11 best women’s waterproof jackets: Windproof raincoats and more

A technical, three-layer waterproof shell with a 20,000mm HH rating and 15,000g/m² breathability – both of which perform very well – as well being great at keeping the wind off, this is a stellar choice. Made from 100 per cent recycled fabrics, it’s soft on the inside and feels nice againt the skin if you’re just wearing a T-shirt underneath. Plus, it has hugely capacious pockets, which we love, as you can stash so much in them to avoid having to take a bag on and off or simply for burying your hands inside. The inside chest pocket is also enormous.

It moves well with your body, the sleeves are a good length and as the fit is quite straight it has more of a unisex look which we like. We also found it great for putting layers underneath without feeling restricted. The hood, which is fully adjustable, as are the cuffs and hem, is beautifully structured and is the perfect depth for us. Seams are taped, too, and zips are waterproof (the only addition we’d like is armpit zips to really add to the ventilation).

Overall, this jacket feels durable and bound to last you for years. The brand also scores top marks for packaging, arriving in a water-soluble bag packaged in a brown paper bag.

This technical shell doesn’t put a foot wrong. It’s designed for backcountry skiing, hiking and mountaineering, so it goes long on durability, breathability and waterproofing, all of which perform beautifully. So, of course, this is reflected in the price.

Considering it’s high price tag, you won’t be shocked to learn that the fit and flexibility of movement is also impeccable. It has helmet, backpack and harness compatibility and a RECCO transponder (a battery-free reflector that makes you searchable if you get trapped in an avalanche). Plus, it zips up well over your mouth and the hood is the perfect size, stiffness and is adjustable at front and back.

The jacket also keeps the wind off well and the hem and waist toggles in to prevent it from blowing upwards. The pockets are high, huge and deep, and you can zip them up or down with double zips. Armpit zips are there too in case you get too warm – although we found they weren’t needed even when working hard going uphill. If there’s one downfall on this jacket (blown budget aside) it’s not fully recycled, but it does use 54 per cent recycled polyester, so we aren’t being too precious about this. And we found it to still fit true to size even with a couple of layers underneath.

A great-looking jacket with longer than average sleeves (we like this – it stops your gloves getting wet), a nice deep hood and a soft-touch inner that feels nice against the skin.

It’s a good length (a drop hem at the back comes well down over the bottom on a 5ft 5in tester), with sealed pocket zips and front zip, underarm zips if you get hot, and a small popper to keep the two sides together if you want the jacket open but not flapping, which is a nice touch.

The sizing is fairly generous – you can easily fit a warmer layer or two underneath, if you need it. The jacket keeps the wind out well and drawcords in both hem and hood gather it in, if needed. Its two-way stretch gives it a good amount of flexibility when you’re moving, too.

This is a soft, lightweight, breathable (20,000g/g/m²) and very comfortable 2.5 layer jacket with a high waterproof rating (20,000mm) that stood up to prolonged downpours. It achieves hood perfection for us, zipping up high with a super-soft chin guard to leave a small window for your face. Toggles pull the hood in closer as they do at the hem, while the front and pocket zips are protected by storm guard flaps as are those under the armpit, which ventilate the jacket if you need it.

There are no internal pockets, however, and the brand states that the external ones can build condensation so this won’t be suitable for a phone. But it does have a tapered fit that allows for a layer underneath (fine for spring/summer) so you could stash it away in there instead – though you should size up if you want to wear more layers in the colder weather.

As well as having PFC-free waterproofing, it’s 100 per cent recycled and designed to be recyclable at the end of its life as it’s made from a single polymer. Not to mention that it packs down into its own pocket, so is easily stashed away when not in use.

A thoughtfully designed anorak, this comes with side zips to enable you to get it on and off easily (if you’ve worn an anorak before, you’ll know what a wrestle it can be) and a popper at the bottom means you can keep those side zips open for ventilation. Its breathability is 10,000g/m² and it has a 10,000mm HH rating, which kept us dry on a day of showers.

The pockets are kangaroo-style at the front, with one that zips across the abdomen and another to stuff your hands into that’s accessed through two side zips and goes all the way across the anorak. It’s also a great length if you’re average height – it came down well over the bottom of our 5ft 5in tester – and the hood is adjustable at the rear and has good depth and structure.

While it doesn’t have adjustable cuffs, they are elasticated and the sleeves are suitably long. It also has that classic baggy anorak fit (size down if you want a closer fit) and a drawcord at the hem can bring it into the body on especially blustery days. And it packs down neatly into its own pocket, so is easy to have with you all the time around town or if you’re out on a walk.

This brand is also a pioneer in finding alternatives to PFC waterproofing, having developed its first PFC-free hardshell material in 2011 and phasing out PFCs across its whole range of clothing and bags by 2015. As such, this anorak is made from 65 per cent recycled polyester and 35 per cent organic cotton.

In a nutshell, this is a soft, stylish, breathable and stretchy jacket that effectively keeps the rain out and has a fleece-like feel on the inside that also provides a little warmth.

It’s made from 100 per cent recycled polyester and its waterproofing comes from an interesting technology that uses no water in the production process. The hood isn’t a deep one though, which is fine if you don’t like deeper hoods that come out past your face – and though it does have a rear toggle adjustment, we found that that it just pulled the jacket away from our face, exposing it to the rain so best left alone in stormy showers. It also has adjustable cuffs (with very durable tabs for this) and a drawcord at the hem.

This stylish and flattering jacket is perfect for keeping to hand in any size of bag, as it packs down into its own side pocket. Made from 98 per cent recycled materials, it has a breathable membrane with a 10,000mm HH and 10,0000g/m² breathability. In fact, it’s so light and soft that it has a barely-there feel.

In terms of function, it has two large inside pockets, chest and back openings beneath flaps keep you from feeling clammy and there’s a drawcord at hood and hem. The hood could be a touch deeper in our opinion but it’s fine in a shower. And while the zips aren’t sealed, they’re covered with flaps, which seems to do the job of keeping rain out.

The jacket is a reasonable length but wouldn’t suit very tall people, but is a great spring/summer waterproof as it fits one layer underneath well. We also like that it arrives in very minimal, recyclable brown paper packaging with a compostable bag inside – a pleasing touch that not all brands have adopted.

Unfortunately this jacket is currently out of stock, but we will keep you posted if it becomes available again.

Made from 100 per cent recycled polyester, this breathable, three-layer shell is designed for running/racing. It has reflective detailing, blocks the wind well for such a lightweight jacket and not a drop of rain gets through.

It feels durable despite its light weight and the sleeves are long enough to cover the back of the hands when you stretch your arms forward. And while it is minimalist – meaning that it has no external pockets except for one internal pocket which will house a map or phone – it feels soft and silky against bare skin, moves well with your body as you run and it’s lightweight enough to wear a close-fitting hydration pack over the top of it.

A nice extra feature is a small, stretchy hand strap for when you want to pack the jacket away into its own pocket. This means you can hold on to it as you run, so you don’t have to tie it around your waist or even stop to put it in a backpack.

We’ve dubbed this one as the best for cycling because, well, the clue is in the brand’s name. It’s also soft, flexible, breathable, and is packed with thoughtful features such as a flap that folds down from the rear to stop your seat getting wet (this works best if you ride in a more upright position) and stops you getting a wet behind if you don’t have mud guards. Reflective patterning and strips are also found on this jacket, including reversible cuffs, which is perfect for cycling in darker conditions.

It also stretches nicely, even if you’re down on drop handlebars and the hood has a perfectly rigid peak which is fine enough to fit under your helmet. Our only tiny gripe is that we prefer adjustable cuffs so that they’re more easily pulled over gloves but it’s something we could learn to live without here.

A soft, well-fitting, three-layer jacket with great freedom of movement. The hood is protective without being too deep to see out of and has a good peak, and it’s helmet compatible if you’re climbing. It’s lightweight and packs down into its own pocket so it’s easy to stash in your backpack, too.

Armpit zips are there for ventilation and it felt breathable on a fast hike. The chest pocket and front zip are sealed but the handwarmer pockets are normal zips protected by a flap – we’d like those pockets to be a little deeper but they suffice. And as it’s made from 100 per cent recycled nylon from fishing nets, it gets extra eco points for that.

The Elara provides some warmth for when a cold wind blows – the two-layer outer jacket has a zipped-in fleece and kept us warm with a thin layer underneath (size up if you want to wear anything thicker or if you have a bigger chest or hips as it falls on the smaller side). If the weather warms up en route but it’s still raining, you can just zip the fleece out and wear the waterproof shell. Equally, you can wear just the fleece and pack the outer away.

We found that the four-way stretch of the outer could be felt more when the fleece wasn’t inside, as the fleece doesn’t have much give, but it’s fine for leisurely walking. It has a nicely structured hood with good adjustability there and at the hem and cuffs.