Tag: waterproof coat

Women’s Aria Long Parka from Helly Hansen

Autumn, camping, Christmas, Family Life, Fashion, Gifts for Her, hiking, National Walking Month, Women

Disclaimer – We have received this item for free or on a loan basis for the purpose of this review/feature but all words and opinions are our own.

After two scorching summers and a mild winter, we are due for a cold and probably soggy winter this year.  Helly Hansen have a range of snug winter wear base layers, coats and parkas to stave off the British weather, and carry you through to the snow season if that’s where you’re headed this year. We were sent this versatile  Parka for women to try out this season – and it’s so cosy I haven’t taken it off yet!

The Aria Long Parka is fashioned with fake fur which is detachable and with synthetic insulation which keeps you warm in the coldest of climates. The zip closure pockets have fleece lining for extra warmth and the ribbed cuffs keep the cold out from your sleeves. The shell is polyamide for shower proof weather but the overwhelming feature of the Aria Parka is its length and the ability to keep you unbelievably warm. The hood adds to the weatherproof aspect of the coat, and even the neck does up to create a funnel neckline and keep out the cold. The hood is also oversized to allow for a hat underneath and the fur trim to the hood is detachable, but I prefer to keep it on and have the ultimate winter look!

Available in black (as shown), Elmwood, Utility Green and Navy, it comes in sizes XS up to XL. I would wear this for errands and dog walks plus when skiing and out in the countryside in winter because it is mostly windproof.  The pockets are big enough to hold both your keys and a phone plus a few other things so you don’t need to take a bag with you. I did find that the zip was sometimes tricky to do up and it needs a bit of wear to make it glide better, but that was the only negative.  I had the black coat but I love the other colours too, especially the light tan (Elmwood) colour that’s great for children in dark winter.

Available for £330 at: https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_gb/w-aria-long-parka-54512?color=290002

TOG24 Glasson Womens Waterproof Jacket

Autumn, Birthday Gifts, camping, Christmas, Days Out, Family Life, Fashion, Fitness, Gifts for Her, Sport, Summer, Women

Disclaimer: We received this product free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own

National Walking Month is coming to a close now and we have certainly covered some miles. We normally go out walking a couple of times a week but at the start of the month we challenged ourselves to go out for a walk every day in May and the miles have been quickly totting up. I have really enjoyed exploring our local area and walking along the public footpaths that cross the fields as well as doing a few higher level walks on the fells. We have seen plenty of wildlife too, my favourite was seeing a beautiful barn owl fly around the fields one evening and we have also spotted deer and hares.

Living in the North West we are used to wet weather and a walk in the rain is certainly a lot better with the right gear so I was pleased to receive the TOG24 Glasson Women’s Waterproof jacket – especially as my current waterproof coat has seen better days and tends to leak. It’s bad enough walking in the rain but it it’s a million times worse if the rain gets through your coat leaving you wet and cold.

Available in either navy or faded pink in sizes 8-18, the coat is made from a 100% waterproof, breathable fabric with a DWR coating to repel water. The coat is also windproof so will keep me warm and dry no matter what the weather throws at me.

I normally wear size 14 clothes, but I do like to go up a size for waterproof coats as I like to be able to move about easily and on colder days have room for a fleece or jumper. The size 16 coat fitted me perfectly – the elasticated waist toggles meant I could easily adjust the fit, pulling in the waist for a smooth fit when wearing thinner layers and loosening them when I am wearing more layers.  

Designed with two-way zips and magnetic fasteners (which are a dream to fasten) the coat has two roomy angled pockets that fasten with the same magnetic fasteners. This is the first time I have come across a coat with this type of fastener, and I really love it, they are so easy to open, especially if you have cold and wet hands and they fasten easily with a satisfying snap. It also has a zipped internal pocket which is perfect for keeping my phone safe.

The coat is a very flattering shape and I love the longer length with the fishtail hem. I was really pleased with the length of the arms, I am 6’ tall with long arms and find sleeve lengths in women’s waterproofs do tend to be too short. I was therefore pleasantly surprised when I put the jacket on and found the sleeves were just the right length.  Another feature of waterproof coats that I look at are the hood, it needs to fit nicely on my head and stay up when the weather is bad. The hood on the Glasson coat was an excellent fit and with the zip fully up stayed in place nicely. The peak helped prevent the hood from flopping in my face and is deep enough to keep rain off my face and glasses. There is also enough room to wear a woolly hat when it gets colder and still be able to put the hood up.

The lovely, longer-length Glasson coat performed brilliantly when we tested it with the hosepipe (it’s not rained here recently so we had to create our own weather conditions!) This was way more intense than any rain shower I’ve ever been in and although the coat was absolutely soaked, I stayed nice and dry. I am really pleased with this coat, it is comfortable to wear and looks great too. It’s also smart enough for work so whilst the coat is on sale I’m thinking of buying the faded pink version to keep me warm and dry on my daily commute.

RRP £130 but currently on sale at £80