Guest Gear Review: Fjällräven Keb Jacket

It is no secret that I am a big fan of the Swedish company Fjallraven’s gear. Their dedication to creating durable, sustainable, timeless and comfortable gear echoes my own personal ethos for buying quality that will last (buy once, cry once). So when I was looking for a solid trekking softshell, I naturally turned to the Fjallraven Keb Jacket I have now had this jacket for close to 3 years and it is still an important part of my hiking kit.

The jacket is primarily made out of two fabrics; G1000 and a poly-elastic stretch fabric. G1000 is unique to Fjallraven and is their mainstay fabric, it is a durable polyester and cotton blend that dries well and can be waxed to increase water and wind resistance. On the Keb Jacket, G1000 is used on all of the areas that tend to receive the most wear such as on the elbows, cuffs, shoulders and along the waist where the bottom of the rucksack sits. The poly-elastic fabric panels, however, are placed in areas where ease of movement and durability are more important and while not easily waxable are water resistant. I found this two fabric system to work pretty well, with a good amount of wear resistance around your rucksack straps and a good range of movement for scrambling.

There are several other features designed into the jacket that really improve it’s function and versatility. For example. the hood on the jacket (G1000) has a unique stiffened fabric flap that can be folded forward to create a snorkel like effect and protect the face better. I was initially sceptical about this, but it proved invaluable protection when I was up on the Horseshoe ridge-line in the Brecon Beacons (see blog on Requiem For The Extreme here) in 30mph+ winds and driving sleet . What the Keb lacks in pocket numbers it makes up for in size, with two massive stretch pockets each of which can easily fit a full size OS map and a pair of gloves. These pockets sit pretty high on the chest which makes access easy when wearing a rucksack hip belt and also have a small mesh holder inside to keep car keys, phones or snacks from rattling around. Finally, there are two massive two-way vents underneath the arms and down the side of the jacket which offer quite a decent amount of airflow. I tend to use these to circumvent the lack of pockets by digging into my fleece pockets underneath. 

I find the Keb Jacket to very comfortable and I have no problems with its durability and longevity as an item. However, that durability does come at a price with less breathability and heavier weight than equivalent jackets from other brands. As such, I would personally categorise it as a cold weather hill-walking jacket, where the ability to shrug off winds and snow, while still retaining some breathability and good ventilation options makes it a solid choice in the British off-season. Personally, I would have preferred more pockets for organisation (being a bit of a pack rat), but the two pockets do fit more than enough in. The only other detractor that I am obliged to mention – as with all other Fjallraven equipment – is price, this jacket does not come cheap. However, if you value durability and sustainability highly, I would look at the cost spread over a life-time of use (cost/years of enjoyment).

In conclusion, if you are looking for a bomb-proof cold weather walking and scrambling jacket I highly recommend the Keb Jacket. If you want something a bit lighter weight and more technical for mountaineering, have a look at the Bergtagen Jacket and if you want something a bit more suitable for the summer, check out the Abisko Shade Jacket.

I hope you find this useful and feel free to give me a shout if you have any questions via my website in the ‘about the author’ section.

Do you have this jacket? What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments!