Waterproofs

Alex Roddie and Judy Armstrong test ten of the latest waterproof jackets, suitable for lightweight backpacking to winter mountaineering, and everything in between

AA WATERPROOF JACKET will protect you against not just rain but also snow and cold wind. A good waterproof jacket will do all this while also letting out most of your body’s moisture in a range of conditions, keeping you comfortable as well as safe. Jackets vary by intended use. In fair summer weather you can often get by with a lighter jacket, and ultralight models are available that will offer protection at a much lower weight. However, the lightest shells often have poor hoods, plus fewer pockets and adjustment options, and are made from thinner, less waterproof fabric. They are also less durable and may be less breathable. In poor weather, you’ll appreciate features such as a really good, stiffened hood, a longer back length, hassle-free zips, and stiffer fabric that is more waterproof and windresistant. Thinner fabrics are often better for warmer weather and less extreme conditions.

Breathability – fabric’s ability to let out water vapour, avoiding that clammy feeling – is important too. A more breathable jacket will keep you feeling dry for longer. However, even expensive jackets can be overwhelmed in certain conditions, leading to condensation.

This occurs when the external waterresistant coating of the fabric (durable water repellency, or DWR) ‘wets out’, no longer beading moisture on its surface. Although rain won’t get in, you may start to feel damp.

A do-everything, all-season jacket will offer a good level of weather protection, decent ventilation options, durable and highly breathable fabric plus an excellent hood, and will fit you well. In this review we’ve tested a range of jackets at different weights and price points.

Features 1 Fabric

Virtually all performance waterproof jackets use new-generation 3-layer (3L) fabrics. These are lightweight, supple and highly efficient at moving and deflecting moisture. Very lightweight versions are great as emergency garments but struggle to hold their own in heavy or persistent rain. Recycled fibres are gaining traction, with recycled polyamide (nylon) in use for some face fabrics.

2 Length

Finally brands are moving away from making waterproof jackets ever shorter, and length is creeping back to useful levels. Waterproof jackets with hems at the waist may look ‘technical’, but in reality it is more important to have a dry backside. The longer we can leave it to break out our overtrousers, the better.

3 Zips

Extra length means two-way front zips are important, so you can unzip from the hem for striding out, climbing stiles, stopping for a pee and so on. Most jackets now use waterresistant laminated zips, but the action of the slider moving over the PU tape is abrasive so reduced water resistance is inevitable over time. Non-laminated zips generally require more protection as water ingress is possible across the full width including the coil.

4 Hoods

It is difficult to find a top-end jacket with a hood that is not sized for a helmet. That’s fine, if the extra volume can be adjusted down to normal head size. This generally requires multiple pull-points: back of head (horizontal) and front (vertical). Otherwise, the hood will likely gape to let rain in, blow back in wind or create a vice-like ring around the head as you haul it close. Big thumbs up to hoods with a sleeve running under the peak, so the shockcord pulls the hood in without distorting the peak; Rab’s is a good example. Exception to all this: Salewa’s zip/bellows system.

5 Pockets

Pockets must be accessible when you’re wearing a rucksack. Most top brands now have a grip on this, placing side pockets high enough to avoid a rucksack hipbelt, while still being useful for resting and warming hands. Chest pockets are always a winner, along with a small zipped pocket for storing stuff you don’t want to get wet (often found inside the jacket, backing the chest pocket). Internal stuff pockets are great for gloves, glasses or even goggles. Sometimes they’re mesh-lined; be careful with keys and sharp edges as the mesh can be fragile.

6 Seam taping

It doesn’t matter how much moisture the fabric moves; seam taping is 100% non-breathable. Check inside the jacket: you want narrow tape, and not much of it. Complex panels, especially around the arms and shoulders, require more taping, which means more condensation. Fewer panels with better shaping are the way to go.

Weights are from our digital scales. Back lengths are our measurements from top of centre back (seam where collar joins back/shoulder panel) to centre hem. Performance stats are based on lab testing and supplied by the brands: hydrostatic head in mm and breathability ing/m²/24 hours (or RET).