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Gear reviews | Penguin 3-layer Dermizax Shell jacket and pants

The freeride suit from Penguin Clothing in a practical test

by Johannes Wolf 01/24/2018
The small Swiss company PENGUIN has been promoting ski and snowboard clothing with a focus on functionality and robustness for several years. The Swiss company's motto is: by freeriders for freeriders. For this reason, particular emphasis is placed on ensuring that the clothing can withstand the rigors of daily freeride adventures.

First impression

I was able to test the 3-layer Dermizax Shell jacket and trousers this season and see for myself whether the Swiss values really apply. Both the jacket and the trousers are made from 3-layer Dermizax material and have a water column of approx. 20,000mm. The first impression is already promising: the jacket and trousers are neatly finished and the material feels good in the hand. The colors also match the picture on the Internet. The jacket and trousers impress with well thought-out details: the jacket has a fleece section on the chin and a detachable snow skirt, which can also be attached to the trousers. The hood is also helmet-compatible and has side ventilation slits. At first glance, these also look as if they can be opened and closed with one hand without any problems.

PENGUIN doesn't have to hide from the competition when it comes to the trousers either. The trousers can be worn as dungarees, or alternatively the bib can be removed and zipped together with the jacket as a "one-piece suit". There are large ventilation slits on the side. Like the ventilation on the jacket, these have a mesh insert.

The 3-layer trousers have two large pockets on the thighs, which can hold gloves, a map or an avalanche transceiver, for example, without me feeling restricted. There is also a small pocket on the bib that easily fits a cell phone. The ventilation slits on the outside can be opened almost all the way around and are therefore ideal for good air circulation when ski touring. If you remove the bib, the straps are also removed. There are belt loops so that the pants still fit well. There is also a Velcro fastener on the side that can be used to adjust the width of the trousers.

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Tester and test conditions

I am 179 cm tall and weigh 72 kg. I tested the jacket in size M. As I am quite slim, size S would probably have been enough for me. The jacket and trousers are cut rather loose, which allows perfect freedom of movement. I've been able to test the jacket on around 20 ski days so far, most of which were spent freeriding but also on the odd ski tour. The jacket has also been my constant companion over the last few months, whether at the Christmas market or cycling into town.

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The jacket has really impressed me in use so far, the material hasn't let me down even in heavy rain. I find the fleece collar at the end of the zipper on the jacket very comfortable, which ensures that I like wearing the jacket even in windy conditions. With jackets without this fleece collar, I often have the feeling that my chin is chafed after a few hours.

The slit at the sleeves is also practical, as it prevents snow from getting into the jacket at the sleeves. The slit also has very large openings for the thumbs. With many jackets, the tight slit has tended to bother me so far, as there was always a bit of tension on my hand.

In addition to the two side pockets, which are easy to open even with a backpack, the ventilation slit is also easy to use. However, if you have a backpack on, the straps of the backpack are sometimes in the way. In addition to the side pockets, there is also a small inner pocket with a zipper, a mesh pocket (perfect for a radio or gloves), a pocket on the sleeve for a ski map and a breast pocket. However, I find the latter very small - a current smartphone only fits in with difficulty.

I'm also impressed with the pants so far, especially the large pockets on the legs are really ingenious. Removing the bib and linking the jacket and trousers worked quickly and easily in practice, but as I usually ride with a bib, I haven't used this function too often.

Conclusion

The PENGUIN 3-layer Dermizax Shell jacket and trousers deliver what they promise. Even after more than 2 months, the material still shows no signs of wear. The well thought-out and wide cut and the number of pockets are convincing, only the ventilation slits on the jacket could have been a little larger.

Details:

PENGUIN 3-layer Dermizax Shell jacket

RRP: 459.00 CHF Size: S - XXXL Features: chin guard flap, detachable snow skirt, zip-to-pant connection, helmet fits under hood

PENUGIN 3-layer Dermizax Shell pants

RRP: 359.00 CHF Sizes: S - XXXL Features: belt loops, detachable bib, snow guard at leg opening, zip-to-jacket connection

Click here to visit the PENGUIN website for more information on the jacket and trousers.

This product was provided to PowderGuide by the manufacturer free of charge for testing. You can find out how we test it in our test statement.

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