Waterproof Jackets

Harrier Exmoor Women’s Waterproof Jacket | Review

Innovative, feature-packed waterproof jacket made by runners, for runners.

Why we chose it: Compatible with race vests, plenty of venting options, fantastic price point.

Harrier Trail Running was set up by Kate Mackenzie, a fell runner from the Peak District, and the Exmoor waterproof jacket certainly looks like a product that’s been designed by its end user. It comes packed full of venting options and many other very practical features. Also, because Harrier do not sell through third party distributors, they have managed to keep their prices lower than a lot of the competition.

Who Is the Exmoor Waterproof Jacket For?

Runners of all abilities who are familiar with the fickle nature of British weather will find the need for a light and highly breathable waterproof jacket like the Exmoor. It can also serve those who are after a ‘just-in-case’ shell to keep in the bottom of their rucksack on very lightweight outings. But it will be the serious runners competing in fell races and other long distance trail events who will get the most out of the Exmoor. It is clearly built for racing.

Materials and Construction

The Exmoor is constructed from a Polyester outer, a PU membrane and then a sprayed on PU backer. It has a lot of stretch to it, almost softshell jacket-type levels, but the material does come rated with a decent 15,000mm hydrostatic head. This will cope with heavy rain, without compromising too much on breathability.

The seams of the jacket are all fully taped, to comply with FRA race requirements. Integrated pit zips and press studs down the main zip seam allow plenty of venting options. The back panel of the jacket is shaped to fit a race vest underneath, and it’s constructed with not one, but two front zips. These zips are located off centre, so that they sit above the straps of a trail running race vest. This means that with a vest worn underneath, you still have quick access to any water bottles or snacks that are stored in your strap pockets. Genius.

Features

The Exmoor comes packed with features. Highlights include the peaked hood, which features three points of adjustment to ensure that it won’t flap around or slide into your face whilst running. The thumb loops at the end of each sleeve will be welcomed by those who suffer from chilly hands during driving wind and rain.

The jacket also features press studs, which enable it to be quickly rolled up and clipped around your waist like a bum bag. This means that if you just want to take it off for a little while to cool down, you won’t put off doing so just to avoid the faff of packing it away into your vest. The jacket also features silicone strips on the front, to stop your race vest from slipping. Oh, and there are three zipped pockets on the front, and one on the back, for storing your phone and snacks (we said there were a lot of features!).

That price tag, as well. £89 – that’s a bargain for a jacket with this kind of feature set.

Verdict

Credit to Harrier for thinking outside of the box with this jacket, and for keeping it at a pretty good price too.

The fact it’s designed to be thrown over the top of a race vest is pretty clever and, from our experience, it works. There are some nice touches too, including the thumb loops, the venting options and the printed silicone details on the shoulders.

At 340g, it is a touch on the heavy side for ultra running races in the warmer months and the fabric is quite thick. That said, it offers great levels of protection for winter running. We also found that it could be improved by having Velcro tabs on the cuffs instead of just the thumb loops and elastic.

In terms of fit, we found that it was true to size. You shouldn’t need to size up or down with this.