Craghoppers Kensington jacket

Looks and performance in one hardcore coat

Product

Craghoppers Kensington jacket

Promise

Smart protection in the wettest conditions.

Performance

High-performing gear isn’t normally the kind of thing you can get away with on the street. Don’t get me wrong: we all need action-ready clobber to brave the elements, whether that’s in the wild or in the blustery city, but finding items that really look good in both is tricky. You could say that Craghoppers manage to do it with the Kensington jacket.

With the cut and character of a traditional country jacket, the Kensington packs in all the technology that makes outdoor wear modern and practical. A cotton twill outer dodges the shiny and rustle-heavy properties your normal waterproofs suffer from, while still being imbued with a SmartDry WR finish for resistance to the elements. Inside, there’s a GORE-TEX liner that gives the coat complete waterproof and breathable properties too.

It’s reassuringly heavy for a jacket, but not overpowering: there’s plenty of pocket space all round too. Even though these are flap-covered pockets with stud fastening, they’ll still stand up to rain without a problem and are easy to access even with gloves. The outer pockets especially are quite generous, and the twin inner pockets are both zipped for a more secure stowage option.

We've been wearing this for nearly a month now, and have taken in out in rain, wind and snow: we've come out dry and surprisingly warm for a jacket of this style.

Verdict

Weather-beating with a bit of style thrown in: you’re unlikely to take this up mountains, but for a jacket you can hike in and still look good for dinner, it’s a winner.