Tried and tested: training jackets

We gave a selection of training jackets to a group of Sportsister readers to test out for us. Read on to see which one they thought was the best buy.

Rachael Woolston is a personal trainer who runs the FitBitch bootcamp in Brighton. Rachael and five of her clients have tested a range of outdoor training jackets for us, reporting on their comfort, style, performance and value for money.

Thanks to the particularly cold winter we have been having the jackets were really put through their paces with the testers using them in snow, wind and rain.

All jackets scored well but the Helly Hansen Belfast jacket came out on top with an exceptional score of 23/25.

Fitbitch Boot Camp, a four week intensive non residential fitness camp which revolutionises figures and fitness levels.www.fitbitchbootcamp.blogspot.com

The results:

Helly Hansen Belfast Jacket tested by Rachael

Price: £100

Used for: Running, cycling, kettlebells, boxing, kickboxing, body weight exercises. I run the Fitbitch Boot Camp and am a personal trainer so it was put through its paces!

Comfort rating: 4. It was very comfortable to exercise even though it is marketed as a hiking jacket. It was a longer than most performance jackets. It kept my bum warmer and when doing body weight stuff or burpees on the floor it was long enough to still cover my tummy without riding up.

Style rating: 5. It’s a great colour with a subtle design running through it. It’s something that I’d wear normally let alone just training in.

Sizing: 5. Perfect size for my shape while still enabling me to get jumpers underneath it.

Performance: 4. Performance wise it was fantastic – it kept me dry in total downpours and did very well against a cold wind chill factor whipping off the sea on the Brighton coast. I’m marking it down to 4 though as the cuffs had a velcro fastening which was great for keeping the chill out but when undone, the wrists were too tight. It meant it was impossible to see my training watch although I have a Garmin which is chunkier than most.

Love it or hate it rating: 5. Loved it.

Value for money? I think its fantastic value for money particularly as it’s stylish enough to wear even when not training in it. I lived in it!

Is there any detail about this item that you particularly liked?

I loved the hood – sounds silly but I’m so fed up with hoods that don’t keep the wind off and/or don’t move with your head so when you turn sideways all you can see is the inside of your hood! For the first time I could ride my bike with the hood up without worrying it would impede my vision.

Anything that you did not like? Only downside is that the zip was a bit unreliable – it came unzipped from the bottom up a few times. Not broken but not great for a new jacket.

Wash verdict: Perfect and drip dried really quickly

Total: 23/25

Read on for more jacket reviews