡Windproof
💡Caflon
💡Hydrostatic head
💡Breathability rating (MVTR)
💡Pit zips
💡Wet weather performance
💡Value for money
Highlights
The Quicha MH500 jacket is considered the cheapest three-layer technical fabric waterproof shell jacket in the UK.
The jacket is priced at £79.99, which is notably affordable compared to other three-layer jackets that typically cost over £200.
The jacket has been tested in torrential rain, showcasing its waterproof capabilities.
The MH500 is highly breathable, waterproof, and windproof, offering good value for its price.
Quichua, the brand, is an in-house camping and outdoor pursuits branch of the French retailer Decathlon.
The jacket comes in four colors and seven sizes, ensuring a wide range of options for different users.
The jacket features a zip pocket on the inside and an additional unzipped pocket, providing storage options.
The MH500 has a durable water-repellent surface coating, which can be restored by tumble drying.
The jacket is made from 78% polyamide and 20% polyester, and its manufacturing process uses 30% less carbon dioxide.
The jacket offers a high level of breathability with an RE rating of 6, which is considered excellent.
The MH500 comes with a two-year warranty, providing peace of mind and assurance of quality.
The jacket has pit zips for ventilation, allowing hot air to escape when the user is exerting themselves.
The hood of the jacket is not large enough to accommodate a helmet, making it less suitable for climbing.
The jacket's material is stretchy and quiet, unlike some other technical fabrics that can be noisy.
The MH500 has a high waterproof rating of 25,000 mm, indicating its ability to withstand heavy rain.
The jacket is fairly heavy at 574 G, which could be a consideration for those seeking a lightweight option.
The jacket's design includes a longer back for additional coverage, a feature that some users may find beneficial.
After six months of testing, the reviewer found no significant issues with the jacket, giving it a strong recommendation.
The Quicha MH500 is praised as a fantastic jacket for the money, offering exceptional value.
Transcripts
hi there welcome to Camping secrets and
today I want to talk about this jacket
it's from deafo it's the quichua mh500
waterproof jacket and I would say it's
the cheapest thre layer technical fabric
waterproof shell stroke jacket in the UK
at the moment there may be cheaper ones
I haven't seen it but normally a three
layer jacket is going to be over 00 I
mean I've tested row hands I've tested
Moun equipment tested RAB I've got a lot
of waterproof
shells I was really interested to know
can this mh500 for
£79.99 compete with those more expensive
shells so I'm going to take you through
the features I'm going to show you some
of my testing out in torrential rain and
then we'll come back here and talk about
my thoughts on this Jack jaet and
whether it's worth your money let's dig
into
[Music]
this so as I said the mh500 this is a79
99 waterproof jacket with thre layer
technical fabric it's highly breathable
it's highly waterproof and it is
windproof as well now as I said normally
jackets with you know thre layer
technology in a sort of technical
membrane they're normally really
expensive jackets £200 plus Moun
equipment RAB you know all the big
brands do these for the caflon uh and
you may not have heard of the caflon but
they're really huge French sort of uh
Outdoor Pursuit sort of shop a
manufacturer they design a lot of their
own products and because of their huge
buying power they can offer really good
prices um so quichua is the camping
brand it's a strange name and I'm never
sure how to pronounce it but it's qu e c
h
UA and that is their in-house camping
and Outdoor Pursuits sort of branch of
the caflon um so the
mh500 comes in four different colors
there's a black there's a blue which
I've got here uh there's an orange and a
green
£79.99 uh available if you check out the
link below you can check the latest
price but I think it you know I don't
want to preempt this too much but it's
an amazing price for a thre layer highly
waterproof jacket let's put it on a sec
and just take you through the main
features so as I said I've had it for
around 6 months it was sent to me by
daflon to review uh and over the summer
there just wasn't much rain and uh but
in the last four weeks or so in the
Midlands it has absolutely been chucking
it down and um yeah I've had a lot of
time to walk with it out in the Hills
out in the park and just out to the
shops you know I've been living in it
basically now as I said it it's um comes
in four colors and seven different sizes
I mean the small medium large extra
large 2 XL 3 XL so you should easily be
able to find the size that's right for
you as I said this is large I'm 6' 3 and
I'd say it's probably the perfect
perfect size for
me see you know it's coming below waist
here maybe I could go to the XL but for
me this works pretty well so what have
we got let's go on the inside uh we got
a zip pocket on the inside here and then
just another little unzipped pocket on
this side and that's about it on the
inside there toggles for round the waist
if we zip we've got really nice
waterproof zip here right down the
center of the coat and we've got
waterproof zipped Pockets the pockets
are only zipping in One Direction up to
the top
um so and plenty of room here what I
would say it's not a traditional shell
574 G so it's a reasonably heavy jacket
it's it's getting towards coat territory
not a totally lightweight shell you know
under 300 G type thing 574 it's a meaty
waterproof shell if you want to call it
a shell so if you're after something
really lightweight then the mh500
probably isn't for you but you know for
the price it is that's $79.99 you know
it is phenomenal value on the surface
the Cuffs have a Velcro on them so you
can cinch as tight as you want to stop
driving rain coming in on both sides
that's nice I quite like the color
scheme the blue light blue dark blue is
fairly
understated as I said we got the pockets
there the zip at the front let's get the
hood
on So Hood here if we zip
up getting good coverage under the just
around the mouth here and then on the
back we can pull the toggle to to sort
of clamp it around the back there of the
head so that's nice now the hood isn't
that big I don't it will not let's get
back out so you can hear me the hood is
not excessively large you there's no way
of getting a helmet Under This Hood so
if you're going climbing and you want a
hard hat then I don't think the mx500 is
for you the peak is not wired um it's
just a little floppy Peak and I would
say you know you know that's potentially
one of the downsides of the jacket just
this peak area here um I do like on more
expensive jackets when you can sort of
reshape the peak of the hood you know in
any shape that you want that being said
you know it it's reasonably okay for
letting water run
off also to help the breathability even
more underneath the sleeves these are
Ragin sleeves by the way underneath the
sleeves we've got pit Zips here fairly
large apertures here that open up that
allows hot air to come out if you're
exerting yourself in the mountains same
on this side
here now I would say the material is
sort of stretchy and not you know gex
Pro for example that's a sort of uh
alternative technical fabric um cortex
Pro is really rustly whereas the jacket
here the
mh500 there's not much noise it's it's
there's no rustling or crinkling or it's
quite a smooth slightly elasticated
material it doesn't feel like a gortex
jacket and it hasn't got that crinkling
it's sort of more of a a normal coat and
I think some people might not might not
like the feel of this it it does feel a
little I wouldn't say plasticky or
rubbery but just you can tell it's just
a little smooth but I do like the fact
that it doesn't rustle that much when
you're walking around you're not getting
that sort of noise that you might get
with a gortex pro jacket if you check
out previous reviews of mine of say the
Mountain Equipment lotsy waterproof
jacket and that's a 400 lb gortex Pro
jacket if you check that review that's a
really noisy jacket it works
fantastically but that noise is a little
irritating you don't get that with with
the uh daflon quu mh500 in terms of the
surface of the jacket it's got a durable
water repell sort of surface coating and
actually that can be restored by tumble
drying so the caflon say so over time
you know the way that the water beads up
on the jacket and it does that really
well when you first get the jacket but
as a with all these things over time
that that beading ability May sort of
tail off uh tolon say if you tumble dry
the jacket you can restore that
repellency and I haven't put that to the
test yet but it's good to know that
that's the case and that's probably due
to the um the materials used and this is
78% polyamide material and about 20%
polyester and actually the manufacturing
of this has used 30% less carbon dioxide
than previous jackets from the caflon so
30% less CO2 going into the atmosphere
so they're doing their bit for the
environment and it's worth saying that
this jacket is not just sort of imported
from China or whatever ever it was
specifically designed by the daflon
engineers in France um they've got a
in-house Design Center where they test
everything they put it in a wind tunnel
they they get it soaked uh they test the
breathability so the caflon really like
to stand by their products and like I
said with that 2-year warranty there is
peace of mind if you've got any problems
they will replace it or refund your
money uh that 2 years peace of mind is
really useful to have I think so in
terms of water proofness as I said it's
got a thre layer bonded technical
membrane in here and that means it's
breathable and waterproof and the klon
say this can withstand 25,000 mm of
hydrostatic head so that basically means
if it's pouring down with rain and
you've got a high level of water
pressure on you it's not going to let
that water through and I've got to say
when you check the videos I've not had a
single leak through this thing um it's
also very bable it's got an re rating of
six and six is highly bable anything
below six is like the best of the best
and this is six and I think re stands
for thermal evap evaporative resistance
and it's the way de caflon tests the
breathability so an R of6 is a very good
score and for 79.99 you're getting
pretty good
performance uh it comes with a two-year
warranty it's worth saying that and uh
I've never had any problem with the
caflon that's just such a big company if
you go in they've got stores you can buy
online um definitely check the link
below for a link to this jacket on the
CFL and you'll be able to check out
there is a this is probably the
mid-range jacket the mh500 there is a
higher spec
£19 I think or maybe £109.99 that's the
mh900 and that's just uh you know it's
very similar but maybe a bit more of a
slim
fit so the large that I've got here you
know it fits really well so and that's
my standard size as a large or extra
large um I did my wife has got the mh900
and she said it a little small for the
size that she ordered I think she she's
a size 14 she ordered a medium and it
was a little tight so potentially get
just a size slightly higher than you
would normally get I'd say this is on
the board order for me I could probably
live with a slightly bigger one so an XL
for me instead of my normal large but it
it it certainly fits okay right um so
that's the main features I'm going to
now go through and show you some of the
testing we've done and then we'll come
back and just have a chat about what I
found with the jacket and whether I'd
recommend it for you guys anyway let's
run VT now in the garden it's going to
be tricky to test the breath
ability cuz I'm not going to get fully
exerted walking around here it's more
when you're climbing mountains you're
getting sweaty how much of the
perspiration and Vapor gets out but I
can test
today the beading and already I can see
beading occurring let's get this hood
on and zip
up
I'm just going to walk around for a
bit so my shorts are going to get
absolutely
soaked but
hopefully my t-shirt will be dry now as
I said before there are pit zips on this
jacket so you can get good ventilation
out here and
here zip up the
pockets and Pockets zip
upwards so I would say that's
potentially a design floor because water
can get in if you haven't fully zipped
them
up uh but they are nicely sealed
with a waterproof
strip as said before the hood doesn't
have a
wire but it does form a little
Peak
so that does work pretty well and then
we can
toggle down if you want it tighter on
the
face
the water is clearly beading on the
surface if you can see that on the
sleeve there lots of little beads
they're not running
off so the beads are there
but not rolling off so there is a chance
the coat might wet out in a really heavy
downpour and when a jacket wets out the
vapor cannot get out because it's
basically Satur ated on the surface so
you what you want to see is water
beading and then rolling off just sort
of effectively keep the surface as dry
as possible even so I would say this is
an excellent value coat uh I'll leave my
full thoughts till the conclusion
section but it's got everything really
you want from a coat and it has an
amazing price so it doesn't really feel
like you're compromising too much
so the drizzle is coming down but
unfortunately it's still not torrential
rain I was really hoping to get bucketed
on the coat seems to be performing well
as I said before still got the
beading feels warm I've only got a
t-shirt
underneath but I really do want to get
it out
in you know torrential PS so this is
going to be a long-term test I don't
want to recommend a coat unless I've put
it through its Paces so I'll just carry
on waiting for
rain okay out again another day another
lot of rain starting to come down got
the quu mh500 on again so just testing
out the wet weather
performance overall it's going really
well I'm pretty impressed with this coat
to be honest for the price so just got
back in from another wet
walk and the coat the mh500 the caflon
has worked really well just trying to
undo it with one
hand you know I've worked up a sweat
here I did a two M Walk In The Rain uh
you know fairly uous up and downhill
yeah I'm I've got a bit of a sweat but
in the coat is wet on the outside but
absolutely no dampness on the
inside um so I'm
guessing the breathability has been
functioning you know my top does feel
moist but that's just literally
perspiration nothing any Coke can do
about that but I'm not sopping wet
inside so overall I think this is a a
thumbs up for the wet weather
performance of the
mx500 okay so welcome back uh I just
want to now go through my thoughts with
the mh500 uh after testing it you know
on and off for around 6 months um since
I've had the jacket and I have had it
out in really torrential rain actually
and I haven't always filmed it I've not
always had a camera on board but I can
give you my honest thoughts let's go
through first a couple of the cons that
I found I'm not a massive fan I've got
to say of the hood in terms of the front
Peak and I did mention this at the start
it's literally like a little flappy
piece of material here there's no wire
inside it to enable shaping of that
front
Peak and you know it it's not a large
Hood it has got some toggles at the
front and a toggle at the back to get it
on your skull but there's no way of
getting a helmet underneath so for
climbing purposes probably not the coat
you want um but but that that hood
potentially could do with slightly
improving in my view the weight of the
jacket is fairly High 574 G as I said
it's verging into waterproof jacket
stroke coat territory it's fa thick it's
got pockets inside so it's got that
extra lining for the pockets that adds
to the weight you know and in terms of
folding up let's try wrapping it up you
know rolling it
that's the sort of size so that is going
to go into a day rocku reasonably well
if you've got similar over trousers or
something it's okay but there's a little
bit of weight to that it's not a totally
lightweight jacket but I think you
forgive it that and actually in the
winter I think this can provide some
warmth because it is slightly thicker
than a conventional shell so you know I
can't knock it too much for the weight
if I'm honest you should know what
you're buying yes it's not totally
lightweight but I don't think that's a
massive
negative and really that's it because
I've not had any problems at all with
this jacket and it's kind of blows my
mind that you're getting that massive
High waterproof number 25,000 mm you're
getting exceptional breathability for
£79.99 I mean it's going to make the
competitor is scared as far as I'm
concerned because you know I've seen
water beading off this I've not been wet
inside I've exerted myself climbing
hills and mountains around the Midlands
and shopshire over the last few months
in Rain carrying a rock sack and this
thing hasn't really missed a beat it
beads up the water nicely in an absolute
delude I mean any coat you're going to
sweat a bit uh and you know you're going
to get slightly moist clothing just from
the sweat no coat is going to let
every you know water molecule of
apparate out it's just the laws of
physics as far as I'm concerned so you
know even the highest price 400b coats
that I've jackets that I've tested in
the past you still get that sort of glow
of you know water vapor inside when
you're exerting yourself and this coat's
no different but you know the presence
of those large pit zips really helps the
air get around and I can't really knock
it I mean the velcro works well on the
wrists um there's sort of toggles around
the waist so you can pull it in tight I
quite like this little tail flap at the
back so the back is slightly longer than
the front so it's sort of shaped more to
cover your bum and um yeah apart from
that
hood you know that is probably the
slight L weak part uh the peak of that
hood but other than that so far after 6
months I cannot really complain too much
and so in my view this gets a thumbs up
a double thumbs up really it is a
fantastic jacket for the money and if
you're on a budget just getting three
layers for under1 is unbelievable if
you've got a bit more money maybe look
at the mh900 it probably looks a little
bit more stylish and it's probably
slightly nicer colors but you know
they're both really good jackets they'
both got identical specifications the
mh900 and the
mh500 but $79.99 for this absolutely
brilliant so gets the camping Secrets
thumbs up and uh anyway that's all I
wanted to say about it really so thanks
for watching please like And subscribe
if this has been of any use to you and
yeah go check out the klon for the ca
bye for
now
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