15 best men’s waterproof jackets to keep you dry and stylish

This 2.5-layer jacket from UK brand Rab had our back (and the rest of us) when the heavens opened. When the rain finally relented, we found all our layers were still bone dry (impressive for a 2.5 layer). We had also been able to regulate our body temperature throughout, with a combination of breathability from the fabric and underarm zips that allowed us to dump heat in an instant.

The fabric is comfortable and tactile and there are plenty of other details that make this jacket an absolute joy to wear – from the large, hand-warmer pockets to the brushed chin guard. When the sun did reappear, we were able to pack it away in one of its own pockets and stash it neatly in our rucksack, ready for the next outing.

With a waterproof rating of 2,000 and taped seams, this jacket is suited to a day of showers and is very comfortable and lightweight to wear. The overlay flap that covers the zip stays in place well and good Velcro fastenings around the cuffs mean you can find the fit that’s comfortable for you.

The jacket is well constructed, packs down and moves well with you as you walk, making it ideally suited to keep you dry in the drizzle. You can’t ask for much more at this price.

This jacket really took on everything thrown at it – including horizontal rain that did not want to quit. It can be hard to design a truly waterproof jacket that’s also ergonomic when walking, but Finisterre has done a great job here, as this jacket moves with you effortlessly and never feels restrictive.

It comes with plenty of comfort, too, with lots of details such as nice deep pockets, a microfleece rear neck guard and brushed polyester inner. It’s neither too snug nor too bulky, allowing enough room internally for layering in the winter months. The waterproofing and breathability ratings were certainly proven during testing, too.

Finally, we really liked the two-way waterproof zip, which opens from both ends and is great for regulating temperature or getting to an inside pocket quickly.

This 2.5-layer jacket is specifically designed to keep you dry when you’re in the bike saddle, so, we donned a helmet and headed out into the wet stuff.

Staying dry on a bike isn’t easy, as you’re moving faster and have to contend with spray and splash, too, but this jacket did a great job. Its stretchy material allowed for extra movement while providing good breathability when we needed to work hard on the bike.

The generous drop-hem kept out any water splashing off the back wheel, and there is good pocketing and reflective detailing, too.

We tested this jacket while caught in one of the heaviest Dartmoor downpours we have experienced for some time, so, we really put the jacket’s four-season, three-layer 20,000HH credentials through their paces. The result? It left us bone dry, even though we didn’t have an opportunity to find cover for about an hour.

The breathability was equally impressive – we were heading over terrain that was very hard going, but the balance between venting and waterproofing was near perfect. This was helped by underarm vents that were easy to access and zip open and closed.

We loved the styling and cut of the jacket, too, which is totally suited for active hiking and mountaineering – the low hem and high neckline ensuring driving rain wasn’t going to get in.

It is one of the most expensive jackets we tested but, if you have the budget, it’s worth every penny, as the UK brand hasn’t taken any shortcuts in producing another quality piece of kit.

As the name suggests, this is a jacket that is built to withstand some serious weather. We have reviewed it previously and were impressed with its performance and price. Now, it’s even cheaper and is available in more colours, making it even more attractive and worthy of its place in our round-up.

There’s good insulation in the upper body and lined pockets, to help avoid numb fingers on cold days. Meanwhile, adjustability is good at the cuffs, hem and hood, so you can really lock down the jacket if things start to turn nasty.

Part of the Craghoppers Duke of Edinburgh’s Award range, we found that this jacket has a close fit, which means it’s a good option for a day’s walking. It offers decent breathability, with enough waterproof protection to keep you dry for a day of on-off showers, if not persistent heavy rain.

Adjustments are made easily at the hood and cuffs, and the jacket is lightweight and packable, so can be stowed away easily in a backpack between showers.

The lowered hem at the back means rain tends to run off rather than start soaking the backs of your legs as you’re walking, and there’s good pocket provision, including two zippered pockets and a map pocket.

This sustainable, high-quality brand uses a fabric called dermizax, which boasts some impressive numbers when it comes to waterproof ratings and breathability.

We tested the three-layer, all-weather option in some seriously soggy conditions, with unrelenting rain and wind. Despite this, it kept us bone-dry, while allowing sweat and water vapour to escape, so we didn’t end up steaming in the jacket. Climate control is backed up with some underarm ventilation zips, too.

This is an incredibly hard-wearing jacket – the materials and construction will certainly put up with plenty of punishment, without restricting arm movement as you walk.

To top it all off, there’s one chest pocket, two hand pockets and an internal pocket for storage, too.

We wore this 2.5-layer jacket out in steady, persistent rain for around five hours during a circular walk. By the time we made it back to the car and stripped off the shell, we were pleased to find that every layer underneath was totally dry. It was a bitterly cold day, too, but we found the jacket to be well insulated, considering how thin it is.

Meanwhile, the nicely tapered cut in the body offered one of the best-fitting jackets on test, allowing us to wear a light down layer underneath. This makes it a great option for hiking and even some mountaineering adventures. Its utility is only enhanced by the fact its Gore-Tex Paclite membrane makes it very easy to get in and out of a rucksack.

The side pockets are well positioned and the hood is shaped perfectly to guard against the wind – it works well with and without a beanie, too. There’s good adjustability at the hem, hood and cuffs, and breathability, too, supplemented with two underarm zips.

We liked the throwback style of this two-layer jacket, and the Omni-Tech waterproof shell worked well during rain showers. We found the fit a little baggy, with sleeves that seemed to be a little wider than necessary, but that did mean we could really layer up when things got extremely cold.

There’s plenty of adjustability at the hood and hem but we would have liked the Velcro to go a little tighter at the cuffs. It’s designed with an interior security pocket and two zippered hand pockets, which also provide a void into which the entire jacket can be packed away, which makes for extra room in a rucksack crammed with other kit.

If you’re a runner, you will know a waterproof is going to need to tick some very specific boxes. Apart from keeping you as dry as possible as you head into the rain, it needs to be light, which the 2.5-layer minimus certainly is, weighing just 215g. It also needs to be breathable and efficient in allowing sweat to escape, which this jacket excels at, thanks to its material. Finally, it needs to move well with your body as you run (while fitting snugly), which Montane has achieved with this jacket’s design and stretch, making it an ideal shell layer for trail or road running.

We really liked the design of this 2.5-layer jacket. When fully zipped up, with the hood down, it created a high funnel neck that came up to our chin – meaning we could still benefit from plenty of waterproofing and wind protection without having the hood fully up.

The waterproofing comes from Gore-Tex Paclite and was as efficient as we expected in very heavy rain but remained breathable. The detailing is excellent, too, with the aqua guard zip, hood visor (which really helps in driving rain), and big, deep, comfortable pockets.

A great feature was that the cuffs that are hook-and-loop assisted, which offers a watertight fit and makes them easy to adjust in really wet weather.

This is a three-layer shell that performed well during a day’s hike that veered from heavy downpours to bright winter sunshine and back again. The versatility of this jacket meant we didn’t have to keep taking it off during sunny spells, as the balance between waterproofing and breathability was excellent. We never had any problems with the adjustability, either, even when we were moving.

Hard-wearing material and construction go some way to explaining the higher price point, as this is definitely a jacket that’s built to last. The pocketing was good, too, with two large body pockets, one internal and one sleeve pocket.

If you need protection against some ominous-looking rain clouds during the school run, this two-layer jacket will definitely keep you dry while you deliver the kids and make a quick detour to the shops on the way back home. It has a nice long fit, and the fabric is treated with a durable water repellent, which aids run-off from the jacket and stops the material becoming saturated.

We found adjustability was good, especially around the hood, which is roomy and peaked, so you can wear it with a cap or beanie in the winter months. It’s lightweight, too, so won’t cause you to overheat if the sun does make an appearance.

This is a heavier-duty jacket with some insulation that will do a good job of protecting you when you have no choice but to head into a downpour.

Two large utility pockets at the front of the jacket provide lots of storage for a phone, keys, dog leads, and snacks, while also allowing you to slip your hands in the back, for easy access, so you don’t have to open the pockets themselves. The two chest pockets are good for keeping hands warm and there’s also a single inner pocket.

The taped seams, adjustability and the dropped hem complete the jacket’s wet-weather readiness.