Waterproof Jacket Buying Guide

The hood is a key part of any waterproof jacket and should always be tested when trying the jacket on. Most basic hoods are large enough to fit over a beanie and adjustable with at least one drawcord that cinches in the excess fabric around your face. A slight step up from a basic hood would be a hood with a peak that will help to keep the rain off your face, like a baseball cap but with a less prominent peak so as not to obstruct your peripheral view. The peak may be structured with pliable wire, laminated fabric or tubing to help it stand away from your face in even the most ferocious winds.

You may come across hoods that have an adjustment on the back of the head. This will allow you to reduce the volume of the hood so that it sits on your head like a cap and will often ensure that your hood turns with your head rather than your head turning inside your hood, restricting visibility. Helmet compatible hoods, usually found on more technical shells, have a much larger volume to allow the wearer to make use of a helmet while still being able to comfortably move their head around. They will also have volume reducers and cinch adjusters at the back or sides so that you can make the hood fit your head even when not using a helmet.

Cuffs

The cuffs on a waterproof jacket are also something to bear in mind. On a minimal, lightweight waterproof jacket designed for running, they’ll likely be narrow in diameter and elasticated to save on weight and bulk when packed down. At the other end of the spectrum, waterproof jackets that are more designed for mountaineering will have a hook and loop tab that can be opened and closed according to what you require, the cuffs themselves will also have a generous diameter to allow room for gloves when you need them.

Pit zips

Some waterproof jackets have pit zips for ventilation, these sit, as the name suggests, at the underarm of the jacket, and can be opened without sacrificing too much waterproof protection even when it’s raining.

Drawcords

The drawcords of a jacket are there to improve fit and cinch in dead space, these are a great way to personalise the fit of a jacket but can often result in long sections of cord hanging from the jacket that can be annoying in the wind and cause snag risks. When choosing your waterproof jacket consider how the drawcords have been designed, is there a cord tidy to keep them under control? Hood drawcords often have a channel that guides the excess cord away from the face so as not to cause irritation in windy conditions, this might be on the inside or outside of the jacket. Waist drawcord adjusters often sit on the inside of the jacket or inside the pockets of the jacket so as not to get in the way on the outside of the jacket. Hem drawcords allow you to cinch the bottom of the jacket in, this can improve heat retention in cooler conditions but also allows you to style the jacket according to your own preference. The excess cord from adjusting the hem might sit in a tab on the inside of the hem, alternatively, they are sometimes channelled through to the insides of the hand pockets.

Storm flaps

Storm flaps help to keep wind and rain on the outside of the jacket. They are usually found over the main zip but can also be found on pocket zips too. There are different types of storm flap, but the most common takes the form of a simple strip of waterproof fabric that sits over the zip acting as a barrier and secured with hook and loop (Velcro) sections. A double storm flap is when a strip of fabric runs down each side of the zip and secures to each other with hook and loop tabs to ensure maximum protection from both sides. Jackets that are designed for the stormiest conditions might have a ‘rain drain’ on the inside of a double storm flap, this is a simple fold on the inner flap that helps to catch water ingress before it reaches the zip and the fold of the fabric acts as a channel for the water to run down and out of the jacket. Some pockets may utilise a ‘rain drain’ on the inside of a water resistant zip as a back-up to keep water ingress from damaging the pocket contents.