We worked through Mountain Warehouse's IsoDry and Isotherm ranges to find which jackets and boots are worth buying, and which are built for gentler weather than the name suggests.
Mountain Warehouse sells outdoor clothing at prices that make the big technical brands look absurd, and that invites a fair question: does any of it work? The honest answer is that some of it works very well and some of it is a showerproof layer with ambitious marketing. The difference is almost always legible on the label.
Two names do most of the heavy lifting. IsoDry is the waterproof, breathable membrane; Isotherm is the insulation. Learn to read those two words alongside the stated waterproof rating and you can tell in seconds whether a jacket is built for a drizzle on the common or a day on an exposed ridge in February.
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If you only look at three things here, make it these: one jacket for serious weather, one for everyday rain and one that disappears into a bag.
A waterproof IsoDry shell with a detachable softshell inner, so you get a hardshell, a mid-layer and a winter coat from one purchase. It is the most adaptable thing Mountain Warehouse sells.
A plain waterproof shell with no insulation and no gimmicks – the jacket to buy if you already own fleeces and just need rain protection.
A lightweight waterproof that folds away small enough to live permanently in a rucksack, handbag or glovebox and be forgotten about. It is insurance rather than a main jacket, and priced accordingly.
Every option side by side, with the one thing that actually distinguishes it.
| Model | Best for | Type | Key strength | Watch out for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Bracken Extreme 3-in-1 Waterproof Jacket | All-round British weather | 3-in-1 waterproof jacket | Three garments in one | Bulk when fully assembled | View |
| 2Torrent Waterproof Jacket | Everyday rain on a budget | Waterproof shell | Price and simplicity | Wets out in prolonged rain | View |
| 3Pakka II Waterproof Jacket | Carrying just in case | Packable shell | Weight and packed size | Thin, less durable fabric | View |
| 4Storm Extreme IsoGrip Waterproof Hiking Boots | Footpaths and summer fells | Waterproof hiking boot | Grip and ankle support | Break-in period and roomy fit | View |
| 5Manta Insulated Jacket (Isotherm) | Cold, dry winter days | Insulated jacket | Warmth per pound spent | Showerproof only, not waterproof | View |
| 6Adrenaline Iso-Viz Waterproof Jacket | Winter running and cycling | Reflective waterproof | Visibility after dark | Modest waterproof rating | View |
← swipe the table to see all columns →
Three reasons this brand keeps turning up in car boots and hallway cupboards across Britain.
A waterproof jacket you paid a modest amount for gets used. It goes on the back seat, gets muddy, gets lent to a friend and gets replaced without ceremony. That is a genuine advantage over an expensive shell that lives in a wardrobe because you are afraid of it.
IsoDry covers waterproofing, Isotherm covers insulation, IsoGrip covers outsoles and Iso-Viz covers reflectivity. Because the labels are consistent across the range, you can line two jackets up and see which is the more capable without decoding four different brand stories.
The range runs from toddler to adult in matching styles, which matters when you are kitting out four people for the same rainy week. Sizing is forgiving, colours are unfussy and the children's gear is designed to be grown out of rather than passed down.
Three checks will tell you whether a given jacket suits what you actually do outdoors.
Mountain Warehouse publishes a hydrostatic head figure on most jackets, expressed in millimetres. A low figure is a showerproof layer for a dry-ish commute; a higher figure is what you want for sustained rain and wind. The word Extreme in a product name generally signals the upper end of the range, but the number on the specification tab is the claim that matters. Check it before anything else.
These are different problems and Mountain Warehouse solves them with different labels. IsoDry keeps water out. Isotherm keeps heat in. A hardshell with no insulation is the right buy if you already own fleeces and want to layer; an Isotherm padded jacket is the right buy if you feel the cold and mostly need warmth. The 3-in-1 jackets exist because plenty of people want both and do not want to think about it.
Taped seams are the difference between a jacket that works in real rain and one that leaks at the shoulders. Look for a wired or adjustable peak on the hood, because an unstructured hood collapses in wind and becomes useless. Adjustable cuffs and a drawcord hem are small details that decide whether the jacket is comfortable after an hour. These are the places budget gear is most likely to cut corners, so they are worth a minute of your attention.
Mountain Warehouse sizing runs generous and casual rather than athletic. That is helpful for layering – you can get a fleece under a shell without buying up a size; but it means the jackets will not look trim worn over a t-shirt. If you want a closer fit for running or cycling, size down and accept you will not layer much underneath.
Sleeve length is the most common complaint, particularly on women's jackets, where arms can run long. If you are between sizes and plan to wear the jacket over a jumper, take the larger one. Boots run true to size but the toe box is on the roomy side, so thick socks are a good idea rather than a problem.
Waterproof jackets stop working long before they wear out, because the DWR finish on the face fabric degrades and the outer soaks rather than beading. Wash the jacket with a technical cleaner rather than detergent, then reproof it with a wash-in or spray-on treatment once or twice a season. This is the single highest-value thing you can do for a budget shell.
The hardware is where to expect wear. Zip pulls and toggles are the first things to go, and the stitching around pocket openings is worth an occasional look. None of that is a reason to avoid the range — it is a reason to treat these as replaceable kit rather than an heirloom purchase.
Ranked by how well each one delivers on what it promises: not by price.
The most useful single thing in the range, because you are effectively buying two jackets and a third combination of them.
The Bracken Extreme is the jacket that justifies the whole brand. The outer is an IsoDry waterproof and breathable shell rated for heavy rain, with taped seams and an adjustable hood. The inner is a detachable softshell that zips in for cold days and works perfectly well as a standalone jacket in spring and autumn. That gives you three distinct garments: shell alone for mild rain, inner alone for dry cold, and both together for the kind of wet winter day that makes people give up on walking altogether. That is a great deal of coverage from one hanger.
What you are giving up is weight and refinement. Zipped together it is a bulky jacket, and it will not pack down into a rucksack with any grace. The cut is generous rather than athletic, so it reads as a practical coat rather than technical kit. But for dog walks, school runs, camping trips and shoulder-season hill walking, the breadth of use here is hard to beat, and it is the model we would point almost everybody towards first. If you only buy one Mountain Warehouse jacket, this is the one that earns its space in the cupboard.
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Nothing clever here, which is the point: it is a waterproof layer at a price that makes owning two of them reasonable.
The Torrent is the entry point to the range and the model that most people actually need. It is an uninsulated waterproof shell with taped seams and a hood, designed to go over whatever you are already wearing. Because there is no padding, it layers properly: a fleece underneath gets you through winter and nothing underneath works in a summer downpour. For commuting, dog walking, festivals and travel, this covers the job with no fuss. It is the jacket you stop thinking about, which is high praise for a waterproof.
It is also where the budget shows. The waterproof rating sits at the lower end of the range, which means it handles rain but will eventually wet out in a prolonged soaking, and breathability is modest, so you will feel clammy walking uphill. The hood is soft rather than wired and will flatten in wind. None of that matters much for ordinary use; it matters a lot if you were planning a wet day on the hill, in which case spend more and buy an Extreme model. It is a question of matching the jacket to the forecast.
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The best waterproof is the one you have with you, and this is the one you will actually carry.
The Pakka is built around a single idea: it should be small enough that you never decide to leave it behind. Folded, it takes up very little room in a daypack, which makes it the right thing to carry on a forecast that says probably dry. It is a straightforward IsoDry shell with taped seams, a hood and a zip, and it does the fundamental job of stopping rain getting to your clothes. For a forecast that might turn, having something rather than nothing is the whole argument. Nothing here is clever; it is simply present when you need it.
The compromises follow directly from the weight. The fabric is thin, so it is less abrasion-resistant than the heavier shells and should not be dragged over rock or dense gorse. It is also the least breathable option here, and in warm rain you will be damp either way. Treat it as insurance rather than as your main jacket. As insurance, at this price, it is excellent, and the version we would put in a child's school bag or a festival rucksack without a second thought. Buy it alongside a proper shell, not instead of one.
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Ankle support and a proper outsole for the price of a pair of trainers, which is the whole Mountain Warehouse argument in one product.
Footwear is where Mountain Warehouse's value proposition is at its strongest, because a boot either grips and keeps water out or it does not. The Storm Extreme pairs a suede and mesh upper with an IsoDry waterproof membrane and an IsoGrip outsole, plus an EVA footbed for cushioning. On wet grass, mud and worn stone paths the grip is reassuring, and the mid-cut height gives real ankle support on uneven ground. The Extreme designation marks these as the upper tier of Mountain Warehouse's own footwear rather than an entry model.
They need breaking in, and the fit is roomy through the toe box, so order a thick walking sock and expect to lace them firmly. Suede needs reproofing periodically or the waterproofing declines, which is true of almost all suede boots, but easy to forget on a budget pair. They are not a substitute for a stiff-soled winter boot with crampon compatibility. For footpaths, fells in summer, dog walking in a wet field and a week of sightseeing in the rain, they are an awful lot of boot for the money.
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Buy this for warmth and nothing else, it is the range's answer to cold, not to weather.
The Manta is where Isotherm does its work. The insulation is densely packed synthetic fibre, chosen because it keeps insulating when damp and because it is a fraction of the price of down. The result is a padded jacket that is really warm for touchline duty, winter commuting, dog walking in a frost and camping in shoulder season. Some versions come fleece or borg-lined, which adds a layer of comfort against the skin that down jackets rarely match. For a touchline in January, that combination is hard to argue with.
Be clear about what it is not. This is insulation, not a waterproof. Depending on the variant, the outer is showerproof at best, and in sustained rain you will want a shell over the top. Mountain Warehouse publishes lab-tested temperature figures for Isotherm jackets, and those should be read as laboratory results rather than promises – activity level, how long you are outside and how much you sweat all change the answer. Taken as a warm, cheap, hard-wearing padded jacket, it is very good value. Treat it as a warm layer and buy a shell separately.
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Being seen is a safety feature, and this is the only jacket in the range that treats it as the main event.
The Adrenaline exists for one reason: visibility. The Iso-Viz fabric is highly reflective rather than merely trimmed with reflective tape, so headlights pick you up from a distance and from the side. For winter running, commuting by bike on unlit lanes or walking a dog along a road at dusk, that is worth more than another few hundred millimetres of waterproof rating. It is also a competent waterproof in its own right, with taped seams and a cut that is closer and more active than the rest of the range.
The waterproof rating is modest, so treat this as rain protection for an hour rather than a day. The silvery reflective finish is divisive in daylight and looks distinctly like performance kit, which is fine on a run and less so in a pub. And as with every waterproof worn during exercise, breathability is the limiting factor: you will finish a hard run damp from the inside. If your priority is being seen in the dark rather than surviving a day on the hill, none of that is a problem.
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The jackets with an IsoDry membrane and taped seams are waterproof in the sense that matters: water does not come through in sustained rain. What varies is the rating. Lower-rated jackets are built for light rain and will wet out in a downpour, while the higher-rated Extreme models hold up in proper weather.
Breathability is the plain weak point rather than waterproofing. Walk uphill in one of these and you will feel the humidity build, which is the usual trade-off at this price.
IsoDry is the waterproof and breathable membrane that keeps rain out. Isotherm is the insulation that keeps body heat in. They solve different problems and appear on different products, though 3-in-1 jackets often combine both in one package.
Usually yes, if you do not already own a decent mid-layer. You get a waterproof outer and a zip-in inner that can be worn on its own, which covers three seasons with one purchase. If you already have fleeces you like, a plain shell is lighter, cheaper and less bulky.
It runs roomier than most technical brands and closer to high street sizing. Most people take their usual size and find there is space for a layer underneath. Sleeves can run long, which is the most frequent fit complaint.
For summer and shoulder-season walking on marked paths, the higher-rated jackets and IsoGrip boots are adequate and plenty of people use them for exactly that. For winter conditions, exposed ridges or anything where being wet and cold becomes a safety problem rather than an inconvenience, buy a specialist shell instead.
Treat the range as well-priced kit for ordinary British weather rather than as technical mountain gear. Read the waterproof rating, pick the Extreme models when the weather might turn, reproof the jacket each season and you will get years of honest use out of a modest outlay.
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