Honest Initial Review of 2 Puffys: SG Grumman vs Rab Electron

[cornfedkiller]

I have a number of Rab garments, they all have good fit/finish to them. Zippers are on the wrong side though

Like the zipper pull is on the left side?

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Like the zipper pull is on the left side?

Yep opposite of US men’s...can you believe they also drive on the wrong side of the road???
Zipper only takes a few days to get used to

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Do all of their jackets have hoods?

Montbell or Rab?

Rab has the alpine non hooded and some vests I believe

 

[Vandy321]

The Montbell alpine IS all its cracked up to be. Not sure a better warmth to weight to price ratio exists. However, i don't think comparing the alpine to the grumman is fair. They are two different classes of puffy. The grumman being a midweight and the alpine being a few ounces of fill below expedition parka territory.

I had both, the Grumman and the Alpine. SOLD the Grumman. Although the Alpine is a bit too warm for Sept in the CO high county (minus the snow storm last year). I'll be packing my Atom A/R in sept and the Alpine in Oct/Nov. Have had the alpine up to 14k in 30+ winds this winter and set up camp in the negative temps during that last cold snap, its the warmest jacket I've owned and at 15oz, I'm convinced it cannot be beat.

The grumman was...meh. down missing in spots (could see through the face fabric when held up to the light), no adjustable wrist closures, minimal hood/face closures, sewn through construction. Overall, very average compared to other jackets on the market in the $330 pricerange. The down to weight ratio is good, but there are better jackets for the $$. My opinion only.

Edited for spelling.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I agree a jacket with 7oz of high fill power down like the Montbell alpine and the Rab electron are going to be overkill for September. Probably can do with a synthetic or a lower fill down puffy in most places most years.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Rab has a few Large Electron in grey on their site for $227...

 

[Snicolio]

Has anyone tired out the Rab Kaon, 850 down and weighs only 9 oz

 

[mtwarden]

^ need to find out the ounces of fill- that is by far the best way to contrast different jackets; light jacket usually means light fill- which if it's for some summer use- perfect, for fall/late fall- not so perfect (in the mountain West anyways)

 

[Vandy321]

Has anyone tired out the Rab Kaon, 850 down and weighs only 9 oz

What is your intended use for the jacket? For me, that jacket would not be warm enough for hunting season in CO, not even Sept.

It's 8.8oz overall weight which is great, but it's only 2.5oz of 800 fill from what I see. For an extra 5oz overall weight, you can get something in a similar price point with over 7oz of fill.

For me, 2.5oz of down is good for running errands in and that's about it, I'm not sure it would keep you warm glassing in even ths 40s.

 

[mtwarden]

yup- perfect "summer" backpacking puffy; along the lines of Mountain Hardwear's Ghost Whisperer (3 oz of 800 down fill) at 9 oz

definitely not in the league of the other jackets discussed here for hunting though

 

[muchach0]

Because of this damn thread I’m torn between the electron pro and the Montbell alpine down


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[FlyingDutchman]

Only advantage to Rab is the treated down and they tend to sell excess inventory at discounted prices like sub $200.
You can’t go wrong with either. I’d go with looks, price, color you like, etc.

Because of this damn thread I’m torn between the electron pro and the Montbell alpine down


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[muchach0]

Only advantage to Rab is the treated down and they tend to sell excess inventory at discounted prices like sub $200.
You can’t go wrong with either. I’d go with looks, price, color you like, etc.

I guess if you put it that way I do need a down jacket for long glassing sessions in snowy conditions so the electron it is


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[fwafwow]

Curse you guys! I had forgotten about this thread. Are the Rabs on sale again?

 

[muchach0]

Curse you guys! I had forgotten about this thread. Are the Rabs on sale again?

I can’t apologize I’m trying to find a good hoody so I don’t freeze my ass off in single digit temperatures while glassing for some elk


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[fwafwow]

I can’t apologize I’m trying to find a good hoody so I don’t freeze my ass off in single digit temperatures while glassing for some elk


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It was sarcasm

 

[muchach0]

It was sarcasm

Sorry I missed the sarcasm font


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[fwafwow]

Sorry I missed the sarcasm font


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Welcome to RS

 

[muchach0]

Welcome to RS

Thank you sir, way better than Facebook considering I got banned


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[WeekendWarrior1776]

I’ve been in the market for a new all around down puffy that can be used in town and in the pack hunting. I did a lot of research looking at what I thought had the best specs. My previous jacket is a Patagonia down sweater, while a great jacket it is getting worn out. I wanted it’s replacement to have a little more down fill. I also wanted something that had treated down and a high fill power. I looked at a lot of different companies offerings and finally settled on my top 2, the Stone Glacier Grumman and the Rab Electron. If I was truly comparing apples to apples the Rab model closest to the Grumman is actually the microlight alpine, but the Electron has higher fill power and fill weight than both with a minimal weight penalty. I received them both in the mail recently and here’s what I think of each one.
SG Grumman: 5.3oz of 850+ treated down weight was ~12-13oz on my scale in a large which is pretty close to advertised. 15D Pertex Quantum Shell with DWR. Initial impressions were the grey color looked better in person than on SG’s website. It’s definitely not as bright. It does have a shine to it in the light but its not bad.
The good: It fit well in all aspects like chest, arm and torso length. It is also quite warm and has good loft.
The neutral: the material is thin, like I’m not sure of durability thin. The elastic at the waist seems cheaply finished, it works but I’d prefer a cinch cord.
The bad: There was some down poking through the material right out of the box, and while it was minimal, I was surprised to see it. Not all the baffles seemed to have the same loft? There were also a lot of loose threads at the baffle stitching both inside and out. I can’t say the stitches were bad, but makes me wonder. See pics. The zipper has no flap on the inside, which on me with the hood up and fully zipped tended to lay on my adam’s apple. This was noticeable and over time probably will bother me. The intolerable: the elastic wrist cuffs on this jacket seem unfinished. They are tight and will stop heat loss but they are very uncomfortable to me. I don’t know how to explain it, you’ll have to check the pics. They are just elastic strips stitched in at the end of the sleeve. The other intolerable is the hood elastic pull system. It quite honestly feels like you’re wearing a shower cap inside of the hood. I wish I was kidding. You pull the cords on the back of the hood and essentially just pull a shock cord tight around your head like a crown. The cord lays right across your ears. This could definitely use some refinement in design. This is of course my opinion and I’m sure others might like the minimalist cuffs and hood cinch.
Overall Pros: Warm, quality down with good loft, lightweight for the warmth. This would be for you if you want a no frills puffy that lives in your backpack.
Overall Cons: Appears fragile, questionable stitching and outer shell materials, slight sheen, poor hood cinch design, uncomfortable wrist cuffs.

Rab Electron in XL(fits like a US Large): Pine color, Overall weight 16-17oz, Fill weight is 7.1oz of 800 fill treated down. 20D Pertex Quantum Pro with DWR.

Initial impression are this is very warm with really great loft, which was to be expected at that fill weight. Good fit overall. Hood feels very lofty and full of down. Color is a nice dark evergreen color, but when in the light it definitely takes on more of an emerald color than pine.
The good: The hood design is great! It has a velcro tab pull on the back to tighten it down which has the advantage of other designs is that you can sleep on your back without a plastic cord lock mashed into your head. The hood cinch system is great out front and has the pulls built in below the neck so nothing is up by your face. The hood also has a brim with a wire to shape around hat brim. Nice touch if this holds up. The cuffs on this jacket are superb! I believe the Brits who designed this would call them exquisite. Seriously the nicest cuff design I’ve felt on a puffy. It also has a nice cinch cord at the waist that works well. The material on this jacket has a, “I’m wearing a cozy zero degree sleeping bag around” feel to it. It feels solid like it can handle some use. The zippers are good and have a flap on the inside, and has a soft fleece part up by the neck and face for comfort.
The neutral: Large side pockets which are comfy but they zip open from the top so they have to open all the way, which is more than you need. I’m not sure if heat loss will be an issue. The British put men’s zippers on bass ackwards so opposite of US. This will take some getting used to.
The bad: A bit heavier than other down puffy. I think the tradeoff is worth it though to get the more durable outer, better hood cinch design and the waist cinch cords.
Overall: Rab Electron I was very surprised by this jacket. It is for you if you desire a very very comfortable and warm down jacket and don’t mind a few extra ounces.

In summary I was surprised by the Rab in a good way and surprised by the Grumman in the opposite way. Even though the Grumman isn’t for me. I really like SG as a company and have had nothing but great customer service and quality from the other SG products I own. I really wanted the Grumman to work for me. With that said, I am in no way an expert and this is my initial impression, experience and opinion on these two particular jackets. I have not put either of these to the true test of real world use yet.
I have worn both of them in freezing snowy conditions while stationary and they are both very warm. Just wanted to share to help someone out if they’re looking.
I’ll post some pics up.

I am 5,8/170 pounds with an athletic build. Chest measures 38 and waist is 31. For the Electron Pro would you recommend sizing up? I normally wear a medium. Thanks