A low-cost lightweight waterproof made from recycled materials.
The lowest-cost garment reviewed (and that’s not often the case with Patagonia), the Torrentshell is a good jacket for the money, but pricier ones have better breathability and features. The fabric is more substantial than on lighter waterproof jackets, and flexible and comfortable to wear. I didn’t find it very breathable. There are underarm zips for ventilation. with flaps covering them – care is needed not to snag these in the zips. There are also flaps over the pocket zips and double-flaps over the front zip plus one inside. All these flaps are needed as none of the zips are watertight.
The adjustable hood fits closely but the peak is only lightly stiffened and not very effective. The drawcords are easy to tighten but hard to loosen as the cordlocks are hidden inside the fabric. The cuffs are adjustable but not that wide.
The pockets are fine as handwarmers but not accessible when wearing a hipbelt. They’re not big enough for maps anyway.
Patagonia describes the fit as ‘regular’. The Medium fits me fine worn over a mediumweight fleece jacket.
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The products mentioned in this review were provided free of charge by the brands. However, this does not affect our impartiality in any way. Unlike some of our competitors, who only review items from brands that advertise with them, advertising relationships aren’t a factor in our gear reviews here at The Great Outdoors.
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