The Saxon Jacket kept out the rain during testing. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
Price: £104.95
Colour: black
Weight: 251g
Material: 54 per cent nylon; 46 per cent polyurethane coating
Waterproofing: Flylite Aqua
Country of manufacture: not stated
Sizes: men’s XS-3XL; women’s 8-20
Women’s version: yes, Storm Jacket
Recommended wash: 30C in pure soap
The Saxon has been designed with runners and cyclists in mind, with features such as reflective piping on its back and sleeves, plus a zipped rear pocket.
The Keela jacket is also cut in an active fit style, hugging the body well.
It’s very lightweight and also packs down small, while still giving good protection against the rain.
The Saxon relies on its polyurethane coating for waterproofing so, rather than beading like many durable water-resistant treatments, the rain tended to be just shed. In wet, windy conditions it blew off from most areas.
Despite its light weight, the Saxon has plenty of features. The hood has a wired peak and rear halo adjustment along with twin front drawcords that allowed it to be cinched in well against driven rain. It turned well with the head and is big enough to accommodate a helmet. It can also be rolled up and secured down using a hook-and-loop strip and tab. This was useful when out on the bike, to stop the hood flapping around at higher speeds.
The main zip is water resistant and is backed by a storm flap, which kept out the weather.
The hem is dropped at the rear and there is a drawcord with twin spring toggles to adjust it.
The inner face of the jacket is a honeycomb and patterned design. Breathability was quite good, though there was a clammy build-up inside the jacket when working hard. The sleeves are articulated and cuffs have hook-and-loop adjustment. There are also thumb loops to help keep the hands covered by the sleeve cuffs.
The sleeves were generous enough to allow them to be pushed up to allow cooling when on tougher sections of routes.
The Keela Saxon Jacket
The Saxon has two zipped medium-size hip pockets. The rear pocket, with water-resistant zip and reflective trim is a good size and will actually take an OS map.
We’ve used the Keela Saxon Jacket extensively, both on the hoof and in the saddle, and it worked well. The snug fit was good on the bike and the rear pocket was useful when cycling. For runners and walkers, the jacket is small enough to roll up into a small pack and, in fact, it fitted into the bum bag I use for walking on warmer days and while on the bike.
Our sample was black, but the Saxon is available in orange, blue and lime green if visibility is important.
The women’s version, the Storm Jacket, is cut to fit the female form and has an additional zipped breast pocket.
Price was competitive for a versatile waterproof jacket which, as well as suiting runners, mountain bikers and cyclists, worked well while walking too.
Best uses: trail running, mountain biking, cycling, hillwalking, country walking.
Performance 25/30
Breathability and comfort 22/30
Packability 18/20
Quality 7/10
Value for money 8/10
Total score: 80/100
