Why We Chose The CimAlp Performance 3F women’s jacket: Comfortable, practical, versatile

If you’re shopping for a waterproof jacket, it’s worth considering the fabric. For a hard shell, your options are essentially to go for a 2-layer, 2.5-layer or 3-layer jacket. Most premium waterproofs use the latter construction, which offers the best combination of durability, performance and comfort. Unfortunately, 3-layer jackets also tend to be the most expensive, which is why they’re normally reserved for specialist, technical pieces designed for high-level climbing and mountaineering. But CimAlp’s Performance 3F jacket takes that top-quality construction and applies it in a far more versatile, practical and usable form, resulting in a great value everyday outdoor/hiking jacket.

Who Is The CimAlp Performance 3F Women’s Jacket For?

CimAlp recommends this jacket for trekking, ultra-light hiking and long-distance hiking. We wouldn’t necessarily disagree, though personally we’d probably want to take something a bit lighter for ultralight hikes and something a little more protective for trekking and long-distance walking, particularly in the wetter months. Don’t get us wrong, this jacket will keep you dry and comfortable in most weather, but on balance, we’d say it’s better suited to general outdoors use, which could include everything from walking the dog to a big hill day.

Materials

The jacket uses CimAlp’s own fabric technology, namely a 3-layer HardShell with a windproof 190gsm nylon face fabric and a waterproof-breathable membrane rated at 10,000mm Hydrostatic Head and 10,000g/m2/24h MVTR for breathability. Those aren’t class-leading figures, but they are a good baseline for a hillwalking waterproof.

The jacket’s construction is commendably eco-friendly, employing organic dyeing, bluesign-certified manufacturing and a PFC-free DWR Teflon EcoElite treatment derived from renewable resources. That’s a tick in the sustainability box then.

“The jacket’s construction is commendably eco-friendly.”

The 3-layer fabric is very comfortable, with a pleasant next-to-skin feel compared to most 2.5-layer jackets. It’s well-made and finished nicely, so we’d also expect this jacket to be more durable than lighter alternatives. It weighs in at about 530g in a women’s medium – reasonably light for a 3-layer jacket, but heavier than 2.5-layer alternatives.

Features

The jacket has plenty of features, including water-resistant zippers, ventilation zips under the arms, two handwarmer pockets, two inside pockets and an adjustable hood and hem.
Our favourite feature is the adjustable cuffs, since they have a little stretch for a tighter fit to lock out chilly gusts. It means they fit snugly over wrists but also over gloves without the sleeves riding up and exposing any skin. Toasty.