Another factor that can be a great indication of product quality is the brand. Brands like Montane are of course extremely well known, especially for Breathable. The Quantum Eco shell does a great job of repelling a moderate amount rain, but no more. A downpour will (and did for me) soak through the Pertex and leave you feeling a little damp. I feel grateful my body was engineered with its own waterproof shell layer!

Montane Ground Control Jacket - Walk/Hike from LD Mountain Montane Ground Control Jacket - Walk/Hike from LD Mountain

The zippers have being fitted with fairly coarse zip which I really like as they helps to reduce that irritating cloggin and snagging caused by dirt and grit. A coarse zipper, little chance of clogging. PrimaLoft® Silver insulation in the hood, hips and over the shoulders will help you through cold and damp winter belays, all at an incredible warmth to weight ratio. the Montane Icarus is a capable mid-layer that will protect you keep you warm in some pretty cold temperatures.To give that price some context we then looked at all of the products available from Go Outdoors in the Breathable category. We found 24 items in total. What’s the price of Breathable?

Jackets - live for the outdoors Best Synthetic Insulated Jackets - live for the outdoors

When buying Breathable, the quality of the product is going to be one of the factors that you really scrutinise before you commit to buying. In addition to the elasticated hem, there’s a small press stub that’s handy if you’re trying to close the zip in high winds. There are however some methods that you can use to determine a product’s quality without needing to physically have it.Breathability: This is strongly related to insulation type. Synthetic insulation that mimics down is less breathable than the thinner panel insulation. It's also important to consider shell and lining material too. Pure nylon fabrics are not as breathable as those that use stretch and fleece-type fabrics. It is primarily going to be used as an outer layer for belaying/general warmth, however thanks to the relatively trim fit, you're able to slip a shell over the top without an issue if the weather turns foul. It can also be used as an over-layer when stopping to have lunch, coffee etc.