It seems these days that every brand wants to sell the lightest yet most useful and versatile jacket. I have been testing a few recently, including the Patagonia Houdini and now the Berghaus Women’s Hyper Jacket.
Berghaus state: “The Hyper Jacket is the ideal companion whether you’re racing mountain marathons or biking trails. This full-zip jacket combines the learning’s from our ISPO award-winning MtnHaus Hyper Smock and some challenging testing along the Great Himalayan Trail.
“It is extremely lightweight while also waterproof and breathable and makes an impact during any speed-driven challenges.”
Berghaus Hyper Hydroshell Jacket features:
- Hydroshell fabric that is lightweight, waterproof, breathable and durable.
- Fitted hood for good visibility and with a tab-down feature for when not in use.
- “Reflective heat transfer” to offer additional cooling properties while on the move.
- Packable jacket with its own stuff sack.
- Male and female designs.
- Lifetime guarantee*.
Weight (approx.): 70g
Price: £120
See Berghaus Women’s Hyper Hydroshell Jacket
On test: Berghaus Women’s Hyper Hydroshell Jacket
My first impressions were that the jacket is very light but a bit “noisy” and basic. The fabric feels kind of crisp to touch and rustles when you touch it.
There are no pockets or features apart form the full zip and hood.
I am also not sure about the fit. I find Berghaus women’s jackets to be a bit tight across my shoulders and chest and too flared at the base. I guess this might suit most women but to be comfortable in the shoulders I’d need to buy a size up but then that would be too roomy at the hips.
This aside the jacket does work very well. I put it on during a walk when the wind suddenly whipped up and I was feeling a little chilly. All at once I felt warm.
The fabric, although very lightweight, did an amazing job of keeping out the wind. I don’t think I have been quite so impressed with a windproof fabric in a while.
Once out and about I stopped noticing the rustling fabric noise. It sounded like a tent rustling in the wind as I tried to put it on but then it seemed to make less noise. Perhaps this was because the jacket became more taut when on or because my sweat made it less dry? Anyway, the good news is that it didn’t annoy me as much as I thought it would.
I would not fancy wearing this fabric against bare skin, such as if I was to put it on over a short-sleeved t-shirt, because it feels cold and clammy. But over a long sleeved base layer it feels fine.
The jacket also seemed to be high on breathability. Although working quite hard while walking it didn’t get damp or wet-out inside. This is a very good sign.
The jacket is super water-repellent. I expect this is because of a DWR treatment and this might well wear off but on first impressions it’s very good. Time will tell to see if it retains its high rating of waterproofness.
The hood fits neatly when the jacket is fully zipped up and stays in place when it is windy. There were no extra details to soften the inside of the zip against the skin. I missed this because many jackets do include it. When not in use you can scrunch up the hood and hold it secure with a basic loop and press-stud set up. It’s not brilliant but it does the job.
What is impressive is the small size of the jacket in its stuff sack. It is smaller than a tennis ball and fits easily into the palm of my hand. I have carried heavier spare socks in my rucksack, so to have a wind and waterproof jacket this small is really good.
There is a small finger loop on the side of the stuff bag in case you want to carry it in your hand while out and about.
I can see that the jacket would be useful for walking (spring and summer in the UK), running and maybe cycling although I don’t think the arm and torso length would really allow for the bent over position on the bike. I’d definitely need a size up for extra length and to allow we me breathe in the chest area.
As a just-in-case jacket, the Berghaus Hyper Hydroshell exceeds expectations. You will need to pay £120 for it however and many people will be put off the price for something so lightweight and low on features.
I would have like to seen a pocket of some kind in the jacket, not least because you could then stow the small stuff bag!
*And then there’s the lifetime guarantee. I have no idea if this works because I have never needed to send anything back. Have you? Berghaus sate that: “We believe passionately that our products make a real difference to the people who use them – and we guarantee our gear will stand up to the task it’s intended for (yes, that does rule out using your jacket as a paragliding sail).” They offer a lifetime guarantee.
See Berghaus.