Ellie Clewlow reviews the Keela Women’s Storm Jacket, a jack of all trades and good value buy.
The Keela Storm Jacket is a lightweight waterproof shell designed for multi-activity use. Though it seems primarily focused on trail running and mountain biking. However, it’s also versatile enough to work as a decent hillwalking jacket in milder conditions. The primary considerations are reliable emergency rain protection as well as low weight and bulk.
Price: £105
It uses Keela’s own Flylite Aqua fabric, a PU-based membrane bonded to a nylon face fabric, with a textured inner half layer. It has a waterproof rating of 10,000mm, which is a decent benchmark for a hillwalking jacket. In our experience the Storm is well suited to coping with on-off drizzle.
It can also cope with heavier showers and even the odd sudden short downpour. For storm-level protection or winter conditions we’d look to a heavier and tougher shell. Look at our guide to best waterproof jackets for those. But for use in spring, summer and early autumn it is ideal.
On test, breathability was good, if not exceptional. Remember that when it comes to outdoor clothing, breathability refers to a fabric’s ability to move moisture vapour – so while the Storm doesn’t necessarily stop you from overheating or sweating, it does a decent job of preventing too much condensation building up inside the jacket. The addition of pit zips would help in this regard, but then again, they would also add weight and bulk.
The Storm has a three-way-adjustable, helmet-compatible hood that hugs the head nicely and feels very protective. It also has a wired peak to help deflect wind and rain. The hood also rolls away, securing with a Velcro strap, which ensures it doesn’t act as either a windsock or a rain trough in variable conditions.
There are Velcro cuff tabs too, plus dual hem drawcord adjustment to fend off chilly gusts and keep everything well covered. You also get two hand pockets, a small chest pocket and an unusual large, zipped rear pocket. This points to the jacket’s cycling or running emphasis, since it becomes fairly impractical to use if you’re hiking with a backpack. Still, it can be used as a pack pocket, so is useful to stuff the jacket into when it’s not needed.
The Storm is generally nicely sculpted to suit the female frame and sits comfortably at the hips, though it is quite flared here, which may not suit narrow-waisted women. It isn’t too trim or tight in the body though, so will accommodate layers underneath. All in all, it’s a fairly versatile and contemporary cut, but it’s worth trying for size.
In short, if you’re an outdoorsy type who likes to bike and run as well as hike in the hills, this jacket is well worth a look. In this sense it’s similar to the women’s Montane Minimus and Alpkit Gravitas jackets we’ve also reviewed, though heavier than either of those rivals. On the flipside, however, it’s considerably cheaper and arguably slightly more versatile too, with a feature set that works for cycling and trail running as well as hillwalking.
If we were nit-picking, we’d say the Keela Women’s Storm Jacket is a bit of a jack of all trades and master of none, doing several things quite well rather than one thing brilliantly, but on the whole, this is still a good value buy.
