Test: Dragon Tooth. Tactical garments from China

MILMAG received a couple of Dragon Tooth`s products for testing. Initially, we were a bit skeptical but it turned out, that well-known materials like Cordura, Coolmax, and YKK were used. Products look well made and attention to detail and user comfort is good.

This review concerns 3 items of clothing and tests were carried in the autumn. First one was the DT16/CO023 16 B4 GEN II rain jacket, from the Extreme Tactical (designed for moderate temperature)line of clothing. Chinese manufacturer`s decided not to use any catch marketing name for their garments. The other two products have similar sounding names – the TS002 thermo active polo shirt and CO001 wind jacket (Mix Tactical line).

Dragon`s Tooth products are well made and comfortable.  DT16/CO023 16 B4 GENIII jacket is correctly manufactured out of good quality materials

It`s important to mention, that this Extreme Tactical DT16/C023 jacket, when compared to products of likes of 8Fields, Texar or Mil-Tec, make a good impression. It`s well made and the quality of materials is good. Despite the line name, the jacket is not for extremal conditions. It looks more like an urban or hiking jacket and works well at around plus 15 degrees C (60 degrees F) when it can be worn with just a t-shirt. Splash-proof zippers in the armpit become handy when temperature raises above this. Teflon-covered fabric works very well in rain – jacket repels water efficiently and does not get soaked. We didn’t get a chance to test it out in a heavy downpour but it seems that a short, intensive rain would not be a problem. Hood would work well for sure.

The main zipper molded plastic but is not splash proof. This was probably done to improve user comfort – it rides easier. A full length tab is located under the zipper to stop the water.

Cuffs are profiled to protect the writs and are equipped with decent looking velcro, which dos not come undone on it own. This is contrary to similar products from other manufacturers and even Helikon Patriot and Gunfighter jackets.

Jacket has four pockets, each protected with splash-proof YKK zippers. Two of these are quite large  (A4 format sized) and located in the shoulder part of the sleeves. Here we can also find two square velcro patches  (sized at 10×12 cm).

Front pockets of DT16/CO0023 are spacious and deep, while additional accessories help with access

Pockets have elastic lines inside. These terminate with hooks which can be used for securing small items or as an additional wind protection when joined at the back

Other two pockets are deep and voluminous. The right one has two elastic bands which can be used for carrying a knife or a flashlight. Left pocket has a smaller pouch inside. Ideal for a large smartphone.

Both pockets have elastic line hooks on the bottom. This can be used to either secure items like keys, or to protect against the wind. This is achieved by pulling both hooks out and joining them on the user`s back. This cinches the waist and prevents the wind. Bottom of the jacket can also be adjusted – there are two stoppers there.

The  DT16/CO023 16 B4 GENIII an urban jacket. Navigating thick branches and other extreme activities might not go very well. The fabric, marked as Invista Cordura, seems delicate and prone to wear. After 72 hours of forest camping, sleeve edges were starting to show some wear. Despite being an urban jacket, it has an interesting liner. It`s bright orange and could easily be used for emergency signaling

Collar hides a deep, two-layer hood with a small cap. Elastic line and 3 stoppers (2 on a side, 1 in the middle) allow for adjustment. It works well when protecting against rain but is quite thick. After the hood is stowed away the collar becomes heavy and pulls to the shoulders. The only way to stand it up is by zipping up right to the chin.

Collar has space for two-layer peaked hood. It works well protecting the head but single layer on the shoulders and back might leak

Hood is efficient but when stowed away it weighs down on the collar and pulls it down. The only solution is to zip right to the top

Dragon Tooth created solid product, but it`s not devoid of flaws. It`s great they used quality materials and paid attention to wearer`s comfort while managing to come up with a few interesting solutions. The user needs to be aware that this is a light duty jacket and will work great in the city, at the gun range or when hiking. It`s also a good jacket for spring and autumn EDC backpack. It also works well for cold summer nights and small enough to pack into about 1,5 liters of space.

Three days of typical camping work resulted in visible wear at the cuffs

DT16/CO023 16 B4 GENIII works well as a protective layer against moderate rains and cold weather

We believe that the Dragon Tooth jacket is an average product and can successfully compete with other, similar garments. It will be even better if Chinese manufacturer will evolve it and correct the flaws.

TS002 is a typical polo shirt. It does not sound very tactical and it does not look like that either. The casual looks (strange for Extreme Tactical line) are enforced by lack of any velcro and a small number of pockets. But it`s not a disadvantage as this product has a lot of possitive quality.

The whole shirt is made of patented Invista`s Coolmax fabric which is quick drying and conducts excessive heat very well. During 2 hours gym session, Dragon Tooth`s product was significantly better than cotton t-shirt`s and cheap thermo active garments. Coolmax does not stick to the body light the cheap fabric does. It conducts perspiration away effectively and is well designed cut. This allows for a full range of motion. Fabric coarseness is a bit unpleasant, so is the smell after the shirt dries out. This, however, is typical for all synthetic fabrics.

It`s a bit strange that civilian looking TS002 polo shirt was placed in Dragon`s Tooth Extreme Tactical line of clothing

We verified that shirt is made of Coolmax and provides good ventilation and wicking capabilities

TS002 model does not have the regular chest pocket. Left side is occupied only by the manufacturer’s logo. Pockets are placed on the sleeves but due to location capacities are limited. Each will accommodate some documents, bundle of notes or a very small phone. Right pocket has a designated space for a pen. To make amends to small pocket size, manufacturer decided to use quite smart double tab closure which protects the content very well.

TS002 pockets and placed in non-standard location and their capacity is limited

There are two more small details worth mentioning. Left shoulder received a very small pocket just under the seam. It`s size make it difficult to come up with any way to use it. There is also a lot more handy Hypalon band located under the placket – it serves great as sunglasses or ID attachment point.

Dragon`s Tooth TS002 shirt has a lot more positives than negatives. The materials used and workmanship quality put it far away from typical Chinese garments. It looks quite good as well. Dark grey, semi-gloss fabric has a small braid and does not crease easily. Seams are precise and look solid, especially around the collar.

This garment has a couple of interesting details like covered collar buttons and attachment loop

Unfortunately, manufacturer does not inform what other colors are available. The website is just in Chinese, so are the product tags. We managed to make out just the cleaning symbols. This obviously is a very secondary matter but if Dragon Tooth wants to become popular, such things need to be corrected.

CO001 was the third tested Dragon`s Tooth product. It belongs to Max Tactical line, but similarly to shirt and jacket, tactical is more of a marketing term than description. Described wind jacket has a potential to work nicely under limited types of conditions.

The jacket is well designed and made. The fabric is reinforced with rip-stop and the sides are more permeable. Even without this, jacket breaths effectively. Teflon covered fabric is light and soft. When bundled up, jacket takes no more space than drinks can and is very lightweight. It can be effortlessly carried, even in a small backpack. Worth noting is a bit of sizing discrepancy. Dragon`s Tooth XXL is just a bit larger (but lot longer) than typical European M size. Perhaps the sizing is adjusted to manufacturer`s domestic market?

Dragon`s Tooth CO001 wind jacket belongs to Mix Tactical line. Similar to other jacket and shirt, it`s not really tactical

Jacket works brilliantly for biking in various conditions – it protects from wind very efficiently. Tests were carried out between spring and summer, but with a decent fleece, CO001 could be used even in October. Important thing – manufacturer does not specify this garment as waterproof.

Indeed, CO001 does not like rain. Small, initial droplets shake away nicely but fabric under tension (even from wind) let`s rain through very quickly. This can be an interesting product for sailors. The jacket would work well in the sunny and windy weather against small water splashes.

Wind jacket`s fabric is soft and light while rip-stop provides enough strength

Jacket`s fabric initially stops water but starts absorbing it very soon. This makes the CO001 not so universal

Jacket has a YKK zipper and is protected at the top by a small tab that prevents it from zipping into user`s chin or facial hair. The zipper itself is quite undersized and seems not robust. On the other hand, even small zip catches on fabric quite often so a bigger one would do it more.

Bottom of the jacket has an elastic line for cinching. Unfortunately, there is no such a benefit in the hood. It only has a sewn-in elastic which does not hold the hood at all. The only help is to put it over the peaked cap.

Hood itself can be placed inside the collar. Collar velcros` are a nice touch – they have a less aggressive hook part but still work as prescribed.

Sleeves can be cinched and it works well. Dragon`s Tooth patch is included with the jacket and can be placed on either sleeve.

CO001 had 4 huge pockets. Two outside and 2 inside. Right exterior pocket has a small plastic carabiner with a cylindrical pouch attached. This can be used for carrying items susceptible to rain. Interestingly, the whole jacket can be bundled into it as well.

When rolled up, the jackets fits inside the attached pouch. If folded neatly, it takes space of a wallet or a small book.

CO001 will work great as a dedicated wind jacket. Small size and weight make it very easy to pack and carry around so we can have it all the time. Unfortunately, it does not protect against water and the hood is far from perfect. It has a very limited use and will not work as a multi-function jacket.

This article was originally published on MILMAG 01/2018