Can anyone recommend a waterproof jacket which is likely to last a few seasons, whilst actually staying waterproof? 
 

Over the last two years I’ve bought two good quality, apparently robust jackets from reputable brands, which stopped being waterproof after just a season each. They were treated kindly, washed and reproofed regularly, and subject to normal use. But they leaked, despite having a price-tag of over £200 each.

So I’m interested in hearing from people who’ve had good experiences with jackets which are still available on the market, and been going well for three or four years.
 

I've had my paramo Velez jacket for about 5 years and it's still going strong. In paramo terms its fairly lightweight and I don't use it for winter climbing because I think I'd trash it. It's a little on the warm side for the height of summer. Other than that it's pretty much the perfect jacket - as breathable as a softshell and as waterproof as gore tex.

No doubt there will be some replies saying that paramo isn't actually waterproof. Well, I stay dry and comfortable in it in awful weather. On the very worst days (think named storms) I've sometimes worn an old goretex jacket over the top.

I'm sad to say it, but 200 quid is not that much for a rain jacket nowadays...

If you want your hard shells to last, expect to buy 3L Gore-Tex or another good 3L membrane jacket. All of those are easily upwards of 400. 

On another note: have you tried claiming warranty? If a rain jacket stops doing its primary job after a year I'd say it doesn't do what it's supposed to do. Not sure what current UK law says about this but EU laws state a two year minimum warranty for this type of stuff. 

Mountain Equipment Makalu is 75D Goretex and can be had for 200-250ish at the moment. That should be good enough for anything. 

I agree though about warranties and if I were OP I'd be chasing at least one of them. 

(FYI if you bought from Germany you have two year warranty).

Out of interest what were your two unsatisfactory jackets, please? Might be useful information for others.

I can't comment on or recommend Paramo jackets now as I have owned my current one for at least 25 years and it is still waterproof.

I have re proofed it a few times and It wets out a bit now and again (I should probably give it a good clean and reproof again) but the water doesn't get through to the inside.

If I had to buy a new jacket now I would look at another Paramo.

Dave

I'm not so sure. I have a Cascada jacket (20 years oldish) and a Velez smock (detatchable hood version circa 15 years old).

The Cascada is excellent, the Velez leaks badly through the side and front zips.

I think individual Paramo garments either work or they don't, you might get a good one, you might get a duff one.

As Paramo stuff no longer appears to be heavily discounted, I personally wouldn't take the risk on a new Paramo.

I've got two Paramo coats -  one's about 6 years old, the other 9 months. I wouldn't hesitate to get another when they eventually die - I think they're great. I wear them in all sorts of weather, and both have held up well in completely minging conditions.

Isn't that mostly a function of the design of the Velez? There's a huge area of zips and while they are protected to some extent they're an inevitable source of weakness.

A question as to whether the extra ventilation is worth more to you or not.

The front zip based jackets have much more rigorous storm flaps.

Don't get me started on a rant about none existent or 'internal' storm flaps…

Back to Paramo, I've seen too many claims of sudden failure in heavy rain of Paramo to risk buying another one.

Don't get me wrong, my Cascada works well (but heavy and looks like something worn by an OAP with a tartan shopping basket on wheels), and the Velez is my go to 'cold and a bit drizzly but not going to chuck it down' jacket. 

The Sprayway Torridon jacket would be worth a look. It's three-layer Gore-tex with pit zips, a very goof hood and a proper double storm flap at the front. It's billed as a winter hillwalking jacket, but I think it's good for quite a bit more than that. It can be had for around the £200 mark.

fjern offer the orkan in event for around 125 quid on sportspursuit. They seem good a guy in work has one. They aren't the latest and greatest but they have everything you need. 2 hand pockets and external drawcords and the hood is helmet compatible on the orkan with waterproof zips all round. 

Fjern eVent sounds like a crisp packet though....

b

This will be my next waterproof when I need one.

Yeah I've got a couple of Paramo jackets. The Enduro, which is an amazing jacket for winter conditions. Wore it for countless Scottish winter days, plus my winter ML training and assessment, never with more than just a t-shirt on underneath. Never needed a belay jacket over it either, just a perfect winter jacket.

Also got a Velez light jacket. As mentioned above, it's a great jacket, and it really excels when it's cool (Autumn through to spring, although in full on winter conditions the Enduro is better) and it's great with drizzle, light rain and on-off rain showers. I wouldn't use it for all day constant heavy rain, as it does wet through, and I also wouldn't use it in constant rain if I'm not moving much, or stood around a lot. The harder you're working, the better it works. It's basically a really water resistant softshell.

Interestingly I've had the opposite experience. I've also got an Enduro and a Velez (the jacket version, not the smock). I bought both of them from the paramoseconds ebay shop in as-new conditon for about £160 each.

As you say, the enduro is an amazing burly winter jacket for when its cold. However, I've found that it wets out in heavy persistent rain and I've got damp in it a couple of times. Never uncomfortable though - that's a benefit of paramo, if you do get wet you stay comfortable and it dries fast. On the other hand the velez has kept me completely dry in the very worst weather. Maybe, as someone above has said, the QC is a bit variable, but I don't really understand how that could be the case if the materials are doing the job they're supposed to do.

Yeah it is strange, the different experiences people have with it. I love both jackets by the way, I'll do anything to avoid goretex.

My Velez is the jacket version too. It wets out if there's heavy wind blown rain, and it starts wetting out along the zip line. Like you say, you do stay comfortable especially when you're on the move, but for that reason I wouldn't trust them if I was stationary in heavy rain, say watching my lad play footie, or doing some marshalling work for a race or something. I'm not sure it would stay comfortable if you were stationary.

I've got an old Rab neoshell I wear over the top of my paramo when moving slowly or stationary and that seems like the perfect combo.

My Rab neoshell, about 8 years old but lightly used, is totally porous .

Looks like new but useless now in any precipitation.

I used to have one of the original Torridon coats (c.1989?) and it did me for hundreds of hills in all seasons. Traditional 3 layer goretex. Strip out the marketing and I’m not really convinced that we’ve moved on in the intervening years.

Mrs Ridge has a Sprayway Jura that is at least 20 years old. Now relegated to a horse riding coat, and just beginning to fail on the waterproof front.

Like you I think that, apart from being much lighter and more fragile, the 50th iteration of Goretex jackets aren't significantly better than earlier versions.

Fjern Orkan from Sportpursuit for me. Circa £150 for a 3-layer Event Waterproof with pit zips. Pretty sure it is templated on the pre-Goretex Rab Event jackets. No noisier than any other 3-layer nylon fabric and significantly better value than others! Washes easily & takes a reproof well. I've used it all year round and in torrential weather, any moisture inside is mine as I'm a (graphic warning) sweaty person!! 9 out of 10 times I'll have pit-zips part open otherwise I've found all bar Paramo will be pretty wet inside in typical Scots weather! 

Yes, one does wonder at times.  Just want to be reasonably warm and dry, with a decent pocket for a map .....

Thanks to everyone who replied; much useful food for thought there.