Rohan Stratus

£160

Rohan is one of the few British outdoor brands to have its own chain of stores. As such, it’s sometimes seen as being a bit ‘high street’, but in fact Rohan has solid outdoor heritage. It also makes it easier to try on the kit; a good thing, since sizing tends to be generous. With the Stratus, we needed to drop down a size. But once we’d done that, we found ourselves with a nicely fitting jacket that still offered room for layers.

When zipped up, the jacket reaches right to the chin, with a soft zip-guard for comfort. The hood hugs the face nicely to lock in warmth and has rear volume adjustment. There are close-fitting bound cuffs and a hem drawcord too. It all makes for a very cosy jacket which delivers that vital boost of warmth you look for in this type of layer. We attributed that to the innovative Sustans insulation, a loose fill that looks and feels like down.

It is fluffy, warm and compressible. However, like most synthetic fills it is quick-drying and offers excellent moisture-resistance too. It utilises an eco-friendly fibre that is partly made from renewable plant-based oil.

Other features to note include two zipped hand pockets and two inner drop pockets, one of which has a drawcord to form a stuffsack but which also proved handy for stashing gloves. When packed up, the Stratus is impressively compact and lightweight too.

IF WE’RE BEING FUSSY

We’d like a scooped hem for a little more coverage. The mesh-lined hand pockets can leak heat if unzipped, while the main zipper feels a little flimsy. And though the fill is eco-friendly the face fabric is made from non-recycled nylon, while the DWR treatment isn’t PFC-free either.

■ FABRIC 20D nylon with DWR treatment

■ FILL Sustans insulation

■ MEN’S SIZES S-XXL

■ WOMEN’S SIZES S-XL

■ WEIGHT 482g (men’s M)

Verdict

A cosy yet packable jacket that offers good warmth-for-weight, thanks to its innovative fill, and boasts some well thought-out features.

“Packable, with good warmth-for-weight”