I have been testing the women’s Berghaus Vanguard GTX jacket and Berhgaus MTN Guide 32+ pack, which are two of four new products in the Extrem collection for autumn/winter 2025. Berghaus describe the Vanguard GTX jacket (and matching over-pants) as offering the “highest level of protection and technical features for mountain activities in harsh weather”. In keeping with the rest of the Extrem range, all of the new products are available in male and female-specific versions.
Review: Berghaus Vanguard GTX jacket
Features:
3L GORE-TEX Pro ePE (PFAS-free)
Hydrostatic Head: 28000mm
Breathability Rating: EPE 13 RET
Helmet compatible and adjustable hood
Wired and stiffened hood peak
Pattern cutting to incorporate articulated panelling in the body and sleeves for arm lift
2-way pit zips
2 raised chest pockets
2 raised harness compatible pockets
Internal zipped security pocket
Dual hem adjustment the height of
Cuff tabs with hook and loop adjustment
Reflective Trango detailing on rear
Colourways: Yellow, purple, black (men’s: same colours)
Sizes: UK8 to 18 (men’s: XS to 2XL)
Weight: 560g (UK12)
Price: £550
See: Berghaus (I receive a small commission for sale through this website. It funds some of the cost of testing and writing reviews!)
My thoughts: Berghaus Vanguard GTX jacket
It’s immediately obvious that this is a jacket that is meant for tough conditions. The fabric is 3L GORE-TEX Pro ePE, which is described as a “new, more sustainable and lighter version of Gore-Tex’s highest-performance waterproof fabric”. The “3L” refers to its three-layer construction, which provides durability and protection, while “ePE” (expanded polyethylene) is the new, more environmentally friendly and lighter membrane.
The taped seams look to be of good quality and long-lasting.
The fabric layering combines to create a fairly thick, durable and robust jacket. I have worn it in strong winds and torrential rain and it doesn’t let the cold and wet penetrate. It’s definitely a jacket to be worn on colder days in the mountains and it will be of most use in late autumn, winter and early spring in Scotland.
The fit is a little different from other Berghaus jackets that I’ve tested. Usually the UK10 is roomy on me. This jacket feels a little neater over the shoulders and it’s a bit shorter than I might expect for a winter waterproof jacket. I still have good freedom of movement around the shoulder sand I can fit severally baselayers and a lightweight insulated jacket underneath but I think it is a bit of a tighter fit than normal. I suggest going up a size if you want even more room for layers underneath.
If you wear the jacket with the waterproof over-trousers, you’ll have full-length weather-proofing.
The three different colour choices are good. The yellow is bright and has purple inserts under the arms. The purple is quite a pretty lilac colour, with black area under the arms and yellow zip pulls. I am not a fan of black outdoor clothing but for people who prefer darker hues, it’s there to be bought.
There are plenty of great features, including lots of pockets. Many brands reduce the number of pockets in jackets to save weight and extra zips. I get why they do that but I do like to have some pockets in my waterproof jackets, especially in the colder months.
The Berghaus Vanguard GTX jacket has four pockets at chest height. The side pockets are large enough to stuff in a map and compass and/or gloves. The chest pockets closer to the zip are useful for an iPhone, gloves or snacks etc.
It’s a thoughtful design point to have all pockets above the height of a harness or rucksack waist strap. The only thing is that if you add items to all the pockets you will end up quite top heavy and, if you have a larger chest, the jacket might feel restrictive.
There are two internal pockets as well. A zip one sits to the rear of the other two front pockets on one side. I think you would need to choose which pockets you used because all three in use at once would make that area rather bulky.
The other internal pocket is an ope-topped mesh type that sits lower in the jacket and would be useful for adding gloves or snacks.
The jacket has the usual adjustment details, such as at the cuffs, hem etc. The feature details cuffs as “with hook and loop adjustment”. This is a velcro strip in reality but it works well. I would like to see the cuff being a bit wider because then it would be easier to fit it over winter gloves and baselayers.
The zips look to be good quality and they have and extra bit of cord as pulls. I’d like to see these being a bit more robust as I can imagine they will break through wear, although I guess they are easy to replace. A larger and more solid plastic pull would give me great confidence of longevity.
The bonus is two-way front zips and pit zips. Two-way zips are much more useful than one-way zips.
The top of the front zip has an extra cover of fabric as a chin guard. This is okay, although a patch of feeler would be better.
The hood is really good. It is adjustable so you can reduce the volume or enlarge it for fitting over a helm. The stiffened and wired peak is excellent and helps to keep a lot of rain off the face. This is particularly important for me because I wear specs.
The fabric does make a bit of crinkling noise but only because it’s a quality three-layered construction. It’s not the sort of noise that bothers me when hiking.
I am not surprised the jacket is £550, although this price tag does seem eye-watering. There is a Berghaus Fixed for Life guarantee. The Repairhaus team will stitch any rip or replace any zip, if they possibly can, as many times as you need them to. The repair is free. Berghaus ask you to pick up the cost of sending in your gear, but they pay for the fix-up.
Other items in the Extrem collection that might prove useful this winter include the Vanguard GTX over-trousers and MTN Guide 45+ and 32+ packs.