Keela Women’s Solo PrimaLoft Jacket

13th September 2026

Early morning on a wild New Zealand beach after a very blustery night camping, the Keela Solo kept the cool breeze at bay ~ note how the hood zips up very well [© Mike Gormley]

The Women’s Solo PrimaLoft Jacket from Keela is a great lightweight and packable insulated garment to cover many situations.

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We chose the Keela Women’s Solo for Jean for our trip to New Zealand where we expected to encounter a wide variety of conditions as we travelled through the country. We anticipated things would be variable and we were correct. From sun to wet and windy as well as chilly.

Jean’s all new Keela Solo ready to go travelling to the other side of the planet [©MG]

The Solo is great for such trips and well able to cope with most things. When you have to travel light because of flight weight allowances, the Solo makes for a good choice. Weighing in at only 680 grammes and able to pack away easily it can be quickly deployed from the daysack to protect against that chill wind and even those showers that come up over the hill when least expected.

Cape Farewell is about as far north as you can go on South Island and a good walk was required to get there but protection against the wind was handy as was the ability to fold down the hood and collar [©MG]

The Solo is made with PrimaLoft Gold insulation which has a really effective performance for its weight. Not only can it keep wind and chill out but it is also very good at keeping the rain out too. To help with weight control the Solo has 133gsm insulation on the body and a reduced 100gsm on the sleeves. This along with the Cordura Flylite Ultra fabric, which is also ripstop, and you are well sorted for those days out on the hill. Days on the hill for us on this trip meant some great trips out, including to Mount Cook where all of the features of the Solo were put to very good use.

Against the stunning backdrop of Mount Cook ~ Jean’s Solo proved ideal as breathability was essential for the stiff and steep walk up to this viewpoint where were soon to be in snow and the other elements of this versatile jacket would come into play [©MG]

The Solo has a good and well controlled hood, the Rescue Red version is amply sized to go over a bump helmet, a scooped back, shock-cord hem adjustment, and elasticated and adjustable cuffs. These all combine to keep the wearer warm and protected. All in all, the Solo proved to be a great choice for our vary varied journey through this fabulous Antipodean country.