Patagonia Storm 10 £290

+

Comfortable, neat cut, light and packable

-

Expensive, not the toughest fabric

The Storm 10 is built for ‘fast and light’ Alpine-style pursuits but also works well for UK hillwalking. This 3-layer jacket uses Patagonia’s H2No waterproof-breathable PU-based laminate, bonded to a 20-denier 100% recycled ripstop nylon face fabric. The water-repellent finish is not PFCfree though. The fabric has a waterproof rating of 20,000mm hydrostatic head, and performance was solid. The jacket kept us dry and largely comfy across a range of conditions, though didn’t seem to deal with internal moisture build-up as well as the Gore-Tex Active jackets. But the soft tricot backer ensures great next-to-skin comfort.

The Storm 10 is also nicely cut, with a drop tail and plenty of sleeve articulation. You get a helmet-compatible hood with rear volume adjustment and a stiffened brim. There are two well-placed hand pockets and an outer chest pocket. The jacket packs away into the latter for optimum compressibility.

There are also Velcro adjustable wrist cuffs and a waist hem drawcord. All zips are laminated reverse coil designs, ensuring high water resistance, and the main zip has a small internal stormflap plus a small ‘zip garage’ at the top – though no soft chinguard. The only other downside is that premium price. It’s not the priciest here but does seem a little steep for what you get.

■ Weight 235g ■ Men’s sizes XS-XXL ■ Women’s sizes XS-XL

Verdict

Nicely cut and very comfy, with decent performance and good features. Arguably a little overpriced.