Best Wet Weather Gear (2026)

There are two ways to get wet in a waterproof jacket: rain coming in, and sweat not getting out. A good work waterproof balances both, and the numbers on the label tell you which way a jacket leans.

Waterproof ratings in millimetres

Fabric waterproofness is measured as a hydrostatic head: how tall a column of water the fabric holds back before it seeps through. Around 1,500mm is the point a fabric can be called waterproof. That copes with drizzle. Steady rain wants 5,000mm and above. Kneeling on a wet roof or leaning on a wet scaffold tube pushes water through the fabric under pressure, so for that 10,000mm and up is where the serious jackets sit. Cheap jackets often quote no figure at all; if the listing says water resistant rather than waterproof, it means showerproof. Then look at the seams. Every needle hole is a leak until it is taped on the inside, and taped seams are the single feature that separates the Helly Hansen Workwear Voss Rain Jacket (around £80) and Portwest F440 Hi-Vis Iona Classic Rain Jacket (around £35) from a jacket that wets out at the shoulders in the first hour.

Breathability and the EN 343 label

Breathability is how fast sweat vapour passes out through the fabric. A polyurethane-coated jacket like the Helly Hansen Workwear Impertech Waterproof Jacket (around £100) is close to impermeable in both directions, which is why it is used in fish processing and chemical handling and why it will steam you in a mild shower if you are carrying blocks. Laminated fabrics let vapour out while blocking water. EN 343 is the European standard for rain protection and puts two numbers on the label: water penetration resistance first, then water vapour resistance, each on a class scale where higher is better. A jacket marked 3:1 keeps water out well but breathes poorly. Not every work jacket carries the mark, so where it is missing go by the fabric type and the reviews.

Hi-vis waterproofs

Hi-vis certification is EN ISO 20471, separate from waterproofing, so check for both. The Portwest S466 Hi-Vis Waterproof Traffic Jacket (around £40) is the roadside cut with reflective banding high on the body and a zip-off hood. The Portwest H440 Lightweight Hi-Vis Rain Jacket (around £30) and the Portwest H440 Lightweight Hi-Vis Rain Jacket Orange (around £30) are the same packable shell in yellow and in orange for sites that specify orange. The Portwest H445 Hi-Vis Waterproof Long Raincoat (around £35) is a thigh-length coat rated to the American ANSI Class 3 standard, so confirm EN ISO 20471 on the listing before relying on it for a UK site. The navy F440 has reflective tape but is not a hi-vis colour. The Portwest C465 Hi-Vis 3-in-1 Waterproof Contrast Jacket (around £70) gives you a shell and a zip-in fleece, but the yellow and black colourway is not always certified, so check.

Scaffolders and roofers versus delivery drivers

At height the jacket has to work under a harness. That means a shell that is not so bulky the straps sit wrong, a hood that fits over a hard hat without blocking your side view, and a length that does not ride up under the harness and let rain into your waistband. A long coat like the H445 is wrong up a ladder because it catches your knees. The one-piece Portwest S585 Hi-Vis Waterproof Winter Work Overalls (around £60) close the gap between jacket and trousers entirely, at the price of stripping off to use the toilet and overheating if you are grafting. Our scaffolders' wet weather guide and roofers' waterproof jacket guide cover the harness and hard hat problems in detail. Delivery and multi-drop drivers have the opposite need: a jacket that goes on and off forty times a day and dries on the seat between drops. The H440 packs into its own chest pocket and dries fast. For client-facing trades the black Helly Hansen Workwear Manchester Waterproof Rain Jacket (around £90) is heavy-duty without looking like site kit.

Keeping it waterproof

Water beading off the outer fabric is a durable water repellent finish, and it wears off with dirt and washing. When a jacket starts to soak at the surface, wash it in a technical wash rather than household detergent, then reproof with a wash-in or spray treatment. Cement dust, mud and diesel kill the finish faster than rain does, so the site jacket needs this more often than the cab jacket.