Softshells keep out the wind

Why buy a softshell jacket? These tops sit somewhere between a conventional ‘hardshell’ waterproof and a fleece.

They will block the wind better than a fleece; turn a shower, and keep you moderately warm.

But the biggest advantage over hardshell waterproofs is in their ability to breathe – to pass through the perspiration produced when walking hard uphill, climbing or other strenuous outdoor activities.

Anyone who has pushed their pace up a mountain while wearing even top-performing waterproofs will know that clammy feeling that builds as the fabric struggles to get rid of the moisture produced in getting yourself to the top of the hill.

Swap the waterproof for a softshell and you will find the inside of the jacket considerably less damp – unless you go out in a downpour. None of the jackets in this test could be classed as truly waterproof, though one, the Black Diamond Convergent Shell, certainly looks like it could be substituted for one in most situations.

But they will all cope with showery weather. We tested these nine samples, provided by the brands, in a variety of conditions. They come into their own on windy, cool and showery days, of which we had a fair few during our evaluation.

Many times we were able to summit our test hills, have a rest on top and descend without changing from our kit of baselayer and softshell. Not having to stop to put on; take off; put on again a waterproof when a shower beckons is a boon.

Many if not all of the softshells won’t look out of place while walking to the pub or scouring the High Street stores for the best outdoors bargain, so you can get a bit more value from your jacket.

Oddly, most of these jackets do not have an equivalent women-specific version. Where the softshells come in women’s sizes too, we have noted this.

Berghaus Winter Valparola

Berghaus Winter Valparola
Price: £180
Colour: black
Weight: 734g
Material: 100 per cent polyester shell and lining, with Gore Windstopper membrane
Country of manufacture: Indonesia
Recommended wash: 30C non-biological detergent
Sizes: S to XXL

As you can probably surmise from the name of Berghaus’s softshell, this is a full-on, warm jacket designed to keep you warm in cool conditions.

The jacket is well designed with features aimed at active users in the outdoors. It has four smallish pockets at chest height, clear of the level of a rucksack hipbelt or harness.

The jacket also has pit zips for venting when the user is working hard and it has a very good hood, with a volume adjuster and two side drawcords which keep the hood snug around the face. It stays up well in high winds and also turns with the head.

The full-length double zip parks at the top in in a protector so there’s no discomfort on the chin, helped by fleece areas lining the chin area of the jacket. A baffle behind the zip helps keep the wind out.

Sleeve cuffs have Velcro adjustment and there is a drawcord at the jacket hem to cinch this in to help keep the wind from blowing up the jacket.

The Winter Valparola was one of the warmest softshells in the test and performed very well in cool, windy conditions. The Windstopper membrane kept out the wind even in strong, cold gusts. As with most of the jackets, the Winter Valparola, though not waterproof, can cope with showery conditions.

Berghaus’s softshell is an impressive piece of winter kit. Well-thought-out and a good performer.

Breathability 15/20
Windproofing 18/20
Comfort 16/20
Warmth 13/15
Features 4/5
Quality 8/10
Value for money 6/10
Total score: 80/100

Black Diamond Convergent Shell

Black Diamond Convergent Shell
Price: £320
Colour: grey
Weight: 394g
Material: 100 per cent nylon shell; 100 per cent polyester lining, with Gore Windstopper Active Shell membrane
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 40C
Sizes: S to XXL

The Convergent Shell is unlike any other softshell in the test. In fact, it’s a softshell that thinks it’s a waterproof.

The jacket, which is the lightest in our review, looks more like a hardshell waterproof jacket too, though its outer fabric does have a softer feel than most conventional waterproofs.

The secret of Black Diamond jacket’s impressive performance is in its Windstopper Active Shell membrane, which claims a breathability of 38,000g/m2/24hr. To put that in context, most waterproof shells are happy with a breathability rating of 20,000g.

It’s almost possible to treat the Convergent Shell as a waterproof. The seams are taped, which is where many non-waterproof garments fail to keep out the rain. On one of our test days, this Black Diamond jacket withstood 2½ hours of wind-blown drizzle without letting the rain in.

Its breathability in dry, windy conditions was very good, though it dropped a little when wet, though this was still much better than might be expected than a normal waterproof.

The jacket has two upper zipped pockets which are clear of the harness and hip-belt area, though the bigger, lower pockets are covered by a rucksack hip-belt in use.

The left-hand upper pocket has a headphone cord aperture.

The Convergent Shell has a good hood, which will accommodate a helmet. It has a volume adjuster, linked to two drawcord adjusters at the side of the hood. There is a felt patch at the rear of the neck area for comfort and fleece chin protectors. The hood turns with the head when adjusted correctly.

The one-way water-resistant main zip is backed by a baffle to keep out wind.

Sleeve cuffs have Velcro adjustment and the main hem has a drawcord.

The Convergent Shell doesn’t come cheap, but we can see its appeal for anyone wanting top breathability coupled to a jacket that will fight off a fair bit of weather.

Black Diamond is careful to say it’s weather resistant rather than waterproof, so we wouldn’t be confident taking the jacket out in a torrent, but our experience is that the Convergent Shell can shake off a good amount of rain while offering much better breathability than most membrane-based waterproofs.

It won’t provide much in the way of insulation, though keeping the wind and wet out obviously helps keep you warm.

We can see this jacket being of use to mountaineers and hillgoers tackling strenuous routes who want protection against rain and snow showers without getting soaked from perspiration.

Black Diamond’s Convergent Shell is an interesting development that recasts the notion of softshell.

Breathability 18/20
Windproofing 19/20
Comfort 17/20
Warmth 10/15
Features 3/5
Quality 7/10
Value for money 5/10
Total score: 79/100

Columbia Cascade Ridge II

Columbia Cascade Ridge II
Price: £80
Colour: grey
Weight: 736g
Material: 100 per cent polyester shell and lining
Country of manufacture: Vietnam
Recommended wash: 30C
Sizes: S to XXL

The Cascade Ridge II is a nicely styled general-purpose softshell, with good warmth provided by its shell, lined with microfleece material.

The jacket has two zipped hip pockets, which are covered by rucksack hip-belts in use. There’s a smaller zipped pocket on the left chest.

The stretchy material, which is treated with OmniShield to help repel out dirt and rain, does let some wind through but general warmth was good. Breathability was quite good too.

The main zip is protected at chin level by a fleece section for comfort. Sleeve cuffs have Velcro adjustment and the hem also has adjustment via a drawcord.

The hood is a bit of a compromise. It’s removable via a combination of zip and Velcro sections, but volume adjustment, by a Velcro tab at the rear, is minimal. There are drawcords at the side of the hood, but locking is by fairly small tabs through which the cord passes, which was fiddly to adjust on the hill, particularly when wearing gloves. The hood doesn’t turn well with the head, mainly because of the minimal volume adjustment.

The Cascade Ridge II is a competent general-purpose softshell that is suited to trail walking and is also great for walking round the town, with its nice styling, at a reasonable price. Sizing was on the smallish side, so try on before you buy.

Breathability 14/20
Windproofing 13/20
Comfort 13/20
Warmth 11/15
Features 3/5
Quality 7/10
Value for money 7/10
Total score: 68/100

Craghoppers Luka jacket

Craghoppers Luka jacket
Price: £50
Colour: black
Weight: 542g
Material: 94 per cent polyester; 6 per cent Elastane
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 30C
Sizes: S to XXL

In past tests, we’ve found that Craghoppers offers good-value gear towards the budget end of the market and the Luka is no exception.

If your excursions into the great outdoors don’t involve the gnarliest of routes and conditions, the brand offers a good bet.

On our tests, the jacket resisted showers, though there was some wind penetration.

The Craghoppers softshell has no hood, but the collar is quite high, so when zipped up fully, there is some chin protection. Elbows are articulated and the jacket doesn’t restrict movement when reaching up.

It has two zipped hip pockets, both of which lie in the hip-belt area which is an inconvenience when wearing a rucksack.

The sleeves have Velcro cuff adjustments and the hem has drawcord adjustment.

The stretchy fabric is lined by fleecy material, which helps warmth. Inside the jacket are two largish unzipped pockets, big enough to take an OS map.

The Luka is a competent softshell at a very reasonable price.

Breathability 12/20
Windproofing 11/20
Comfort 13/20
Warmth 11/15
Features 2/5
Quality 5/10
Value for money 7/10
Total score: 61/100

Keela Zenith Pro Jacket

Keela Zenith Pro Jacket/Women’s Zenita Pro
Price: £79.95 (women’s Zenita £64.95)
Colour: red
Weight: 744g
Material: 100 per cent polyester
Country of manufacture: Sri Lanka
Recommended wash: 40C in pure soap
Sizes: XS to 2XL; women’s 8 to 20

Keela’s Zenith Pro has a rugged feel, with its tough feeling ripstop outer fabric.

This is borne out by its weight, the second highest in the test, and it is one of the warmer softshells. But its breathability was good, shifting the perspiration at a reasonable rate.

Its windblocking properties were good too.

The Keela AirXtream fabric used in the Zenith shed the showers along with the best, and two pit zips help with ventilation when pushing hard uphill.

The lining in the main part of the jacket is fleecy, with the chest areas having an extra box-weave mesh layer covering the inner linings of the pockets.

There are two zipped hip pockets and two higher, smaller pockets, the latter of which are clear of harness and hip-belt areas.

The jacket has no hood, but the single main zip parks comfortably in a protected area at the top of the baffle, which runs the full length of the softshell.

Sleeve cuffs are adjusted by Velcro and the jacket’s hem has drawcord adjustment.

While definitely not aimed at the lightweight market, the Keela Zenith Pro has a very durable feel and feels very much like a garment that will give a good length of service.

Breathability 16/20
Windproofing 16/20
Comfort 13/20
Warmth 13/15
Features 3/5
Quality 6/10
Value for money 7/10
Total score: 74/100

Lowe Alpine Vapour Trail jacket

Lowe Alpine Vapour Trail jacket
Price: £100
Colour: green
Weight: 562g
Material: 87 per cent polyester; 9 per cent polyurethane; 42 per cent Spandex
Country of manufacture: China
Recommended wash: 30C in soap solution, not detergent
Sizes: men’s, S to XL; women’s 8 to 16

Lowe Alpine’s Vapour Trail is a lighter-weight softshell we reckon is aimed at the active hill person.

Its stretchy outer fabric has a tough feel and has a fairly athletic cut.

It’s another offering without a hood, but the high collar with fleece chinguard protects the lower face from the wind. The full-length zip has a baffle behind it for extra windproofing.

The two zipped hip pockets are in the harness and hip-belt area, which means unbuckling to use them.

The grid-pattern fleece lining provides good warmth, though not as much as some of the jackets tested. Breathability was good, though, with good perspiration control when working hard.

The rugged outer fabric shook off showers, and windproofing was good. The collar is lined with the same fleece material as the body of the jacket, which makes it warm and comfortable. Inside the jacket are two large mesh pockets which will take an OS map, and the hem of the Vapour Trail has a drawcord for adjustment.

Sleeve cuffs have Velcro adjustment strips.

The Lowe Alpine jacket has a quality feel and worked well on the hill. Warmth was good but there was no overheating when pushing hard. Windblocking was very good and breathability good too.

The Vapour Trail is a classic softshell jacket well put together and ideal for those pushing the pace uphill.

Breathability 15/20
Windproofing 16/20
Comfort 15/20
Warmth 11/15
Features 3/5
Quality 8/10
Value for money 6/10
Total score: 74/100

Sherpa Lobutse

Sherpa Lobutse
Price: £140
Colour: black
Weight: 546g
Material: 75per cent polyester; 20 per cent polyurethane; 5 per cent Spandex
Country of manufacture: Nepal
Recommended wash: 30C
Sizes: S to XXL

Sherpa Adventure Gear’s Lobutse is a nicely styled technical jacket with a good hood, that will see off a shower or two thanks to its water-repellent membrane sandwiched between the stretchy outer shell of Sherpa’s own Himaltec fabric and the fleece lining.

The jacket weighs in towards the lighter end of the conventional softshells and works well when pushing hard.

Breathability was very good, and the Lobutse blocks wind very well too. Warmth was quite good for a lightish jacket and its hood works well.

There is a volume adjuster at the rear and two side drawcords, those these were fiddly to use when wearing gloves. When cinched in, the hood turns with the head. It will also accommodate a helmet.

The two lower, zipped pockets are in the hip-belt zone, but a smaller, zipped pocket on the left side of the chest will accommodate a smartphone, GPS unit etc.

Cuff adjustment is by Velcro strips and the hem has a drawcord.

The jacket is cut athletically and there is no impedance when reaching up for holds.

The Lobutse feels good on the hill. The hood stays up in strong winds and turns with the head. The jacket feels like it has been made with the hills and mountains in mind and is also well made.

Breathability 16/20
Windproofing 16/20
Comfort 16/20
Warmth 11/15
Features 4/5
Quality 8/10
Value for money 5/10
Total score: 76/100

Snugpak Elite Proximity Jacket

Snugpak Elite Proximity Jacket
Price: £79.95
Colour: black
Weight: 800g
Material: shell, 94per cent polyester; 4 per cent Spandex; lining 100 per cent polyester
Country of manufacture: Cambodia
Recommended wash: 40C
Sizes: XS to XXL

The Snugpak jacket is the heavyweight of the test, and its Aquabar fabric feels robust and durable.

The Elite Proximity is cut generously and is lined with grid pattern fleece, which makes it a fairly warm softshell, though surprisingly for its weight and fabric, it wasn’t the warmest on test.

The hood has no volume adjuster at the back, but relies on two side drawcords. These tend to pull the top of the hood down over the eyes when cinched fully to keep the wind out.

The Snugpak jacket has the customary drawcord at the hem, but rather than using Velcro to adjust the sleeve cuffs, there is an inner cuff made of stretch material that has a thumb loop.

Another feature unique to the Elite Proximity is the zipped vent at the side of the jacket. Rather than just a pit zip, the Snugpak softshell has a long, water-resistant double zip running all the way from the armpit area to the hem of the jacket.

This does afford a good degree of ventilation if needed, though if unzipped fully, there is a tendency for the arms to catch on the gaping fabric of the opened vent.

The main zip of the jacket is again water resistant and is backed by a baffle to help keep out the wind. Windproofing overall was good.

The two zipped pockets are in the hip-belt zone; there are two internal pockets low down too, that will take an OS map.

Snugpak says the Elite Proximity’s fabric has a waterproof hydrostatic head rating of 10,000mm but that, because of the lack of taped seams, some water may get in. The jacket coped well on our tests with showery weather, with no hint of rain getting in.

Breathability was good for such a heavy jacket.

Breathability 14/20
Windproofing 15/20
Comfort 12/20
Warmth 12/15
Features 4/5
Quality 6/10
Value for money 6/10
Total score: 69/100

Sub Zero Thermal Windproof Softshell Jacket

Sub Zero Thermal Windproof Softshell Jacket
Price: £99.99
Colour: black
Weight: 578g
Material: 97per cent polyester; 3 per cent Elastane
Country of manufacture: England
Recommended wash: 40C
Sizes: S to XL

The Sub Zero jacket is a fairly thin, lightish softshell that is surprisingly warm. The Leicester-made Thermal Windproof is cut athletically with a high neck, but no hood.

The neck area is lined with mock suede which was comfortable. Articulated elbows on the sleeves allowed good movement. Curiously, the sleeves are cut quite short, which we actually quite liked. Cuff adjustment is by Velcro strips.

The jacket’s hem is adjustable by drawcord, and the full-length zip is backed by a baffle, which helped keep out the wind. The whole jacket is quite stretchy, allowing good movement, and is lined by fleece fabric, which felt quite warm.

The two pockets have water-resistant zips and mesh liners, but are in the hip-belt area.

The Sub Zero jacket is a conservatively styled softshell that works very well and is great at keeping the wind out and will also shed a shower or two.
Breathability 16/20
Windproofing 16/20
Comfort 15/20
Warmth 13/15
Features 3/5
Quality 8/10
Value for money 7/10
Total score: 78/100

For all-round performance and features, the Berghaus softshell came out tops. Very close was the very different Black Diamond Convergent Shell, more of a hybrid soft/hardshell, an innovative jacket but with a high retail price.

Best of the jackets without a hood was the British-made Sub Zero: simple design that worked well.

All of the softshells kept out showers and had much better breathability than a conventional waterproof.

Best in test: Berghaus Winter Valparola
Recommended: Black Diamond Convergent Shell
Recommended: Sub Zero Thermal Windproof Softshell Jacket