The Rohan Women’s Ventus Jacket performs excellently in the wet on lowland terrain, says Lucy Wallace.
The headline feature of the Rohan Women’s Ventus waterproof jacket is the generous length, which will suit many people who like a waterproof to cover their hips and bum.
I have to admit that I feel that way when trudging along boggy footpaths in a heavy downpour, although I do prefer something shorter when scrambling about in the mountains.
Rohan’s proprietary Barricade membrane performs well and has a very durable DWR treatment that has withstood many months of heavy use – it’s been my go-to for local walks on wet days for some time.
Rohan doesn’t say whether any of the materials are recycled or if the treatment contains harmful PFCs.
The external pockets are waterproof to prevent rain ingress, and quite sizeable. I have zero problems getting maps and other stuff stowed away. My only technical gripe is with the hood.
It’s a good size, but the chinguard is so massive that when it is zipped up I can hardly see out.
The brim is laminated and wired, but for some reason the wire is not along the edge of the brim, but a few centimetres further back, which means that it gets pushed down in strong headwinds.
All this adds up to a jacket that is not ideal for mountain use, although it performs excellently in the wet on lowland terrain.
Discover the best women’s waterproofs tested by The Great Outdoors gear expert and Mountain Leader, Lucy Wallace.
