Best Waterproof Jackets 2018 | Top 20 - Outdoors Magic

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Waterproof Jackets

Best Waterproof Jackets 2018 | Top 20

From lightweight trail running options to hardshells for mountaineering...

waterproof jacket should be the first thing that you stick in your backpack when heading out on a trip to the hills or mountains. Even if the forecast is for sun all day, it’s still so important to carry rain protection just in case. On this page we’re looking at the best men’s waterproof jackets of 2018, so if you’re of the female variety, you might want to head on over to our women’s jackets round-up.

When trying to find the best rain shell it’s important to think about the activities you’ll be needing it for, and what will be demanded of it. Trail runners, for instance, will want a lightweight jacket that’s highly breathable, that has good ventilation, and that can be stowed away quickly and easily in a running pack or even just a pocket. Mountaineers will want a waterproof hardshell that’s very protective, very durable, and that has all the right features to help the wearer cope with the demanding wet, windy and cold conditions often encountered at altitude.

Best Waterproof Jackets By Activity

Best for trail running: OMM Halo Jacket

Best for hiking: Fjällräven Keb Eco Shell

Best for mountaineering: Sherpa Lithang

Best for backpacking: Outdoor Research Interstellar

Best value: Berghaus Cape Wrath

What Makes a Good Waterproof Hardshell Jacket

The factors to consider in relation to your intended usage will be the level of protection and breathability, weight, packability, durability, comfort and design features. There’s the price as well of course.

Out of these factors, the hardest ones to judge when you’re looking at buying a waterproof jacket will be protection and breathability. Our suggestion is to consider the type of waterproof fabric that has been used. Membranes are the most common form, whether that’s Gore-Tex, eVentPertex or Polartec NeoShell, and these usually will offer a good balance between wet weather protection and breathability.

Bear in mind that the these membrane brands offer different versions of their product and the quality of each of these is often reflected in the price. A standard waterproof membrane (2-layer for instance) should come at a fairly reasonable price whereas a top-level, high-performance one (3-layer Gore-Tex Pro) will usually come at a premium.

Then there are other forms of waterproofing. Rain protection by PU coating is probably the simplest version and it’s arguably the least dependable, but then it’s also usually the most affordable. Then there are wax treated jackets, some of which will provide all-round quality when it comes to protection and breathability, and eco-friendliness to boot. Páramo is a good example of this.

Best Waterproof Jackets – The Top 20

You’ll find a whole mixture of these different variations below. We’ve picked out our favourites, not based purely on performance alone, but on the performance in relation to the cost. So alongside top-level ultra protective jackets with rather large price tags, you’ll also find simpler do-what-they-need-to type products that won’t break the bank.


 

Rohan Elite Jacket

Price: £249
Weight: 250g

This Elite is one of Rohan’s most technical offerings yet, a 3-layer waterproof and breathable jacket that weighs a meagre 250g. It features Rohan’s Barricade waterproof membrane, a development which they use in most of their waterproof products, including their trousers (which are also worth checking out).

Use this for: hillwalking, backpacking and day-to-day use.

Full Review

OMM Halo Jacket

Price: £110
Weight: 105g

Here’s a jacket designed for those who move fast and light. Think fell runners, trail runners, fast packers and mountain marathon runners – it’s made with OMM’s iconic running/orienteering challenge in mind after all. The waterproof fabric has a nice bit of stretch to it – much more than standard waterproofs – meaning there’s more freedom of movement when your bounding across the fells. It’s close fitting so it’s ideally worn just over a baselayer or a non-bulky midlayer.

Use this for: trail running, the OMM, hiking

Full Review

Outdoor Research Interstellar

Price: £290
Weight: 329g

Like the OMM’s Halo featured above, this is a jacket that’s made from a stretchy waterproof fabric that has excellent articulation. It’s a little bit more technical than OMM’s jacket though, made with 3-layer waterproofing rather than just 2.5. It’s also got a slightly looser fit so you’ll be able to get away with wearing this over a fleece or light insulated jacket. There are lots of nice features to suit climbers and mountaineers – like the helmet compatible hood for instance – but we reckon hikers and even trail runners will also get very good use out of this.

Use this for: hiking, backpacking, trail running

Full Review

Dannah Lightweight Scottish Alpine Jacket

Price: £260
Weight: 480g

We’d hazard a guess that you haven’t heard of Dannah, it is after all a relatively new, and very small scale brand. But the products are great, and it’s no surprise considering the experience behind Richard Dannah, the guy that designs them. This is his flagship item, a jacket made for harsh UK winters when you need something as close as you can comfortably get to a suit of armour. It has a close, alpine fit, soft-to-the-touch but very durable face fabric, large ventilation zips under the arms and a well crafted hood that wraps around the head to move smoothly it.

Use this for: mountaineering, winter hiking

 

Sherpa Lithang Jacket

Price: £250
Weight: 543g

This one’s tough. Really tough. One for the mountaineers we reckon. It’s made from a waterproof fabric that feels a lot like thick softshell; one that will be able to shed water and snow, while also fending off rough rock or rogue branches. Layer this over a thick down jacket and you’ve got something that will be right at home in alpine environments, or just a miserable day in the Lake District.

Use this for: mountaineering, winter hiking

Full Review

Berghaus GR20 Storm

Price: £300
Weight: 277g

If you want a jacket for trail running in, or even running to the top of a mountain in, this is one that we definitely recommend considering. It’s a very breathable, piece – so breathable, in fact, that Berghaus proclaim it to be “the most breathable 3-layer Gore-Tex jacket in the world”. The secret lies in their combination of a lightweight breathable fabric with clever layered flaps over the top of the torso which let hot air out without allowing any wind or moisture in.

Use this for: hiking, backpacking, trail running

Full Review

Filson NeoShell Reliance

Price: £385

Filson’s origins go back to the days of the Klondike Gold Rush, when a clever chap realised he could earn a buck by offering dependable, robust outerwear to the many men arriving in Seattle to head into the north country. Today, Filson’s kit still has a classic, old-American look to it, and from what we’ve tried and tested, it’s all reliable stuff. This is one of their flagship pieces, a tough, protective jacket made from a type of waterproof fabric that we rate very, very highly: Polartec NeoShell

Use this for: winter hiking, backpacking

Full Review

 Haglöfs L.I.M Comp

Price: £280
Weight: 265g

A slim profile, lightweight fabric, top-level weather protection and useful features like long venting hand pockets all combine to make this a nifty option for those who want a jacket that they can move quickly in. It’s also got Bluesign approval, meaning that it conforms to a number of high standards in regards to eco-friendly production.

Use this for: trail running, hiking, climbing

Full Review

Arc’teryx Beta LT

Price: £420
Weight: 345g

Arc’teryx’s products usually tend to have a very neat, aesthetically-pleasing design backed up by top-level, high performance materials, and this is no exception. Featuring Gore-Tex Pro waterproof fabric this is one of those jackets for those who go all-in in their adventures – for the alpinists, backcountry skiers or ice climbers.

Use this for: climbing, mountaineering, hiking, backpacking, backcountry skiing

Full Review

Helly Hansen Odin 9 Worlds

Price: £300
Weight: 624g

If you, like Odin, often travel the length of the 9 worlds for extended periods of time, then you’ll almost certainly need a jacket that will offer as much protection as you can possibly get. The same applies if you’re into your alpinism, mountaineering or ice climbing, or just hiking in any weather. Long story short, this is a tough jacket which boasts a 70 denier strength 3-layer waterproof fabric. We’ve been very impressed by this offering from the Norwegian brand.

Use this for: mountaineering, hiking, climbing, backcountry skiing

Full Review

Páramo Velez

Price: £275
Weight: 600g

This has been around for a few years now and it’s established itself as a firm favourite amongst the Outdoors Magic team. With Páramo jackets a very different method of waterproofing (to every other jacket in this list) is used, one that doesn’t require a Gore-Tex or eVent membrane or any other membrane for that matter. Instead there’s Nikwax Analogy, a wax-based solution, which, when embedded within a jacket’s fabric, is capable of repelling water and also spreading it out thinly across a garment to ensure it dries very, very quickly. It’s an eco-friendly method that Páramo have used for many years now. In this specific case, it’s been used in their lightest waterproof jacket to date.

Use this for: hiking, backpacking, off-road cycling, climbing

Full Review

 The North Face Apex Flex

Price: £160
Weight: 800g

We’d be willing to bet that plenty of people would’ve picked this jacket off the rail in a shop then put it back down thinking it’s not waterproof. That’s because it looks and feels like a softshell jacket. It’s got an incredible amount of flex to it (as the name suggests) and it’s very soft to the touch, but there’s still a waterproof membrane within it, and fully taped seams as well. The benefit of this fabric is that it will stand up to almost extreme levels of abrasion. While most waterproof jackets are easily caught out by a sharp branch, this will shrug off even the meanest of them. The downside, however, is that it makes the jacket fairly heavy overall, so it’s probably not the best bet if you’re a backpacker looking for something to travel light with.

Use this for: winter hiking, climbing, mountaineering.

Black Diamond FineLine Stretch

Price: €130
Weight: 230g

This is one of those jackets that’s perfect for carrying in your backpack or even your pocket to eventually whip out if a sudden rain shower strikes. That’s because it’s both lightweight and very packable, stowing away into its chest pocket to make for a small and unobtrusive bundle about the size of a pint glass. And it’ll get you through those rain showers (or anything harsher) thanks to its 2.5-layer waterproof fabric.

Use this for: trail running, climbing, hiking, backpacking.

 

 

Mountain Equipment Rupal Jacket

Price: £270
Weight: 585g

Here’s one that’s absolutely perfect for mountaineers and alpinists. It’s a bombproof jacket featuring super tough three-layer Gore-Tex fabric that’s rated at a hardy 75D. In other words, it’ll protect you and last a long time as well, particularly if you look after it with a technical wash-in like Grangers, Storm or Nikwax. All the typical design features that climbers like are there. Things like a two-way front zip, underarm zips for ventilation, harness-friendly pockets and a peaked hood.

Use this for: mountaineering, winter hiking, backpacking.

Jöttnar Hymir

Price: £295
Weight: 332g

Polartec NeoShell is a form of waterproof membrane that you don’t see featured in that many jackets, but don’t interpret this as a bad thing. It’s become a bit of an exclusive technology, usually only seen in some of the best jackets out there. The Hymir, by Jöttnar is one of them. The waterproof fabric will protect you through the claggiest of clag, while also offering a level of breathability not often seen. If you’re not a fan of half-length zips then consider the Jöttnar Asmund instead – it’s a tad more expensive though.

Use this for: mountaineering, backpacking, hiking.

 

Musto XVR BR1 Shell

Price: £150

If you like throwing yourself into typhoon-like conditions, then we’d recommend purchasing both this jacket and the Musto Dock PrimaLoft insulated jacket as well. They’re both designed to integrate quickly and easily with one another via poppers and loops in the hood, on the torso and in the cuffs. Bear in mind that this jacket, the XVR BR1, is made from a durable, thick material that, while highly waterproof, isn’t the lightest or most breathable out there, so it’s a jacket for knuckling down in, and definitely not for running up a mountain in.

Use this for: winter hiking

Full Review

 

Mammut Meron Hooded Hardshell

Price: £295
Weight: 465g

Swiss brand Mammut certainly know how to make kit for tackling harsh mountain conditions and this, the Meron Hooded Hardshell, is certainly no exception. It’s very similar to the Mountain Equipment Rupal Jacket (featured above) in terms of durability and also in the amount of climber-friendly features it has. The main difference is that this features that top-level form of waterproofing that is Gore-Tex Pro.

Use this for: mountaineering, winter hiking, backpacking.

 Rab Flashpoint 2

Price: £230
Weight: 185g

The Flashpoint 2 is one of a number of jackets on this page to have featured in our Outdoors Magic 100, our in-depth guide to the season’s best outdoor gear releases. Picking up where the original Rab Flashpoint jacket left off, this version boasts 3-layer Pertex Shield waterproof protection and an impressively light weight of just 185g. The whole thing stashes away into a stuff sack making for a tiny package. Bear in mind that the cut is quite short on the hem.

Use this for: climbing, hiking, backpacking, trail running.

Full Review

Berghaus Cape Wrath

Price: £125
Weight: 349g

Here’s a great option to consider if you just want a simple waterproof jacket that’ll do the job without costing you an arm an a leg (it’s currently available from Berghaus for £125). It features Gore-Tex’s very useful Active Shell waterproof fabric, boasts large hand pockets that double up as vents, and a protective hood that fits closely and comfortably. When there’s no rain you can stuff this easily away in your pack and forget it’s there – so top marks for packability as well.

Use this for: hiking, backpacking.

Fjällräven Keb Eco Shell

Price: £445
Weight: 510g

The Keb Eco Shell from Fjällräven is, in our team’s opinion, one of the most impressive waterproof jacket releases in recent years. Why’s that then? Well, as well as offering quality protection and all the bells and whistles of a great outdoors jacket, it’s also got some admirable eco credentials. Take the recyclable polyester face fabric for instance – which is already part recycled – and the DWR treatment that’s completely free of any of those nasty PFCs that are often found in membrane-lined jackets. It’s been around a few years now, but this is still a very relevant jacket.

Use this for: mountaineering, hiking, backpacking.
Full Review

You might also like:

Best Waterproof Shell Jackets 2017

6 Of the Best Lightweight Waterproof Shell Jackets 2016/17

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