They might all look the same on the outside but not all waterproof jackets are created equally, after all, the kind of protection you’re going to need to keep dry on your commute to work is a little different to what you’ll need on a winter weekend hike in the Lakes.
So, this is where we need to get technical for a second and talk about the hydrostatic head (HH) of a jacket, a water pressure measurement, in millimetres, which records exactly how long the jacket can be exposed to the pouring rain before water starts to make its way inside.
In order for a jacket to claim that it’s waterproof it needs to pass the test at 1500mm or more so we’ve included each jacket’s rating (where available) so you can tell how much of the wet stuff it will withstand.
Waterproof shells are typically constructed with either 2, 2.5 or 3 layers of protection, to guarantee you stay dry. A single layer with a connected membrane will keep work clothes dry at the bus stop, while jackets made with a single layer and membrane that are treated with a water-repellent will be a good option for any prolonged outdoor pursuit. Finally, for that Snowdonia ridgeline, you have three-layer jackets that have all of the above plus another liner on the inside.
Our other considerations during testing were how well the jacket moved as we progressed and how breathable the materials were when everything was zipped up in the pouring rain.
We were also on the lookout for the little details that increase the convenience, and comfort when wearing the jacket. Things like elasticated or Velcro cuffs, lined chin guards and pockets and good customisation throughout so that we were able to tailor the jacket according to how hard the weather was hitting.
How we tested
We were (un)lucky enough to have our testing period coincide with two major UK storms, both of which gave us plenty of opportunity to test the materials and construction of the jackets and find out how effective they were at keeping us totally dry after hours on the very exposed terrain of Dartmoor.
We looked for jackets that were comfortably constructed, so you’re not rubbing against exposed seams when you move, or finding yourself restricted in some way. Plus, we were looking for plenty of adjustability, so you can tailor the fit of the jacket according to what you’re layering underneath, and ensure the best possible barrier against the elements.
The best men’s waterproof jackets for 2024 are:
Finisterre rainbird waterproof jacket
This 2.5-layer jacket is barely noticeable when it’s on (300g) and it’s lightweight, combined with the fabrics used make it very easy to bundle up and store when you’re on the move.
A very respectable HH rating means you can confidently wear it in heavy rain and we loved the tactile nature of the recycled polyester fabric that makes it extremely comfortable as well as a very dynamic jacket with just the right amount of stretch.
There’s adjustability at the hood and hem and we particularly like the elasticated cuffs which we always find a lot less hassle than Velcro and allow you to get gloves over much easier when things turn wet and cold.
As usual from Cornish brand, there’s really good detailing throughout with zipped side pockets, and a comfy beard guard, and when fully zipped up, the hood and collar turn into an efficient face guard if you’re walking into the wind.
Buy now £135.00, Finisterre.com
Mountain Warehouse torrent men's waterproof jacket
With a waterproof rating of 2,000 and taped seams, this jacket is suited to a day of showers and is very comfortable and lightweight to wear. The overlay flap that covers the zip stays in place well and good Velcro fastenings around the cuffs mean you can find the fit that’s comfortable for you.
The jacket is well constructed, packs down and moves well with you as you walk, making it ideally suited to keep you dry in the drizzle. You can’t ask for much more at this price.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
Rab downpour eco men’s waterproof jacket
This 2.5-layer jacket from UK brand Rab had our back (and the rest of us) when the heavens opened. When the rain finally relented, we found all our layers were still bone dry (impressive for a 2.5 layer). We had also been able to regulate our body temperature throughout, with a combination of breathability from the fabric and underarm zips that allowed us to dump heat in an instant.
The fabric is comfortable and tactile and there are plenty of other details that make this jacket an absolute joy to wear – from the large, hand-warmer pockets to the brushed chin guard. When the sun did reappear, we were able to pack it away in one of its own pockets and stash it neatly in our rucksack, ready for the next outing.
Buy now £125.00, Cotswoldoutdoor.com
Finisterre stormbird men’s waterproof jacket
This jacket really took on everything thrown at it – including horizontal rain that did not want to quit. It can be hard to design a truly waterproof jacket that’s also ergonomic when walking, but Finisterre has done a great job here, as this jacket moves with you effortlessly and never feels restrictive.
It comes with plenty of comfort, too, with lots of details such as nice deep pockets, a microfleece rear neck guard and brushed polyester inner. It’s neither too snug nor too bulky, allowing enough room internally for layering in the winter months. The waterproofing and breathability ratings were certainly proven during testing, too.
Finally, we really liked the two-way waterproof zip, which opens from both ends and is great for regulating temperature or getting to an inside pocket quickly.
Buy now £250.00, Finisterre.com
Jack Wolfskin morobbia men’s waterproof jacket
This 2.5-layer jacket is specifically designed to keep you dry when you’re in the bike saddle, so, we donned a helmet and headed out into the wet stuff.
Staying dry on a bike isn’t easy, as you’re moving faster and have to contend with spray and splash, too, but this jacket did a great job. Its stretchy material allowed for extra movement while providing good breathability when we needed to work hard on the bike.
The generous drop-hem kept out any water splashing off the back wheel, and there is good pocketing and reflective detailing, too.
Buy now £68.04, Amazon.co.uk
ThruDark aigis men’s waterproof jacket
We tested this jacket while caught in one of the heaviest Dartmoor downpours we have experienced for some time, so, we really put the jacket’s four-season, three-layer 20,000HH credentials through their paces. The result? It left us bone dry, even though we didn’t have an opportunity to find cover for about an hour.
The breathability was equally impressive – we were heading over terrain that was very hard going, but the balance between venting and waterproofing was near perfect. This was helped by underarm vents that were easy to access and zip open and closed.
We loved the styling and cut of the jacket, too, which is totally suited for active hiking and mountaineering – the low hem and high neckline ensuring driving rain wasn’t going to get in.
It is one of the most expensive jackets we tested but, if you have the budget, it’s worth every penny, as the UK brand hasn’t taken any shortcuts in producing another quality piece of kit.
Buy now £550.00, Thrudark.com
Berghaus deluge pro 2.0 men’s waterproof jacket
As the name suggests, this is a jacket that is built to withstand some serious weather. We have reviewed it previously and were impressed with its performance and price. Now, it’s even cheaper and is available in more colours, making it even more attractive and worthy of its place in our round-up.
There’s good insulation in the upper body and lined pockets, to help avoid numb fingers on cold days. Meanwhile, adjustability is good at the cuffs, hem and hood, so you can really lock down the jacket if things start to turn nasty.
Buy now £120.00, Berghaus.com
Craghoppers Atlas men’s waterproof jacket
Part of the Craghoppers Duke of Edinburgh’s Award range, we found that this jacket has a close fit, which means it’s a good option for a day’s walking. It offers decent breathability, with enough waterproof protection to keep you dry for a day of on-off showers, if not persistent heavy rain.
Adjustments are made easily at the hood and cuffs, and the jacket is lightweight and packable, so can be stowed away easily in a backpack between showers.
The lowered hem at the back means rain tends to run off rather than start soaking the backs of your legs as you’re walking, and there’s good pocket provision, including two zippered pockets and a map pocket.
Buy now £37.20, Amazon.co.uk
Cortazu all-weather hardshell men’s waterproof jacket
This sustainable, high-quality brand uses a fabric called dermizax, which boasts some impressive numbers when it comes to waterproof ratings and breathability.
We tested the three-layer, all-weather option in some seriously soggy conditions, with unrelenting rain and wind. Despite this, it kept us bone-dry, while allowing sweat and water vapour to escape, so we didn’t end up steaming in the jacket. Climate control is backed up with some underarm ventilation zips, too.
This is an incredibly hard-wearing jacket – the materials and construction will certainly put up with plenty of punishment, without restricting arm movement as you walk.
To top it all off, there’s one chest pocket, two hand pockets and an internal pocket for storage, too.
Buy now £211.00, Cortazu.com
Mammut convey tour HS men’s waterproof jacket
We wore this 2.5-layer jacket out in steady, persistent rain for around five hours during a circular walk. By the time we made it back to the car and stripped off the shell, we were pleased to find that every layer underneath was totally dry. It was a bitterly cold day, too, but we found the jacket to be well insulated, considering how thin it is.
Meanwhile, the nicely tapered cut in the body offered one of the best-fitting jackets on test, allowing us to wear a light down layer underneath. This makes it a great option for hiking and even some mountaineering adventures. Its utility is only enhanced by the fact its Gore-Tex Paclite membrane makes it very easy to get in and out of a rucksack.
The side pockets are well positioned and the hood is shaped perfectly to guard against the wind – it works well with and without a beanie, too. There’s good adjustability at the hem, hood and cuffs, and breathability, too, supplemented with two underarm zips.
Buy now £220.00, Mammut.com
Columbia earth explorer waterproof jacket
We liked the throwback style of this two-layer jacket, and the Omni-Tech waterproof shell worked well during rain showers. We found the fit a little baggy, with sleeves that seemed to be a little wider than necessary, but that did mean we could really layer up when things got extremely cold.
There’s plenty of adjustability at the hood and hem but we would have liked the Velcro to go a little tighter at the cuffs. It’s designed with an interior security pocket and two zippered hand pockets, which also provide a void into which the entire jacket can be packed away, which makes for extra room in a rucksack crammed with other kit.
Buy now £78.49, Amazon.co.uk
Montane minimus lite men’s waterproof jacket
If you’re a runner, you will know a waterproof is going to need to tick some very specific boxes. Apart from keeping you as dry as possible as you head into the rain, it needs to be light, which the 2.5-layer minimus certainly is, weighing just 215g. It also needs to be breathable and efficient in allowing sweat to escape, which this jacket excels at, thanks to its material. Finally, it needs to move well with your body as you run (while fitting snugly), which Montane has achieved with this jacket’s design and stretch, making it an ideal shell layer for trail or road running.
Buy now £152.99, Amazon.co.uk
Adidas terrex xperior paclite men’s waterproof jacket
We really liked the design of this 2.5-layer jacket. When fully zipped up, with the hood down, it created a high funnel neck that came up to our chin – meaning we could still benefit from plenty of waterproofing and wind protection without having the hood fully up.
The waterproofing comes from Gore-Tex Paclite and was as efficient as we expected in very heavy rain but remained breathable. The detailing is excellent, too, with the aqua guard zip, hood visor (which really helps in driving rain), and big, deep, comfortable pockets.
A great feature was that the cuffs that are hook-and-loop assisted, which offers a watertight fit and makes them easy to adjust in really wet weather.
Buy now £180.00, Adidas.co.uk
Tierra men’s vastra waterproof jacket
This is a three-layer shell that performed well during a day’s hike that veered from heavy downpours to bright winter sunshine and back again. The versatility of this jacket meant we didn’t have to keep taking it off during sunny spells, as the balance between waterproofing and breathability was excellent. We never had any problems with the adjustability, either, even when we were moving.
Hard-wearing material and construction go some way to explaining the higher price point, as this is definitely a jacket that’s built to last. The pocketing was good, too, with two large body pockets, one internal and one sleeve pocket.
Buy now £360.00, trekitt.co.uk
Berghaus stormcloud men’s waterproof jacket
If you need protection against some ominous-looking rain clouds during the school run, this two-layer jacket will definitely keep you dry while you deliver the kids and make a quick detour to the shops on the way back home. It has a nice long fit, and the fabric is treated with a durable water repellent, which aids run-off from the jacket and stops the material becoming saturated.
We found adjustability was good, especially around the hood, which is roomy and peaked, so you can wear it with a cap or beanie in the winter months. It’s lightweight, too, so won’t cause you to overheat if the sun does make an appearance.
Buy now £79.00, Blacks.co.uk
Peter Storm tornado waterproof jacket
We really liked the look of this hard-wearing shell that was a good match for light to average rain levels with a polyester mesh and taffeta internal lining that was effective in letting water vapour escape when we were all zipped up but working hard to cover ground. There’s excellent adjustability from hood to hem and the brand has included two roomy lower pockets and one easy access chest pocket. Overall, the fit was roomy making the jacket well suited for layering in the colder months too.
Buy now £59.95, Amazon.co.uk
Adidas terrex multi 2l rain.RDY jacket
The HH rating wasn’t available for this jacket but anecdotally the rain.rdy fabric performed superbly throughout a day of Dartmoor downpours and we would have no reservations about using it as our go to shell even if we knew we were walking into hours and hours of rain. There’s a nice lowered hem at the back and a great fitted hood that doesn’t get blown off when you’re walking directly into the wind. There’s good adjustability, a comfortable chin guard, two side pockets and partially elasticated cuffs. In terms of the fit of the jacket it does have a generous fit, which is good if it’s going to be adventuring with you as you can layer up underneath, but if you’re not straying too far from home it’s probably best to size down.
The fact that it’s so packable and lightweight but still warm means that this is a fantastic hiking jacket but thanks to the styling is equally suited for the streets.
Buy now £100.00, Adidas.co.uk
ThruDark vanguard jacket
This is a premium priced jacket, but it’s also a premium hard shell from the British brand that consistently comes up with outers that are well worth investing in.
The jacket itself is designed with thru-hiking and trail running in mind and we found that it moved like a second skin even when we were having to really work hard.
When the rains came (and, boy, did they come when we were testing the Vanguard) the innovative fabric developed by the brand themselves made the ideal barrier to keep our layers dry but still allowed us to remain virtually sweat-free when we finally stopped for a breather.
The jacket is fully adjustable from top to bottom with a stiffened peak on the hood and a high neckline so, basically, the only thing that’s going to get wet in heavy rain are your eyebrows.
Buy now £350.00, Thrudark.com
Jack Wolfskin stormy point
This 2-layer shell served us very well against some pretty extreme conditions out on the moor with the waterproofing coming from Texapore core soft fabric, which performed superbly. When it’s not raining the hood can be rolled away into the collar and the overall customisation was excellent with elasticated cuffs and an adjustable hem.
The other good thing is the sizing range on offer from Jack Wolfskin which runs from S to XXXXL, so you won’t struggle to find a jacket that won’t fit.
Finally, it’s a lightweight piece of kit that moved well and was packable, making it a vital piece of outdoor armoury throughout the winter months and beyond.
Buy now £100.00, Jack-wolfskin.co.uk
Haglofs korp proof jacket
This two-layer shell is fully featured and coped very well when exposed to a day of wet walking and thanks to the jacket’s adjustability, including an elasticated hood with peak, you can really lock your upper half down if things turn gnarly.
The movement of the jacket was good, both wet or dry, and at 457g it’s a lightweight garment that has good stashability, so if you’re facing winter sunshine and showers it’s a good option.
Buy now £130.00, Haglofs.com
Rab kangri Gore-tex paclite plus jacket
As the name would suggest one of the qualities of this jacket is the ability to pack it away and for it to take up very little room in your backpack. With an impressive HH rating, once on it provides you with a near impenetrable barrier against the worst conditions. We were also subjected to plenty of gusts which the jacket stopped at source but we never felt like we were being boiled alive when the rain stopped, the wind dropped and we were working hard across open moor. There’s also venting in the form of two pit zips, if you’re in need of some instant air conditioning.
Nice and lightweight at 378g, it’s well detailed, for example zipped hand pockets and soft fleece chin guard.
Buy now £270.00, Rab.equipment
Columbia ampli-dry III waterproof hiking shell jacket
The omni-tech waterproofing, seam-sealing and coated zipper closure makes this a great shell for wet conditions, and we stayed cool with underarm venting. There’s adjustability through a draw corded hood and hem, and Velcro cuffs and the jacket afforded us plenty of easy movement as we yomped our way through the national park. When conditions dried up, the jacket can be folded away in its own internal pouch for safe storage without getting anything else in your pack wet.
Buy now £155.00, Columbiasportswear.co.uk
Kathmandu trailhead stretch
The problem with a lot of smock-style jackets is that you can get into a wrestling match with them when you try and take them on or off. However, this 2.5-layer jacket had a good stretch feel to it, making it effortless to put on over your head and it proved to be very comfortable to wear for walking, moving easily with our upper body as we clocked up the miles.
It passed the waterproof test with ease with the rain sliding readily off the material and there are side zips for ventilation so you won’t have to worry about overheating. There’s just the right amount of adjustability to suit whether you like to wear it baggy or close, but it is a good jacket for layering up on a cold weekend hike, while its styling means that it can double up as your commuter coat too. The kangaroo chest pocket conveniently doubles as a packing pouch.
Buy now £135.00, Kathmandu.co.uk
Arc’teryx beta SL men’s jacket
The Canadian brand’s Beta LT jacket now goes by the name of the Beta SL and retains all the LT’s great features, from its lightweight (340g) to its high-performance Gore-tex waterproofing. The SL has a nice low-profile so you can wear it as an outer waterproof shell or even underneath a larger, warmer layer, if needed.
Pit zips make for an easy cool down when you’re working hard but there’s good breathability throughout the jacket and as you would expect from an Arc’teryx jacket it’s built to withstand rough weather and harsh terrain.
The fact that the StormHood is helmet compatible and there’s a Recco reflector for search situations means that this is really waterproof for those of you who are expecting more than just a light shower.
Buy now £450.00, Arcteryx.com
The verdict: Men’s waterproof jackets
Looking for a waterproof to see you through the next few months and on into Spring, then you won’t be disappointed with the features and performance of the Finisterre rainbird, which epitomises all that’s good about the brand.
Everything about this jacket has been well thought out, from the materials to the functional design and styling, it’s a grab and go jacket for beach walks, moorland hikes and even when you’re running late on a wet Wednesday work day.
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