Ellie Clewlow reviews the Patagonia Women’s Storm 10 Jacket, a premium-feeling waterproof.
The Patagonia Women’s Storm 10 is part of our guide to the best waterproof jackets. It is primarily built for ‘fast and light’ mountain pursuits such as Alpine-style climbing, but it also works well for UK hillwalking. It employs a premium 3-layer construction, which uses Patagonia’s own H2No waterproof-breathable PU-based membrane, bonded to a 20-denier ripstop nylon fabric, with a soft tricot backer. The soft inner ensures great next-to-skin comfort.
The face fabric is 100% recycled, which is a plus for sustainability. Sadly the water-repellent DWR finish is not PFC-free. Fabrics are Fair Trade certified sewn though.
The fabric has a waterproof rating of 20,000mm hydrostatic head, suitable for sustained bad weather. Real-world performance was solid. On test in the wet and windy mountains of Snowdonia the jacket kept us dry and largely comfortable across a range of conditions, though it perhaps didn’t seem to deal with fug build-up quite as well as some 3-layer Gore-Tex jackets we’ve tested.
The overall fit is very good. It’s a trim fitting jacket with an extended drop tail and plenty of sleeve articulation. It’s cut quite short at the front, which ensures excellent mobility when scrambling or stepping up, though we can see that some hillwalkers might prefer a slightly longer hemline.
The Storm 10 has some excellent technical features too, including a helmet-compatible hood with single rear volume adjustment and a stiffened brim. There are two well-placed hand pockets and an outer left chest ‘pack pocket’. There are also Velcro adjustable wrist cuffs and a dual waist hem drawcord. These ensure a good weatherproof seal, keeping out gusts effectively.
The jacket is also equipped with a RECCO rescue reflector, designed to improve search ability if the user is avalanched. At present this system is not widely used in the UK, though it is far more common in mainland Europe and the US.
All the zips are laminated reverse coil designs, ensuring a high degree of water resistance. The main centre front zip has a small internal storm flap plus a small ‘zip garage’ at the top. There’s no soft chin guard to reduce irritation though.
Conclusion
The price is relatively high for what is after all a lightweight waterproof shell, but it is well-built with a premium look and feel, combined with good performance and some technical features. It’s impressively light and packable too, ensuring it’s a great ‘just in case’ jacket to stash in a daysack.
