12 Of The Best Winter Jackets

A winter jacket should keep you warm, yes? But what about waterproofing? And breathability? And other details?  There certainly is plenty of choice out there, from budget products that can, if chosen wisely, do the job for you, all the way up to top-performing technical jackets that will cost as well as perform.

As ever, get out to the retailers and try on the products before parting with your money.  Appearances matter, too, of course. But functionality has to be the priority.

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COLUMBIA POWDER LITE
Light in weight as well as on the wallet, there’s a Powder Lite for almost every member of the family. In water-resistant polyester, there’s a silver-dotted thermal lining that reflects back all your body heat, but it’s also breathable. Women’s sizes are XS to XL, men’s S to XXL. Hooded models are also available. And there are children’s versions, from £50, adding to a varied choice of colours.
Key features 100% polyester, Storm-Lite DP II shell, Omni-Heat Reflective lining, ThermicAero insulation, zipped hand pockets, inner pocket, elasticated cuffs, drawcord adjustable hem, chin guard
Price £80
www.columbiasportswear.co.uk

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REGATTA AZUMA
In men’s and women’s formats – although only the men’s boasts a grown-on (ie permanently attached) hood, with adjusters – Regatta’s AtomLight is a technical manmade, compressible insulation that comprises polyester shreds. It promises breathability as well as packing down to the smallest of sizes. Features common to both include an inner zip guard, two zipped lower pockets, and hook-and-loop cuff adjustment. Men’s versions also have a shockcord adjustable hem, whilst the women’s are elasticated, as are the cuffs. There’s no shortage of colour choices here, all in the vignetting style that Regatta calls all-over ombre.
Key features 20D poylamide outer with DWR finish, AtomLight insulation,
Price £100
www.regatta.com

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CRAGHOPPERS KIWI CLASSIC THERMIC
An instant attraction here is the ultra-soft lining, but do note the superior waterproof and breathability data below. There are also plenty of pockets – the lower ones are doubles, accessed via a side zip or top press-studded flap. The inner pocket is suitable for maps, and also has a mesh mobile phone holder. There’s also a chest pocket, on the same side as the latter. The insulation is called ThermoAir+, consisting of fibres designed to trap body heat. The attached hood has a peak and shockcord adjustment, while the cuffs use hook-and-loop. Colour choice is Blue Navy, Dark Moss of Black Pepper, with sizes Small through to XXXL.
Key features 100% polyester, 15,000mm waterproof rating, 20,000g/m2 breathability, map and phone pockets, shockcord adjustable hem, machine washable
Price £110
www.craghoppers.com

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SNUGPAK TORRENT
Snugpak’s own, proven Softie insulation and Paratex fabrics ensure great performance here, along with features such as insulation for the hood and pockets. If it all gets too warm, there’s zipped ventilation to the underarm areas. The hood is detachable (and stowable) as well as having peak and dual side adjusters. The cuffs have Velcro adjustment.
Key features 100% waterproof, 5,000mm breathability, Paratex Dry outer, Paratex Light inner, detachable hood, taped seams, inner chest pocket, YKK waterproof zips, brushed polyester collar, fully adjustable hem, machine washable
Price £149.95
www.snugpak.com

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BERGHAUS TEPHRA
Ideal hillwalking attire for females and males, and in a good choice of colours, the Tephra is a new addition to the Berghaus portfolio. Insulation is Hydrodown 600 – an 80% down/20% feather duck down mix with a PFC-free Nikwax finish to guarantee at least 16 hours of performance in the wet, while the lining is 50D plain weave polyester and the shell is 30D polyamide Pertex Quantum – a soft, tightly woven yarn with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish. Other features include zipped hand pockets, deep snug collar, elasticated cuffs. Women’s sizes are 8-18. Typical weight is 341g for a women’s size 12. Men’s sizes are Small to XXL.
Key features Bluesign-approved Pertex Quantum fabric, 600 fill Hydrodown insulation
Price £160
www.berghaus.com

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PATAGONIA NANO
Warm and light, windproof and water-resistant. Environmentally-friendly. This puff jacket ticks plenty of boxes. The shell is also ripstop, with a brick quilting pattern and horizontal quilt lines on the sides, to stabilise the insulation the water-repellent Primaloft insulation claims to maintain 98% of warmth, even when wet. Among the details, the main zip has a wicking interior storm flap with a chin guard at the top. There are two zipped handwarmer pockets, plus a zipped internal chest packet that also doubles as a stuffsack, with a carabiner. There’s a massive choice of colours – 12 for the women’s version, 10 for men, in XS to XL.
Key features 60g PrimaLoft Gold Eco insulation, 100% polyester shell and lining, Bluesign-approved fabric, abrasion-resistant thread
Price £153-£170
www.patagonia.com/eu

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SPRAYWAY YANA
A three-in-one style of jacket, with zip-out inner that you can remove altogether if you’re getting too warm, or just fancy wearing it on its own. Typical combined weight is 740g and back length is 67cm for a size 12. The main jacket, then, has a two-layer fabric that’s waterproof and breathable, with a mesh and taffeta lining. The hood is grown-on, fully adjustable and has a wired peak. Other adjustments include the cuffs (hook and loop) and hem (drawcord). Like the jacket, the inner has two zipped pockets and an inner pocket (also zipped). Its cuffs are elasticated, as is the hood. Insulation is an Inso/Therm polyester in two weights – 80g for the body, 60g for the sleeves. The Yana is on women’s sizes 8-18, with just the one colour as here, Berry. Men’s equivalent is the Orsk. Sprayway is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation (see www.fairwear.org).
Key features Two-layer Hydro/Dry fabric, 20,000mm hydrostatic head, 15,000g/m2/24hrs  MVTR breathability (moisture vapour transmission rate) Inso/Therm insulation,
Price £170
www.sprayway.com

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KEELA STRATUS
A new jacket from Keela, although it’s based on its Cumulus MR Pro. SDP stands for System Dual Protection, a double membrane technology meaning a high degree of waterproofing as well as breathability and condensation control. The hood has peak and volume adjustment and the two zipped chest pockets have integral D-rings. There are further pockets – two lower, left forearm, one for a map, one for media. Articulated sleeves help optimise freedom of movement, while there’s underarm ventilation and a two-way main zip with double storm flap, guttering and a snap enclosure. Colour choices are Maritime Blue or Rescue Red, sizes Small to XXXL.
Key features Stratus SDP shell and lining, articulated sleeves, adjustable cuffs with gusset, underarm ventilation with double storm flap, reflective highlights, plenty of pockets
Price £175
www.keela.co.uk

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MAMMUT KENTO
High on quality and packing small, for those who want to stay active through the winter period and all the way up to high alpine terrains. Hence features like the adjustable, helmet-compatible hood with reinforced peak and hooks for rolling back. There are also pre-shaped sleeves with Velcro adjustment and underarm zipped ventilation. The front pockets have splashproof zips, plus there’s a chest pocket. In a choice of six colours, two of which – Spicy (red) and Ultramarine (blue) – are new this season.
Key features 20,000mm hydrostatic head, 15,000 g/m2 water vapour permeability, 100% polyamide fabric, 100% polyurethane membrane, Bluesign accredited, machine washable to 30degC
Price £175
www.mammut.ch/GB/en

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PARAMO TORRES ACTIVO
Guaranteed to perform in the most extreme conditions, and also boasting the strictest of environmental credentials - Páramo was the first outdoor company to join the Greenpeace Detox commitment in 2016, eliminating PFC treatments from all of its products. Plus, this year saw it celebrating 25 years of working with the Miquelina Foundation in Colombia. And it’s a member of the World Fair Trade Organisation. Not forgetting its own Páramo Recycling Scheme… Its products perform at the very highest levels, too, including wet conditions (it can even be worn over wet gear to warm you up instantly). There’s also an insulated hood with “halo” adjustment to optimise all-round vision. Plus, when not needed the whole jacket compresses into the internal map pocket
Key features, 60g water-repellent synthetic fill, Nikwax TX.Direct DWR treatment, insulated hood, spiral-cut sleeves, men’s and women’s versions, fully recyclable
Price £180
www.paramo-clothing.com

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DIDRIKSONS MARCEL
More top-end stuff from Sweden. This is a parka style made from 100% recycled polyester with a PFC-free DWR finish. The three-way adjustable fixed hood with fake fur trim (it’s detachable) is de rigueur for any parka. The two-way main zip means you can control ventilation as needed, plus there’s a chin guard to protect against chafing. Sizes are Small to XXXL in three colour choices – Red, Navy or Black.
Key features 10,000mm hydrostatic head, 500g/m2 breathability, adjustable cuffs and sleeve ends, two-way zip with storm flap, water-resistant zips, reflector details, machine washable
Price £250
www.didriksons.com

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HAGLOFS STRATUS

Another manufacturer. Another Stratus. This version, from Sweden’s Haglöfs, is a combination of two-layer Gore-Tex and Quadfusion insulation, using recycled polyester in hollow spirals for greater warmth and air trapping. In fact, there’s a lot of recycled material here, which is part of the reason this jacket carries the Bluesign mark, meaning its sustainability has been independently assessed. There’s more. Articulated sleeves mean easier arm movement. The hood is removable and adjustable. All pockets are zipped – two for hands, one with placket for rain protection, one inner for valuables. And the hem has cord adjustment. Men’s and women’s versions are available.
Key features Bluesign-approved fabric and insulation, 28,000mm hydrostatic head, articulated elbows, machine washable up to 40degC
Price £270
www.haglofs.com

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