Windbreaker

Light shells for wind rather than storms

A windbreaker is a thin outer layer whose job is to stop moving air stripping heat from the body. It packs down small, weighs little, and makes a bigger difference to comfort on an exposed ridge than an extra jumper does. The range includes plain lightweight cuts, fleece-lined versions, oversized women's shapes and models with a water-repellent finish for cycling and walking.

What does a windbreaker actually do?

It removes wind chill. Still air held against the skin by clothing is what keeps a body warm, and a breeze pulls that air away faster than any fabric can replace it, which is why a jumper alone feels cold outdoors and warm indoors. A tightly woven shell weighing a couple of hundred grams restores that trapped layer. It does not insulate on its own, so it works over a fleece rather than instead of one, and the pairing options sit in the fleece jumper range.

Is a windbreaker waterproof?

Not in the way a hardshell is. Most are woven fabrics with a repellent finish, so beads run off during a shower and then, once the surface wets out, damp starts to come through. Seams are usually stitched rather than taped, and needle holes let water in even where the fabric holds. The legs stay uncovered whatever the jacket does, which is where rain trousers pull on over boots once a shower settles in. For a day of steady British rain, a waterproof jacket with taped seams is the honest choice, and the lighter shell goes back in the pack.

Which details decide whether a light shell gets carried?

• Packability: a jacket that stuffs into a pocket or its own hood gets carried, and the jacket carried is the one actually worn.
• Hood fit: an adjustable hood that turns with the head, or a stowable one that does not flap around the ears when the wind is behind.
• Cuffs and hem: elastic or a drawcord to stop the jacket ballooning, which is what makes a loose shell noisy and cold.
• Lining: a fleece-backed version adds warmth for autumn at the cost of packed size and drying time.

Where rain rather than wind is the main problem, the rain jacket range answers that directly. For a layer that covers a loaded rucksack as well as the wearer, a rain poncho does what a fitted shell cannot.

When is a windbreaker the right layer?

Spring and autumn walking, cycling into a headwind, evenings that cool quickly after a warm afternoon, and any summer hill where the temperature drops with height. It also earns its place in a day pack, costing almost nothing to carry. In heavy rain or deep cold it is the wrong tool, and layering underneath will not change that.

How is a light shell washed?

Cool cycle, no fabric conditioner, zips closed and drawcords loosened. Conditioner leaves a film that kills the water repellency and traps odour in the fibres. A rinse cycle alone removes most of the sweat and grit clogging the weave. Once water stops beading on the shoulders, a wash-in or spray reproofer restores it, and a low tumble or a warm iron through a cloth reactivates the finish.