Paramo Men's Helki Waterproof Breathable Jacket

Nice jacket. Breathable but warm. Comfortable. Good range of movement. Expensive though.

Loved the jacket but the zip jammed.

This is the most waterproof coat I've ever had. I've been in torrential rain for over an hour and not a drop came through.

This is my go-to jacket for the colder months (Nov through to March). It's the usual Paramo Analogy fabric system - an uncoated polyester outer windproof shell, the "pump liner" which is a thin furry fleece sort of stuff (not that you can see it on this jacket) and then a sheer lining. It's all treated with Nikwax. It's works pretty well as a waterproof. I've been out all day in absolutely terrible rain, hammering down and blown by strong winds on a mountain ridge and I've been dry enough.It's about as breathable as these things get. Don't expect miracles, it's not magic. If you overdress and get steaming hot, hiking up a hill, you're gonna sweat of course. However it will generally shift that sweat to the outside. It can't do that if it's covered with say a rucksack and so you will get a damp back - but then you'd get that in cotton t-shirt and you can't get more breathable than that.The hood is excellent. I didn't realise how important that was until I bought this. The soft nature of the fabric means it's hugs your head and you can look left and right and it turns with you. The peak is wired and it keeps wind and rain off you really well.The pockets are OK. I found I get a bit of condensation on my phone because it's moving that sweat through the pockets but certainly they keep the rain out.I started off wearing it on a wet January day with a merino baselayer and 100 gsm fleece and within a mile I was baking hot and thinking I'd made a mistake buying it. Next time I wore just a thin synthetic running shirt and the jacket and temperature and sweat control was nigh on ideal. That made me realise that these things are like a softshell rather than just a waterproof shell.They have the fleece layer in them, so don't wear another fleece unless weather demands it. If you dress right and the weather is suitable then the idea is to wear it all day - not rolled up in your pack. Then the extra weight doesn't matter but you benefit from not worrying about rain coming and going or having to wear a windproof.Venting is one area that's sadly lacking. Pretty much all the other Paramo jackets have pit zips. I wish this one did too but I think that's the way they segment their range - they make versions that seem to be this jacket with more venting options like the Alta III or the Enduro mountain jacket.. I got the Helki mostly due to the lower cost (I got it very cheap) but if money wasn't the issue then I see no reason to get the Helki other those jackets.Heat management is something that is an issue with Paramo Analogy jackets. You cannot get away from the fact that it's effectively a shell and lightweight fleece combined so you lose the flexibility of the 3-layer system of baselayer, insulation layer, and shell. If you wear it in temperatures, or during heat-producing activities, that don't merit a fleece then you will get too hot - hence the effort Paramo put into venting on their jackets in general. In cold, wet winter weather this is usually fine and in fact works better than anything else IMO because you just stick the jacket on over a suitable base-layer and wear it all day. Simple. Now you're proofed against the cold, wind and rain, won't suffer from condensation and have a soft, quiet, comfortable clothing system. But if it's that muggy UK weather where you need a waterproof but would only wear a light base under that, then you'll be too hot and be looking to vent.The other thing to bear in mind is multi-day use in backpacking. With the layer system, if you get into your tent after heavy rain then you usually have a waterproof shell which is soaking on the outside and a bit sweaty on the inside and then your base/fleece layers a bit sweaty. You take off your shell before you get in and stick it in the eaves of the tent, any dampness on your other layers goes fairly quick and you keep the inside of the tent dry - fastidiously in my case as I hate being damp.With the Paramo you will have a wet jacket - effectively your shell and fleece combined. If you take that off you need to put on something insulating or you'll be cold - so that's extra weight to carry, plus you face putting on a jacket ,that is still somewhat heavy with rain, the following morning. In other words your insulator is also wet and of course attacked to the wet shell. So whilst you can say Paramo is a shell+fleece therefore you're able to leave the fleece at home and not pay a weight penalty, it's not that simple. HOWEVER Paramo's system does overcome this somewhat in that it is surprisingly good at drying out with body-heat given a bit of time. So the trick is not to remove it but leave it on until it dries. This means staying damp and making the tent damper for a bit but if it works then you end up with everything dry. In cold weather, where you need extra insulators anyway (like a down jacket in your tent for example) then Paramo have another trick for that - they sell jackets or gillets that are designed to be work OVER the waterproofs. These too are treated with Nikwax and also push moisture outwards and so you can pop one of these over your whole wet outfit and an hour later you should be amazed to find you are dry underneath whilst having been warm too.Anyway, you get the idea. Probably way too much info but worth thinking about. For day walking it's simple but multi-day hiking require a bit of thought.

I'm an avid walker so I bought this jacket because Paramo state "Nikwax Analogy® is more than just breathable, it is directional, moving liquid water" It also states that "conventional breathable membrane waterproof fabrics fail because they cannot remove all of the sweat we produce when we are working hard, especially in cold and wet conditions. Therefore condensation and icing are well known problems experienced with membrane rainwear.Nikwax Analogy® overcomes these problems because it is not only breathable, but also directional. The Analogy fabric system directs condensation and perspiration away from the body, where it can safely drain away". So with enthusiasm I bought this jacket expecting great results but to my dismay and wearing a 100% merino 200g base layer in temperatures from 0° to 12° at a keen walking pace I immediately start sweating and in no time feels quite uncomfortable. I think their advert is quite misleading. The jacket is probably ok if you're taking the dog for a leisurely walk or your keen amateur photographer or going on a ramble with friends then it's probably ok but don't buy it if you're a serious walker. I now have so many jackets in my possession in the hope of getting a really waterproof jacket that breathes but I've come to the conclusion it's not possible even though these companies keep coming up with outrageous claims. Here is the reply from Paramo contact manager when I complained."As discussed on the phone. No matter how breathable a garment is it will not stop you from sweating or getting over heated if you are working hard. Our fabrics can move moisture away from the skin better than membraned fabrics can but you will never feel completely dry if you are sweating. You said that you were sweating quite a bit in the jacket last time I had spoken to you. Have you washed the jacket yet with Techwash? If not the perspiration in the fabrics will already be affecting the performance of the jacket".So in other words you will sweat in this jacket if you're working hard and yet it seems to contradict their advertisement about this Jacket being so breathable compared with others.