The best budget waterproof jackets reviewed (2023)

Waterproof jackets are a hiking essential, but often very expensive. These are our favourite waterproof jackets costing £190 or less.

Three photos of hikers wearing budget waterproof jackets

by James Forrest |
Updated on

When window shopping in an outdoor gear store, it's nice to gaze in wonder at the top-end hiking jackets. But few of us really need them. While a waterproof jacket is hiking essential, there are some excellent budget waterproof jackets.

Some would argue 'cheap and waterproof' is an oxymoron and, of course, for the most part, you do get what you pay for. One of our most important pieces of advice is to get the outdoor gear that suits you best. If that means saving up for a little longer, we think it's worth it. But even so, many of us don't want or need to spend big money on a feature-rich winter waterproof jacket. Or a super high-tech, lightweight waterproof, for that matter. Just a reliable hillwalking waterproof please.

Waterproof jacket bargains are out there if you know where to look. In this round-up, we've selected the best budget waterproof jackets under £200. That's still a relatively hefty price tag, but we've tried to mitigate that age-old risk of 'buy cheap, pay twice'.

Two hikers climbing a hill wearing budget waterproof jackets
©Live For The Outdoors

The best budget waterproof jackets at a glance:

Best in Test: Mountain Equipment Garwhal Jacket – View on Cotswold Outdoor

Best Value: Berghaus Paclite Dynak Jacket View on Berghaus

Best waterproof jacket under £150: Rab Downpour Eco Jacket View on Cotswold Outdoor

Each jacket selected (except one) has an impressive hydrostatic head rating of 20,000mm or higher – a solid guarantee that it can cope with a torrential downpour. We've also kept an eye out for rain-resisting features such as visored hoods, zipper stormflaps, durable fabrics and sealed seams.

The best budget waterproof jackets in detail

Male hiker wearing an orange waterproof jacket
©Live For The Outdoors

Best in Test

Mountain Equipment GarwhalLive For The Outdoors

Description

Mountain Equipment has a long-standing reputation for reliable waterproof jackets. Garhwal is

Pros

  • Lightweight yet durable
  • High waterproof rating
  • Good breathability
  • Mountain Equipment, a Fair Wear Foundation member
  • PFC-free DWR

Cons

  • Not recycled
  • Slimmer 'alpine' fit won't suit everyone

Best Value

Berghaus Paclite DynakLive For The Outdoors

Description

This is the cheapest Gore-Tex jacket in this round-up and the most affordable option if you want

Pros

  • Very affordable Gore-Tex jacket
  • Ideal emergency rain layer
  • Good fit for layering
  • Bluesign approved

Cons

  • Missing some key features

Best waterproof jacket under £150

Rab Downpour Eco JacketLive For The Outdoors

Description

This is Rab's cheapest waterproof jacket. The 50 denier Eco Downpour looks excellent on paper:

Pros

  • Very lightweight
  • Sustainable
  • Rab, a Fair Wear Foundation leader

Cons

  • Some others here are better for downpours

Best waterproof jacket under £100

Helly Hansen Moss Live For The Outdoors

Description

This jacket is a total left-field option for hillwalkers, but we've included it as a maverick

Pros

  • Very waterproof
  • Great price
  • Durable

Cons

  • No breathability

Best for versatility

Sherpa Adventure Gear Nima 2.5-Layer JacketLive For The Outdoors

Description

With jackets sporting the Gore-Tex name you immediately categorise them as a proper hiking

Pros

  • Versatile
  • Sustainable
  • Mesh-lined pockets
  • Pit zips

Cons

  • Outperformed by Gore-Tex Paclite

Best for durability

Keela Pinnacle  Live For The Outdoors

Description

Like a throwback to the era when hillwalking jackets were uncompromisingly bombproof, this jacket

Pros

  • 3-layer construction
  • Durable and bombproof
  • Plenty of features

Cons

  • Will be too heavy and bulky for some
  • Not PFC-free or recycled

Highly recommended

Montane Spirit Waterproof JacketLive For The Outdoors
Price: £210.00

montane.com

Description

There is minimal variation between the Montane Spirit and Mountain Equipment Garwhal. Same price,

Pros

  • High waterproof rating
  • Gore-Tex name brings peace of mind
  • Light and packable
  • Montane, a Fair Wear Foundation member

Cons

  • 3-layer construction is more effective and durable
  • Not PFC-free or recycled
  • No pit zips

How to buy the budget waterproof jacket for you

Fit: Opting for a regular fit or something slimmer depends on what you're using your jacket for. If you're a summer hiker and don't need to layer much, you can go for something with a more athletic cut. But 3-season and year-round hikers are better served by a jacket you can layer with.

Fabric: In most cases, you can forget about Gore-Tex. In the lower price range, brands most often use their own waterproof membranes. That's not necessarily a bad, and some are pretty good. It's just worth being realistic.

Most affordable waterproof jackets are made from polyester because it's cheaper than nylon. Nylon is used in more expensive jackets because it's stronger, but polyester is still a good option.

Construction: Whether to go for 2-, 2.5-, or a 3-layer construction is a common question. Regarding budget waterproof jackets, when the price range gets under about £170, there aren't many 3-layer jackets to be found. A triple-layer construction is the most durable and suited for harsh conditions but, predictably, the most expensive.

The 2- and 2.5-layer approaches are more widely used. It's partly for cost reasons but also because not all jackets need to be suitable for mountain use. 2.5-layer waterproofs are generally quite lightweight and good for stashing away in your pack for when you need them. 2-layer waterproofs vary quite a lot in performance, depending on how they're made. Some are very weatherproof, others are more for everyday use.

Features: Although unlikely to carry a rich list of features, you should still expect a number of important additions on a more affordable waterproof jacket. These include Velcro-adjustable cuffs for a tight fit around the wrist, stormflaps, good pockets, and adjustable hood.

Waterproof jacket care and maintenance

Smiling rain waterproof jacket
©Live For The Outdoors

Care and maintenance are vital to jacket performance and longevity. Some of our favourite gear care products come from Grangers and Nikwax. Their products are both effective and PFC-free.

Grangers Performance Wash or Nikwax Tech Wash (below) are both far better at cleaning waterproof gear than washing detergent because they maintain the fabric's DWR coating. If you want to rejuvenate your gear's waterproofing, too, grab the Grangers or Nikwax kits.

And if you want to save yourself more money over the medium and longer term, remember to repair, not replace. If your jacket zip breaks, a seam needs fixed, or your jacket gets torn, investigate repair options. More often than not, you can get your jacket repaired as increasing numbers of outdoor retailers and outdoor brands are introducing or expanding their gear repair services. Use these, they save you money and promote sustainability.

Best waterproof jacket wash

Grangers performance wash
Price: £7.25

Description

Bluesign-approved and PFC-free, this water-based fabric cleaning is ideal for any technical or

Pros

  • Bluesign-approved
  • PFC-free
  • Water-based
  • Highly concentrated

Cons

  • No larger bottle available (but 1L eco pouch refill is available)

Best waterproof jacket wash

Nikwax Tech Wash
Price: £8.39

Description

Like Grangers, this is water-based and PFC-free. It too is a very effective cleaner of outdoor and

Pros

  • PFC-free
  • Water-based
  • Simple to use

Cons

  • Grangers is better value

Best waterproof jacket care kit

Grangers Clothing Care Kit
Price: £13.49

Description

This combo is perfect for cleaning outdoor garments and then adding durable water repellency to

Pros

  • PFC-free
  • Fast and easy spray reproofer
  • Includes sample of Active Wash

Cons

  • Nikwax kit has larger volume of wash

Best waterproof jacket care kit

Nikwax Outdoor Protection Kit
Price: £19.99

Description

This kit supplies a big one-litre volume of Tech Wash and the 300ml bottle of reproofing

Pros

  • Bigger Tech Wash bottle
  • Includes dry bag
  • PFC-free

Cons

  • Spray on re-proofing spray is more convenient

How we test

As you would imagine, we do indeed spend a lot of time in the rain to find the best waterproof jackets for real-world conditions. But we do more than that. While value becomes a greater priority for budget waterproof jackets, we still consider every aspect of the garment, which includes waterproofness, breathability, durability, comfort, and sustainability. After all, if you get a cheap waterproof that isn't comfortable and doesn't last, well, that's hardly good value, is it?

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James Forrest is a freelance gear tester for Live For The Outdoors and Trail Magazine. He's a prolific peak-bagger and wild camper who's climbed hundreds of mountains in the UK and abroad, James gives his gear a serious thrashing on every trip.

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