Sprayway’s new Arawa and Phaon jackets are part of the spring/summer collection for 2016.
Sprayway states: “[Our brand] is driven by a desire to create product that is original, beautifully simple and, of course, performance focused – with an unsurpassed dedication to quality and attention to the minutest (sic) detail.”
Features of the Sprayway Arawa jacket:
- 2.5 layer high-performance Hydro/Dry Plus fabric (10Khh & 10,000g/M2/24hrs MVTR)
- Fixed, two-way adjustable, wire peaked hood with roll-away feature
- Two mesh-lined venting/storage pockets
- Drawcord adjustable hem
- Zipped security pocket
- Stuff sac
- Sizes: 8 to 18
- Price: Around £80 to £90.
- www.sprayway.com
On test: Sprayway Arawa jacket
The jacket is the sort I would use for general trail or dog walking. If I was hiking in the mountains and could be fairly sure it was going to be mostly dry I might pop this jacket in its stuff sack and stow in a small corner of my rucksack ‘just in case”.
The price point tells me it is not a highly technical jacket but one that is ideal for general purpose outdoorsy use and in conditions that are not too demanding.
Saying all this, I have tested this jacket in wet and windy weather and it does a great job. The fabric kept out the wet and the wind, which is exactly as you would hope.
The DWR coating mean that the wet simply rolled off the fabric.
The jacket is sort-of breathable. I found I did sweat a bit when working hard but not as much as I thought I would. (If you want a more breathable waterproof jacket you normally have to pay more.)
The jacket feels very light to wear and offers a flattering look. There is a bit too much width in the hip area for me but for the average shape woman I imagine it would be a great cut. The colours are fab.
The features are adequate for the purpose of the jacket. It would have been great to see a two-way front zip, but sadly not.
However, there are other excellent features. The hood is a good design and stays up in wind and rain. The wired peak is essential in Scottish wet weather so that is a bonus. The hood can be adjusted to suit your head shape and the weather conditions. I like that you can roll away the hood, too.
The pockets can be used as a vent if you open them. This is a useful feature but if you have lots of things in the pockets it’s not so easy to make use of this function.
The sleeve hems are also adjustable.
If you are looking for a waterproof jacket that is not too technical but can cope with the wet and wind of spring and summer and for less than £100 this would be a good choice.