RUNNING JACKETS

In the grisly weather, a jacket is a must for warmth and waterproofing on most runs. Eight women's versions are put through their paces on the trails...

- HELEN WEBSTER

First up, a confession. These reviews were meant to appear in the same issue as the men's running jackets (issue 435) but thanks to a nasty dose of flu and bronchitis (yes, the bugs got me good this year) testing had to be delayed. On the plus side though, we had such a great response from brands this year that the eight new and updated jackets here wouldn't have fit in the same issue anyway. Plus, this winter has been so wet and horrible here in my home county of Wiltshire that it's fair to say every jacket here has had a thorough beasting.

So what am I looking for? The jackets are a mix of waterproof, showerproof and windproof with one insulated option. In each case they are judged on their claimed benefits so a windproof jacket won't lose marks for not being waterproof, for example.

In each jacket though I am looking for great performance against those claims. I'll also be seeing if they are good value for money, what the fit is like (and how many sizes are offered) as well as any extra features such as easy-to-pull zips, pockets and stashability.

When choosing a jacket there's usually some kind of compromise. If you want full waterproofing it may be at the expense of breathability, while if you want a feather-light wisp of a jacket it may lack warmth.

It's also worth looking at the spec of you chosen jacket if you do a lot of trail-running or ultra-running, as many race organisers will stipulate a minimum level of waterproofing, as well as features like taped seams.

I tend to have two jackets in my kit drawer. One that's fully-waterproof for when it's tipping it down - and one that offers a little rain protection but is light enough to keep in my run pack as an extra layer should I need it for warmth.