In review: 3-in-1 jackets

When it comes to choosing a weatherproof jacket, there are many choices and brands available in South Africa. We chose five quality brands to review and give you a comparison of what each jacket offers in terms of waterproofing, insulation and breathability, to make your selection easier. I've kept the review simple so as not bore you with too much detail and technical phrases.

Selection
Four of the brands chosen are the most commonly seen and freely available on the South African market: First Ascent, Capestorm, K-Way and Columbia. The firth brand is a new and imported 3-in-1 jacket called Metis, a company that is looking to enter the SA outdoor jacket market.

Testing criteria
The jackets were all put through the same conditions and rough outdoor tests (including mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking, canyoning, camping, trail running, travel and adventure racing), to give you an account of how they performed over a two-month period.

Capestorm - Entrada

This jacket took me a bit by surprise being so different to the other jackets I tested. It is fashionable, looks very smart and is far more ideal for a cold night out on the town than the bush. This jacket got the most compliments whenever I wore it, it really is smart looking. The cut is more body hugging than the other jackets, which makes it restrictive. The sleeves crop up if you get to active or, say, want to take your kayak off the roof rack. The tight cut also limits the numbers of layers you can wear when it gets really cold.

The outer material tends to make 'creaking' noises (for lack of a better word), even when you're sitting still. It did not bother me too much, but this could be irritating to some.

The stitching was not finished off well, and I found myself having to cut away a number of loose strands, mainly on the inner fleece.

Final verdict: A quality, fashionable jacket to buy for travelling and city use, but not for any outdoor pursuits.

Columbia - Evergreen

This is an awesome multifunctional jacket you can take anywhere and do anything with. The jacket fits well, is very comfortable to wear and doesn't restrict your movement at all.

The thermal-reflective technology used inside the inner fleece makes this fleece warmer than other fleece linings. The outer shell material was my favourite of the jackets. I also found it to be the most abrasive resistant and breathable of the jackets tested.

Final verdict: It's a great jacket and can handle whatever the weather throws at you; it’s my first choice as a multipurpose outdoor jacket.

First Ascent - Avalanche

As advertised, this jacket is meant for the slopes. It looks good looks and has a number of cool features for convenience on your ski holiday.

The jacket sits comfortably without restricting your movement. After a cold day out kayaking or canyoning, it was great to put on as it warmed me up really quickly. I am not sure how durable the material will be long term if used for other mountain sports and further testing over a longer period is needed for me to give a more accurate account.

I will say that I do notice things most people don’t and for such a nice looking and detailed jacket, I was a bit disappointed with the stitching not being finished off neatly and there were some strands unravelling in a few spots. This jacket also showed early signs of wear, which does not bode well for long-term durability.

Unlike the other jackets tested, this is a one-piece jacket without a removable inner fleece. Avalanche does have a 3-in-1 with a removable inner for R1,499.

Final verdict: This jacket was the warmest of the lot, with good looks to match.

K-Way - Romulus

This jacket is great for anything and can be taken anywhere. The lightweight outer layer rolls up the most compact of the jackets tested, so on a mountaineering trip, where weight and space is a factor, it's ideal.

This jacket is also at home in snow environments and features a snow skirt. The soft shell that comes with the Romulus is a nice change to the regular fleeces most 3-in-1 jackets come with.

I often went rock climbing in it on the cold winter days as it has the most functional inner layer.

Final verdict: I was very impressed by this jacket and consider it a great all rounder. This jacket comes in a very close second choice to Columbia's Evergreen.