Waterproofs are a must even in the summer months
During warmer months, you don’t necessarily want to pack a full-on mountain waterproof when you head into the great outdoors, but you still need some protection when showers threaten.
We put seven lightweight waterproof jackets to the test. They won’t provide the same protection and comfort as more expensive full-on winter waterproofs, but will cope with less extreme wet weather more often encountered during summer.
Even in the height of summer, it’s wise to pack a waterproof as those sudden showers can catch out an unwary walker and turn an otherwise pleasant outing into a miserable wet experience.
The jackets were supplied by the brands and were tested in spring and summer conditions.
Bergans of Norway Eidfjord Jacket
Bergans of Norway Eidfjord Jacket
Price: £200
Colour: black
Weight: 558g
Material: 100 per cent nylon
Waterproofing: three-layer Element Active polyurethane membrane
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 40C
The Bergans of Norway jacket is the most expensive in the test, but it is a quality item, as with most of this brand’s clothes we have tested.
The Eidfjord is a full, three-layer jacket in Bergans’s own Element Active fabric, with a waterproof polyurethane membrane.
That protection, which kept out the rain admirably during our tests, comes at the cost of weight, and the Eidfjord is one of the heaviest in the test, though still weighs well under 600g, so it’s not going to add a huge amount to your pack.
The waterproof rating for the material is 10,000mm and its breathability is 10,000g/m²/24h, though on the hill it felt to breathe even better than that. Also, because it has a full three-layer lining, it doesn’t have that clammy feel that the inner faces of some of the jackets have, especially when just wearing a t-shirt underneath.
Comfort when working hard uphill in warm conditions are helped by the jacket’s pit zips and also the two small top chest pockets which have mesh lining so offer a little more ventilation.
The jacket also has two lower hip pockets, also with mesh linings, which are just big enough to take a laminated OS map.
The main zip has a baffle behind it and the sleeves’ cuffs adjust with Velcro fasteners and the sleeves are nicely articulated so as not to impede movement.
The jacket is medium length, cut longer at the back, and didn’t hinder the wearer when stepping up on scrambly sections.
The hem has drawcords for adjustment, and the hood has both a volume adjuster and side adjustment to pull it snug to the face, though the peak isn’t stiffened. The baffle protects the chin from the zip.
The Eidfjord is a comfortable, technical waterproof that will protect in all but the most testing mountain weather.
We would be happy packing the Bergans jacket throughout spring, summer and autumn as a great all-round performer.
Waterproofness 20/30
Breathability and comfort 22/30
Packability 3/5
Features 4/5
Quality 8/10
Value for money 14/20
Total score: 71/100
Berghaus Stormcloud Shell Jacket
Berghaus Stormcloud Shell Jacket
Price: £75
Colour: dark blue
Weight: 292g (including stuffsack)
Material: 100 per cent polyamide (nylon)
Waterproofing: AQ2
Country of manufacture: Thailand
Recommended wash: 30C non-biological detergent
The Stormcloud has nice, clean styling, with minimalist lines and contrasting red zips standing out against the navy blue of its fabric.
The inner lining is bright red too, along with the drawcords for the hood and hem.
The jacket comes in firmly at the budget end of Berghaus’s range, and its waterproofing comes from the AQ2 fabric, which has a rating of 10,000mm resistance to water, meaning it won’t cope with extremes of weather but will protect against a typical wet day, while not matching the performance of more expensive Gore-Tex membranes or Berghaus’s soon-to-be-introduced Hydroshell fabric.
Breathability is a moderate 8,000g/m2/24hrs and, when walking uphill, there was a definite build-up of moisture. The lining feels quite clammy too, especially when only wearing a t-shirt.
The Stormcloud is cut fairly short, with the rear slightly longer, and doesn’t impede movement when stepping up on the hill.
It has just two waist pockets, solid lined, and there are no pit zips or other ventilation.
The hood has a rear volume adjuster, though the amount of adjustment is small, and two side drawcords, with cord-locks. The hood actually works quite well, and turns a reasonable amount with the head.
The zip puller is covered when fully zipped up, and doesn’t cause discomfort against the chin and mouth.
Sleeve cuffs have Velcro adjusters.
All in all, the Stormcloud is a stylish, modern jacket that promises more than it delivers. Its manufacturing quality is good, as you would expect from Berghaus, but its mediocre breathability means it is more suitable for less extreme activities.
Price for a piece of Berghaus kit is very competitive, however, and it’s a truly lightweight jacket that packs down small into its stuffsack.
Waterproofness 16/30
Breathability and comfort 16/30
Packability 4/5
Features 3/5
Quality 7/10
Value for money 13/20
Total score: 59/100
Didriksons Alzir Jacket
Didriksons Alzir Jacket
Price: £130
Colour: dark blue
Weight: 560g
Material: shell, 100 per cent polyamide (nylon); lining 100 per cent polyester
Waterproofing: Dry 8
Country of manufacture: Bangladesh
Recommended wash: 40C
The Alzir looks like a cross between a street waterproof and a more technical garment, and that’s what it is really.
It has nice Scandinavian styling: fairly athletic cut, longer at the back, and simple lines.
Although it is a fairly basic jacket, it has technical touches that hint it wants to be a proper mountain garment.
Its waterproofing comes from Didriksons’s Dry8 fabric, offering protection at a level of only a moderate 8,000mm, so don’t expect the Alzir to keep out a deluge.
Breathability is rated at 4,000g/m2/24hrs and the jacket really does struggle to get rid of moisture from perspiration when working hard.
Yet it has some nice touches: the water-resistant main zip is shielded by a proper chinguard when zipped up. The hood works well; it has a proper stiffened peak, good rear volume adjuster and side adjusters and turns properly with the head.
If you want, you can completely remove the hood using its zip and poppers.
Sleeves are articulated to allow free movement and the cuffs have good Velcro adjusters and overall quality of construction is very good, as we often find with Scandinavian brands.
The jacket has two zipped hip pockets and one small, zipped, mesh pocket with a cord exit to put your mobile phone or other digital device in.
The jacket is lined in a taffeta-mesh fabric, apart from the sleeves which have solid polyester lining which gets to feel clammy when walking uphill.
It’s hard to place the Alzir: it’s well made, nicely designed and has lots of technical touches. Yet its waterproofing and breathability limitations mean it’s not really suitable for mountain use.
However, on lower level routes and if you’re not working hard, the Swedish company’s offering is high on quality and design.
Not the most packable nor lightweight jacket either, the Alzir was the heaviest – just, by 2g – jacket in our lightweight test.
Waterproofness 18/30
Breathability and comfort 13/30
Packability 2/5
Features 4/5
Quality 9/10
Value for money 14/20
Total score: 60/100
Keela Stashaway Pro jacket
Keela Stashaway Pro Jacket
Price: £49.95
Colour: blue
Weight: 300g
Material: shell, 100 per cent nylon with polyurethane coating
Waterproofing: Rainlife 2000
Country of manufacture: not stated
Recommended wash: 40C pure soap
Keela’s Stashaway Pro is a minimalist jacket with a minimalist price tag – the cheapest in our test.
What you get for your cash is a jacket that is lightweight and packs up nice and small. It will protect against showery weather but heavy, prolonged rain defeated it during our tests.
There was also a fair build-up of condensation inside the jacket on our hill test course, which reflects its 5,000m2 moisture transfer rating.
Rain didn’t bead on the hydrophilic nylon fabric like you expect in a waterproof. The lining also adds to the clammy feeling when working hard.
The jacket has a water-resistant main zip with an additional inner stormflap, and two zipped chest pockets which sit out of the way of the rucksack hip-belt region.
The Stashaway Pro is cut fairly long and is extended at the back. Cut overall was quite generous for its size. The hem has drawcord tightening.
Sleeve cuffs have a combination of elastic and Velcro fastening, and the roll-away hood has side drawcords only and there is no peak, which means vision is obscured when cinched in tight against the wind.
Disappointingly, during our test, some of the inner stitching on the hem’s seam started to loosen.
The jacket comes with a stuffsack.
The Stashaway Pro is OK as a lightweight jacket to guard against showers, but if full-on British hill weather is expected, you’re likely to need something more waterproof and more breathable.
Waterproofness 15/30
Breathability and comfort 12/30
Packability 4/5
Features 2/5
Quality 3/10
Value for money 13/20
Total score: 49/100
Lowe Alpine Meron Jacket
Lowe Alpine Meron Jacket
Price: £130
Colour: red
Weight: 348g
Material: 100 per cent nylon
Waterproofing: Triplepoint 2.5
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 40C soap solution
Lowe Alpine departed the clothing scene a few years back and returned a short time later, only to announce this year it was going to stop making waterproofs once more to concentrate on its backpack and baselayer ranges.
Which is a shame because on the evidence of the Meron, they were heading in the right direction. Who knows, maybe this jacket will become a collectors’ piece.
The jacket has a range of technical design elements that makes you believe it was designed for the hills while still sneaking in at the budget end of the waterproof market.
Rain beaded nicely thanks to the durable waterproof repellent treatment, and the 2.5-layer Triplepoint fabric kept the rain out competently. The odd 2.5-layer description means the inner face has a slightly raise pattern.
The main water-resistant zip is backed by a stormflap which kept the rain at bay.
The Meron has a fairly loose fit, so perhaps not up to the Scandinavian style of some of its rivals in the test, but it performed well on the hill.
Breathability was reasonable too, the Triplepoint fabric shifting a good amount of moisture.
The jacket has two zipped hip pockets with mesh liners, plus a single outer chest pocket with full lining.
It also has two mesh inner pockets, which will accommodate a laminated OS map. Sleeves have lightweight Velcro cuffs and the jacket’s hem has drawcord adjustment. There is also a smaller, zipped mesh inner pocket.
The hood is good with a stiffened and wire peak, both rear volume adjuster and side drawcords with cord locks, and it turns with the head when tightened up.
There is a thin fleece chin guard which worked well. The jacket comes with a mesh stuffsack.
The Meron is a very competent jacket that is happy on the hill in spring, summer and autumn conditions and packs lots of features into a true lightweight piece of kit that won’t take up much room in the rucksack.
Waterproofness 19/30
Breathability and comfort 19/30
Packability 4/5
Features 4/5
Quality 7/10
Value for money 15/20
Total score: 68/100
Sherpa Adventure Gear Asaar
Sherpa Adventure Gear Asaar
Price: £150
Colour: grey
Weight: 224g
Material: 100 per cent nylon
Waterproofing: Pertex Shield +
Country of manufacture: Nepal
Recommended wash: 30C
The Sherpa Asaar is a real minimalist jacket, tipping the scales at just 224g, and shorn of any extraneous features that would add to its weight.
But despite that, we felt confident taking to the hills in this stylish offering from the Nepalese brand.
It kept out persistent rain and its breathability was good too. The 2.5-layer Pertex+ fabric is very light, and its inner face is patterned as are other 2.5-layer jackets in the test.
The main water-resistant zip is backed by a storm flap and there is a fleece chin guard at the top.
The jacket has two zipped hip pockets and a small unzipped inner pocket, about big enough for a smartphone.
Sleeves are articulated and lightweight Velcro adjusters are at the cuffs.
The jacket is cut in an athletic fit and is fairly short, with a dropped rear.
The roll-away hood has a partly stiffened peak and a drawcord volume adjuster at the back, which combines with elasticated sides to keep out the wind and keep it in place, though some wind did get through at the side of the face as there are no separate side adjusters.
The Asaar is ideal for hillgoers who want to keep weight to a minimum, while having the knowledge the jacket is a true waterproof with good breathability. It is well designed and nicely styled, so doubles as a piece of street fashion too if needed.
Waterproofness 20/30
Breathability and comfort 22/30
Packability 4/5
Features 3/5
Quality 8/10
Value for money 15/20
Total score: 72/100
Sprayway Reflex Jacket
Sprayway Reflex Jacket
Price: £80
Colour: blue
Weight: 404g (including stuffsack)
Material: 100 per cent nylon shell
Waterproofing: Hydro/Dry
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 30C in fluorocarbon cleaner
The Reflex is a good looking jacket with some useful features.
The fabric is Sprayway’s Hydro/Dry, which offers moderate waterproofing but there was a significant build-up of perspiration as soon as we pushed hard uphill.
The jacket is of a medium length, with simple lines and is fairly roomy.
The main zip is protected by storm flaps both in front and behind and a fleece chinguard protects the mouth. The lining is a patterned design which feels a little clammy when activity level rises.
The hem has a drawcord and the sleeve cuffs have Velcro adjusters. There are two zipped hip pockets with mesh liners. Unzipping these helped just a little with ventilation. There are no pit zips.
There is a small inner mesh pocket with a Velcro tab fastening, big enough to hold a smartphone or GPS unit.
The rollaway hood has a wired peak and some volume control can be made by a Velcro adjustment flap, but it’s not easy to get the desired result. Two side drawcords have concealed cord-locks which, again, are not easy to adjust on the fly.
It was difficult to get a good seal in driving rain.
The jacket comes with a mesh stuff sack.
As with many jackets in this test, the waterproofing and breathability are more suited to less strenuous, low-level routes and activities. Pushed beyond this and its limits are likely to be passed.
The Reflex’s styling makes it suitable for those trips round town in showery weather too.
Waterproofness 17/30
Breathability and comfort 15/30
Packability 3/5
Features 3/5
Quality 6/10
Value for money 13/20
Total score: 57/100
The Sherpa Adventure Gear Asaar just squeezed into first place in our test. It’s a very good performer and very lightweight. Ideal for taking up little space in your rucksack, but with a performance to give confidence it will protect you on the hill.
The Bergans of Norway Eidfjord came a very close second and is more like a conventional waterproof, but pared down to save a little weight. Styling and quality mark it out as a great piece of kit.
The Lowe Alpine Meron performed very well too and is another jacket that won’t add much weigh to your pack. It felt very much like a technical item of clothing on the hill.
Best in test: Sherpa Adventure Gear Asaar
Recommended: Bergans of Norway Eidfjord Jacket
Recommended: Lowe Alpine Meron Jacket
