At a glance
Plusses: Lightweight, packable, environmentally-friendly, price.
Minuses: Fabric is not as durable as others.

Weight 286g (m), 246g (w)

Features: Made with Marmot’s NanoPro fabric – a very light 2.5-layer recycled nylon, it has a dry-touch finish on the interior to reduce the clammy next-to-skin feeling and a cosy soft-touch chin guard. It is fully seam sealed and the roll-away hood can be adjusted with side drawcords and a rear Velcro flap. The front zipper exterior storm flap is made extra storm-tight with four Velcro patches running its length, and a dome button at the bottom. This main zipper and the pit zips are protected by double storm flaps. The zippers don’t have an extra length of cord or a longer tab attached to make finding them easy – I struggled to find and grip them, especially when wearing gloves.

Fit: The jacket has a loose, formless fit that will accommodate most body shapes. It doesn’t feel restrictive while wearing an insulated mid-layer beneath and the hem and sleeves tended to stay put when I outstretched my arms. The hood is over large but still maintains its shape when tightened. 4/5

Comfort: Marmot claims the Precip Eco is 43 per cent more breathable than the original Precip. I’ll take Marmot’s word because outside a laboratory, there’s no way to really test this. Like with every raincoat, I did get hot and sweaty and that’s when I appreciated the pit zips which allowed extra venting, though even with those opened the jacket felt clammy when I perspired.

In use: This jacket (like all those tested) kept me dry in some very heavy downpours, so in that regard, it does its main job perfectly. Storm flaps throughout ensure rain can’t easily seep through vulnerable zips. It has a large volume hood which can be rolled away beneath the collar. It’s a good design, maintaining its shape and protection of the face when tightened. The side hood drawcords are difficult to operate single-handedly, especially while wearing gloves. Simple rear hood adjustment is made with a Velcro tab that effectively lifts the peak so it doesn’t block your vision.

The mesh-lined pockets are large enough to hold a map and are genuinely pack-friendly in that they can be used with a pack hipbelt done up tight. I found the main zipper caught occasionally on the storm flap, perhaps due to the four Velcro closures which keep it lying flat. The jacket packs into its own pocket, but because the fabric is so light it might not take a lot of rough and tumble.

Value: At this price, you can’t go wrong. Not only is it an ‘eco-friendly’ jacket that packs down small, but it keeps the wet out and does so in comfort.

Verdict: If you want to increase your green credentials and not spend the earth doing it, this is the jacket for you.