Being able to stay dry in the rain is crucial for comfort and safety and a good waterproof jacket is your best guarantee of that. However, with masses of rain jackets available, choosing the right one for you can be difficult. Some prices are eye-watering too. To help you there, outdoor gear experts Chris Townsend and Will Renwick have put together some of the best budget waterproofs for you to consider before purchasing your next hardshell. They’ve curated a list of ten of the best budget waterproof jackets from reputable companies that cost under $250 / £200. They are all waterproof and breathable, well-designed, and made from good quality materials.
Make sure you look after your waterproof jacket in the best way by following Chris’ guide on how to look after your waterproof jacket. There’s also our look at how to repair your waterproof jacket.
The lowest budget hardshell jackets will tend to be two-layer ones. These will have an outer fabric, a waterproof membrane and then an internal mesh to protect the membrane. These might be waterproof but they’ll often be quite heavy and and also not very breathable.
Next you have 2.5-layer jackets. These have a shell fabric, a membrane and then an inner layer, usually made from a printed or sprayed on PU. These will often be lightweight and breathable and tend to make good jackets for fast tempo activity. A lot of the jackets in this round-up are 2.5 layer designs that are suitable for three-season use.
Then there are 3-layer jackets. These have an outer fabric and an inner backer fabric with a membrane sandwiched between them. Gore-Tex Pro and many standard Gore-Tex jackets will be 3-layer designs. These types of jackets will tend to cost more but they’ll offer higher levels of waterproofing, breathability, durability and longevity.
Other signs of a good jacket include the extent of adjustment at the hood and at the hem and cuffs, the amount of pockets, whether the zips are waterproof and things like pit zips, RECCO reflectors and two-way zip pulls.
In this article you’ll find a range of rain shells that are all good quality at good prices. Chris and Will have focussed on products that are waterproof, breathable and well-designed, with all the right features and details you’d want when venturing out in inclement conditions. These are split into categories too, so first of all we’ve got lightweight three-season jackets, then there are the jackets designed for winter use.
For most of the year there’s no need for a waterproof jacket designed to cope with winter storms. A lightweight jacket is fine as long as it has all the necessary features.
Price: $140 | £115
Weight: 320g
The Downpour Eco weighs just 320 grams. It’s made from recycled 2.5-layer Pertex Shield Revolve polyester fabric which has good waterproof and breathability ratings.
The hood is adjustable and has a flexible peak. The cuffs and hem are also adjustable. There are underarm zips for ventilation and two zipped pockets, situated to be usable when wearing a pack hipbelt.
All the zips are YKK ones, including the front opening, and have protective storm guard flaps. The Downpour Eco jacket can be packed into one of the hand pockets.
Selected by Chris Townsend
Price: $179 | £170
Weight: 394g
The Torrentshell 3L is made from Patagonia’s own 3-layer waterproof/breathable H2NO Performance Standard, a well-proven fabric with a recycled nylon face and a PU membrane.
The jacket has an adjustable hood with laminated visor that can be rolled down and stowed with a cord-and-hook. The collar is line with microfleece for comfort. The front zip has external and internal storm flaps.
There are also storm flaps over the two handwarmer pockets and the venting underarm zips.
The cuffs and hem are adjustable. The jacket weighs 394 grams and can be stuffed into one of the pockets.
Selected by Chris Townsend.
Available at: patagonia.com
Price: $259 | £190
Weight: 365g
Gore-Tex is the big name in waterproof/breathable fabrics and prices for jackets can be high. However, the Montane Spirit shows you don’t have to spend a great deal for a Gore-Tex jacket.
It’s made from Paclite, a lightweight 2.5-layer version of Gore-Tex, with a polyester face fabric. The jacket has a YKK AquaGuard water-resistant front zip with an internal storm flap to repel any rain that does sneak through.
The hand pockets, which are set high enough to be usable when wearing a pack hipbelt, also have AquaGuard zips. The adjustable hood has a stiffened peak. The hem and cuffs are also adjustable. The Spirit weighs 365 grams.
Selected by Chris Townsend.
Available at: montane.com
Price: £120
Weight: 300g
The Sparv Anorak uses Haglöfs’ Proof fabric which is made from partially recycled materials. This is 2.5-layer which means that it has an outer fabric, a waterproof membrane and then an inner PU layer that’s sprayed on.
It has one large kangaroo pocket on the front that’s handy for storing a map to keep it quick and easy to access and the whole jacket can be packed up inside this pocket too.
Overall, it’s quite a simple design. The hem, cuffs and hood are only elasticated – there’s no adjustment – so it’s not a jacket to venture out in for a whole day of torrential wind and rain but instead something to keep in your pack as a just-in-case option on any fair weather hikes.
Selected by Will Renwick.
Available at: haglofs.com
Price: £160
Weight: 338g
While this might be a lot cheaper than some of the other jackets Mountain Equipment offer, it still comes with many of the same useful details. You’ve got the alpine cut with articulated sleeves for instance, and then full adjustment at the hood, hem and cuffs. It also has underarm zips, deep, venting hand pockets and an internal and external flap to keep moisture from seeping in through the main zip
The fabric is Mountain Equipment’s 2.5 layer DRILITE which has a 50D outer material that’s PFC-free and it can all be stowed away into its hand pocket which has twin carabiner loops for attaching the jacket to a harness or side of a backpack.
Selected by Will Renwick.
Available at: mountain-equipment.co.uk
Price: $135 | £145
Weight: 437g
While this is by no means a heavy jacket, it does weigh a little more than some of the other 2.5 layer jackets in this round up. That’s mainly due to its relatively thick, durable and stretchy shell fabric.
It has some useful details including a PU-coated water-resistant main zip, Velcro cuffs, a toggled hood and hem and underarm zips for ventilation. The large zipped hand pockets also double as vents and they can be partially accessed while wearing a climbing harness or a backpack with a hipbelt.
Selected by Will Renwick.
Available at: columbiasportswear.co.uk
