Best waterproof jacket available?

[Aldibaldi555]

What’s the best waterproof jacket out there?

Just a waterproof - not a padded one.

I want something that can withstand any amount of rain and that will last for years. Will be used for walking, skiing, horse riding, etc

Prepared to pay a lot - fed up with buying cheap & buying twice...

Barbour wax jackets are by far one of the best you can buy .
Do not go to a 'normal' shop to buy one as they tend to be not as well waxed , go to somewhere that sells tack and saddle type shop .
They are Ideal for walking and horse riding , not skiing so much as there is no padding it them so not very warm.
Buy one that is big enough for you to get a thick jumper / fleece under it .
I have one that I started wearing about 15 years ago , it come out every winter and is still in good nick although the lining in one of the pockets is gone now.
They need rewaxing every now and then ( mine gets done every other year ) the shop you buy it from will be able to advise you on how to do it or they may be able to do it or recommend someone that can.

oooh I forgot there is also this company . Their stuff is great too , I have a hat given to me that was made by them , I wanted to get a coat too but they are well out of my price range
www.drizaboneclothing.co.uk/

Agree re a Barbour. I got one that has a fleece liner you can zip in or take out, for an extra layer of warmth. I bought a hood to attach too.
It’s now about 6-8 years old and is still going strong. Cost a fair few quid, but worth every penny.

I’m not sure you can use the same jacket for skiing as you do for just walking.

I have just had a couple of very wet Zodiac rides in British Columbia, Canada, where my waterproof clothing was tested to the max. Driving rain! My Berghaus Hillwalker and Glissade jackets are waterproof! Also Deluge over trousers! Amazon do decent deals on Berghaus if you don’t have worries about which colour.

Skiing: we buy proper ski gear. I’m not sure the above jackets would be good for ski wear. Hillwalker says what it’s good for! You can zip in a fleece if you go a size up! However dedicated ski wear is better I think.

You really cannot ski in a Barbour wax jacket. They are not breathable like a proper hiking jacket either. Just not a technical fabric. I have one and I wear it for horsey events but it’s not an active technical jacket.

If you want one coat to do everything, buy one made from Gore-tex.

Mine is 16 years old, my Dads is at least 25 years old and we were both bone dry and comfortable during a full days walk in the Lakes this summer in sideways rain. I wear mine skiing and again, I was comfortable in it, even in -20 with upto 40mph winds on long t-bar drags in February this year. In the past I’ve happily skied through thigh deep powder in it, I rock climb in it and pre-DC I used to ice climb in it too.

The clothing brands (eg Berghaus / Sprayway / TNF / Arc’teryx / Mountain Equipment / Patagonia etc) are all much of a muchness for similarly spec’d coats. Decide what features you want / need and try on different brands to see which fit the best.

Arc’teryx and Patagonia used to be made in North America which accounted for the cost difference with similarly spec’d coats ... however, I’ve just replaced my old Arc’teryx which says made in Vancouver with the latest version and that has been made in China. I don’t know if that is now the same with Patagonia, as it doesn’t fit me properly, so I’ve never bought it.