Meet the tester
Soar Nano Rain Jacket: first impressions
The proprietary EPIC-3L membraned fabric is the Soar Nano Rain Jacket’s claim to fame, providing excellent breathability and waterproofness thanks to nano-sized holes in the internal membrane.
• List price: £375 (UK) / $475 (USA)
• Weight (L): 242g / 8.5oz
• Colors: Black / Green
• Fabric: EPIC-3L
• Sizes: S-L
• Compatibility: Wet, cold and windy weather on trails and roads, any distance.
This running jacket (available to buy from Hardloop) is superbly waterproof, with the obligatory taped seams and a DWR (Durable Water Repellency) coating both in the yarn and over the fabric, and it should remain so for long-term use.
The hem drawcord slightly above the base of the fabric is a nice touch for preventing water from dripping down into your backside. The large hood is adjustable too, with a popper to secure it down when not in use.
To fully batten yourself down against the elements the cuffs could do with Velcro closures rather than partial elastication. The single zipped rear pocket is still accessible when wearing an ultra running pack and the zipper is long enough to be used with gloves on, which makes it strange that the main zipper is tiny – it could do with an extender cord for running glove compatibility.
The weight is very low, but the price is very high – owing to the way it’s manufactured in Portugal, using ethical working conditions and pay, and the greenest production processes Soar can adhere to.
Soar Nano Rain Jacket: on the trails
I used this jacket when it started to get dark, cold, wet and rainy on the Arc of Attrition 50 mile ultra this January down in Cornwall.
I deliberately ordered a size L so I could take it on and off easily by wearing it over my running pack, which is something I do if the weather is changeable because (in my 30 years of outdoors experience) no waterproof jacket is truly breathable. Yes, they can be slightly breathable and the soft, inner fabric (usually gray, known as the scrim) feels comfy against your skin even when damp, but the moment you start to get too hot in a waterproof jacket, you need to either vent it (via the main zip, pit zips or cuffs) or just take it off altogether.
So it does annoy me when brands write things like this, “Nano-sized perforations on the internal membrane let you run at your maximum without building up moisture levels inside.” Unless it’s a freezing cold day or you’re a very low sweater, you are going to get soggy at max effort from your own sweat inside this jacket just like any others.
I certainly did on the Arc when I first put it on in the shelter of St Ives, but I was glad of the lightweight windproofness and waterproofness of the Nano Rain Jacket when back on the exposed South West Coast Path.
It needs a longer zipper on the main zip for easier use with gloves, and Velcro cuffs so you can batten down all the hatches in bad weather. I like the sustainability and ethics of Soar as a brand and it’s a very comfy wear and a nice fit despite it not being women’s specific, but there are other waterproof jackets with slightly better features for ultra runners.
