The Helly Hansen Vanir Reisen jacket for women is described as a “professional grade 3 layer” jacket for variable conditions and unpredictable weather. It is waterproof, windproof and breathable.
Features include:
- Three layer, 100% polyamide, 70D X 70D outer fabric
- 100% polyurethane fabric back
- Bemis 3L jersey backed tape, all seams
- Durable Water Repellent (DWR) C6 + hydrophilic lamination
- 20,000gm WP and 15,000gm moisture vapour permeability
- Water-resistant zippered hand pockets that are located so you can use them while wearing a rucksack with a waistbelt.
- Side body “invisible” venting zippers
- High visibility laminated hood brim
- Back hood adjustment
- High visibility details
- Water resistant #3 Vislon YKK centre front zipper with inner windfly
- Soft-to-the-face brushed tricot chin guard at front zipper
- Laminated cuff adjuster with dye-cut hook and loop tape
- High visibility laminated hem
- Articulated sleeves for increased mobility
- Female specific design
- Price: RRP £220
- See Helly Hansen Vanir Reisen jacket for women
A wet weather walk.
On test: Helly Hansen Vanir Reisen women’s jacket
The design, look and fit of the jacket is modern and comfortable. It is not overly fitted so you can add a couple of layers underneath yet it is still flattering and shaped to fit the female physique.
It ticks all the boxes for high quality waterproofing and breathability when walkers need a product to work well in tough conditions.
This jacket is the sort I would wear for bad summer weather and in most winter conditions. I would feel confident that it is going to keep the wind and rain out.
Short pit zips.
This is not a super lightweight jacket and I found I sweated quite a lot when working hard in warmer weather. I was able to unzip the short pit zips and this really helped with ventilation but in my opinion this is a jacket to reserve for colder weather.
The fabric feels softer than other waterproof jackets I have tried. Yet it is also very durable and has a polyurethane fabric back so it looks like it will be long-lasting and able to withstand a lot of wear and tear.
I like that the fabric is not too noisy. You do get jackets that rustle annoyingly in the wind or when you move but the softer feel fabric is much quieter.
Long arms and great sized cuffs that are also easy to adjust.
The torso and arm length is excellent. I am quite tall with long arms so I really appreciate the length. I also like the width of the arm cuffs. They are wide enough to allow me to tuck thick gloves inside so that if it rains the water does not drip off inside the gloves. This is important for me in wet and cold weather in Scotland.
The hand plackets are placed below the waist to allow for access when using a rucksack with a waist belt. Many other jackets have the pockets above the waist.
The problem with the lower placed pockets and the length of the jacket is that if you have anything too weighty in the packets it bangs annoyingly against your thigh. For example, when I put my mobile phone in the pocket for easy accessibility it knocked against my leg.
Soft feel zip top inside.
There is no inner security pocket either. It would be nice to see one of these, or at least an pocket at higher level on the outside of the jacket.
The zip pulls are fairly easy to use even when wearing gloves although they could be bigger.
The hood is a roomy fit but is easily adjustable and the small peak is a good feature for very wet weather. I like that the hood feels all-over protective.
The hi-viz details are a nice touch, especially if you are hiking/mountaineering/ski touring in dull weather when it’s important that you can be seen by other people.
Hem adjustor.
It would have been great to see a two-way front zip. I know these are expensive compared to a one-way but I find them very useful.
Overall this is a well-made and thoughtful jacket. It is a fairly competitive price, too, at this level.
Oh, and I do really like the different colours. It’s great to see two bright colours as well as a black jacket.
See Helly Hansen.