After 48 seconds, the sensor sounds the alarm. The dummy, who is wearing the men’s hiking jacket Trevolution Classic Icarus (139 francs), gets a wet chest. And that’s after washing the SportX own brand five times.
This is how the outdoor jackets performed
Even when new, things don’t look much better: after just two and a half minutes, the jacket fails the rain test. That means: grade 2.8 and last place in the test by “Kassensturz” and the consumer magazine Saldo.
These outdoor jackets were tested
Open box
Box zuklappen
- 46 Nord | Damen-Outdoorjacke
- Big Tramp | Outdoor-Jacke
- 46 North | Men’s rain jacket
- Vaude | Women’s Escape Light Jacket
- Trevolution | Classic Frida
- Jack Wolfskin | Weiltal 2L
- Quechua | MH 150
- Rukka | Rasgon
- Quechua | MH500
- Manor Sport | Cincinnati
- H&M | Herren-Jacke Sport Storm Move
- Trevolution | Classic Icarus
With the same grade and only slightly better results in the rain test, the men’s jacket Storm Move (79.95 francs at H&M) came in second to last. The women’s hiking jacket Cincinnati (99 francs at Manor) also received an “unsatisfactory” grade of 3.3. The manufacturers of all three “unsatisfactory” jackets point out that their own tests had produced better results.
The test included 12 inexpensive hiking jackets costing between 50 and 160 francs from clothing and sports shops. Either the women’s or the men’s model was tested. Some models are available in both versions (see “Test results in detail”).
This is how it was tested
Open box
Box zuklappen
The 12 hiking jackets were tested in the specialized laboratory Weber & Leucht in Fulda (D) according to the following criteria:
-
Protection from rain: In this test, the jackets were rained on for 30 minutes when new and after five standardized washes. The jackets were put on a test dummy. Sensors on the dummy’s chest registered when moisture penetrated.
The most important test criterion is the waterproofness when new and after five washes. Especially with the “inadequate” jackets, the protection against moisture decreases significantly with washing.
Breathability, abrasion resistance and appearance after washing were also tested. The good news: All of the jackets tested achieved sufficient to very good marks for these criteria.
This is what a good outdoor jacket must be able to do
Open box
Box zuklappen
Basically, a hiking jacket should offer reasonable protection against moisture. But being particularly waterproof on its own is not enough. Only in combination with breathability can hikers feel comfortable. But the very specific needs of the user are crucial in determining when and where such a jacket should be used.
For short but strenuous hikes in the mountains in reasonable weather, you can forego high levels of waterproofing in favor of breathability. Conversely, a jacket for long hikes in bad weather needs to be particularly waterproof and robust if you’re carrying a backpack.
Additional, possibly decisive considerations concern other equipment features:
- Can the hood be pulled over a helmet and adjusted with straps?
- Should the jacket have zippers under the arms for extra good ventilation?
- Does the jacket have enough pockets and are they in the right places?
Breathability depends heavily on external factors. Anna Kaiser, textile engineer at the Weber & Leucht testing laboratory, knows: “A hiking jacket works best when the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the jacket is as large as possible, i.e. in cold weather.”
And Dario Foffa, textile manager at Transa, adds: “The best thing is to choose a product with underarm ventilation, where the heat can escape to the outside.” When you exert yourself a lot, you sweat anyway, even if the jacket has a breathable membrane. The perfect hiking jacket does not exist (see box).
Four jackets stand out positively when it comes to protection from rain and receive “good” marks: Vaude Women’s Escape Light Jacket, the hiking jacket from 46 Nord and Big Tramp, the cheapest outdoor jacket in the test at 49.90 francs. When new, it can withstand thunderstorm rain for 25 minutes.
This is how well environmentally harmful PFCs are declared
Open box
Box zuklappen
It is encouraging that the manufacturers of eight jackets declare that the tested products are free of PFC (PFAS), i.e. free of environmentally harmful polyfluorocarbons. These substances help to make the jackets waterproof, but they pollute the environment because they accumulate in the body and are suspected of causing cancer.
When asked, “Kassensturz” also received confirmation that no such materials were used in the production of the two Quechua jackets and the H&M product.
Only the outdoor jacket from Big Tramp lacks the declaration of PFC-freeness. The corresponding inquiry to the retailer Dosenbach+Sport also remained unanswered by the time of going to press.
The test winner is the women’s outdoor jacket from 46 Nord, bought from Ochsner Sport for 139.95 francs. It stays waterproof for 30 minutes in heavy rain and for 19 minutes after washing.
In the middle range with “sufficient” marks is the women’s model Quechua MH 500. It is just about “sufficient” in terms of protection against wet weather, but has a robust outer material. The men’s model Rukka Rasgon offers good weather protection when new, but is moderately breathable.
The men’s model from Quechua MH 150 is moderately waterproof but robust. The Weiltal 2L model from Jack Wolfskin achieved balanced results in all test points. And the women’s jacket Trevolution Classic Frida: It is no longer completely waterproof after five washes, but is the most breathable jacket in the test.
Related News :