Keela Cairn £180

We first reviewed this light and packable yet protective waterproof shell when it was released back in 2016. It’s been in Keela’s product range ever since, with various design tweaks over the years, and offers plenty of technical features despite weighing less than 350g.

The hood will fit over a climbing helmet but has three-way adjustment to ensure it can be cinched in tightly and moves well with the head, while a wired peak deflects rain away from the face. The water-resistant two-way zipper zips right up to the nose and is fitted with a chinguard and an inner stormflap. The Velcro-adjustable, partly elasticated cuffs are contoured to cover the back of the hands, and the hem has dual drawcord adjustment and a scooped tail for better protection. The jacket is not fitted with pit zips though, and when working hard uphill we did find ourselves wishing it had a bit more ventilation.

There are four pockets: a small inner zipped security pocket, plus a similarly sized outer zipped chest pocket. The two roomier zipped hand pockets are described as ‘harness-compatible’, but we found they were partly obstructed by a rucksack hipbelt.

This jacket uses Keela’s in-house Aquaflex 3-layer fabric, which is a bit crinkly but thin and light, so it feels very flexible.

On the flipside, it buckles in the wind more easily than stiffer jackets. But only in the wildest and windiest weather did we wish for something a bit heavier

■ MEN’S SIZES XS-3XL

■ WOMEN’S SIZES 8-20

■ WEIGHT 340g (men’s L), 320g (women’s 12) ■ FABRIC Aquaflex 3L (100% nylon shell)

Verdict

A dependable and mountain-ready shell that is also

Features ★★★★★

lightweight and

Fit ★★★★★

competitively priced. Comfort

★★★★★

The fit and features Performance

★★★★★

could be refined a Value

★★★★★

little, but this is still 76%

OVERALL a great value buy.

SCORE