I’ve featured this softshell partly to demonstrate how different they can be and partly because it’s very good. It’s an excellent jacket, but thicker than the rest here and no doubt more hardwearing, but still lighter than the heavily featured Rab and Vaude jackets (although the jacket tested was a medium). The outer material doesn’t offer much stretch, except around the cuffs, and the inside fabric is grid fleece that traps a fair amount of heat; this is not for running, but it’s still quite breathable. It will also hold off all the wind and most of the rain. The hood is excellent, moving well with the head, although the peak is stiffened rather than wired. There are just two side pockets – accessible with a hipbelt – and very small sleeve pockets – supposedly for a ski pass? This is the only medium-sized I’ve tested and still fits well. It’s a good jacket that will hold off the weather more than most here.
First published: June 2014
