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The Winter Anorak is once again an exciting addition to the Soar collection. Its special feature: the unique STORM material and the cap construction.
Anzeige: The manufacturer provided me with the product for this test at my request. This had no influence on the content of my test report. The article is freely written and exclusively reflects my personal experiences.
Inhalt / Content
Soar Winter Anorak
First Impression
This type of jacket is completely new at Soar. However, the Winter Anorak cleverly combines existing elements from other garments. For its suitability as a winter and rain jacket, the material is essential: Soar calls it “Storm” and it is the same fabric that the All Weather Jacket is already made of.
Its special feature: the protection against rain and the simultaneously very, very good breathability is not based on the use of a membrane. The yarn itself is treated to make it water-repellent, then woven, shrunk and the resulting fabric is once again protected against water.
This results in excellent weather protection without the plastic bag effect of other rain jackets. Unlike the All Weather Jacket, the Winter Anorak does not have a full-length zip, but is put on and taken off over the head. In this way, the construction minimises a possible weak point for wind and rain penetration.
The second upgrade over the All Weather Jacket is the hood. So far, I haven’t put much emphasis on this in any of my jackets because, to be honest, it usually gets in the way more than it helps. Unless it is as well constructed as this one. 😉
The hood of the Soar Winter Anorak fits perfectly around the head and follows every movement without slipping. The short zip at the front can be adjusted to make it tighter or wider. In any case, it not only provides excellent protection against rain, but also prevents the head from cooling down.
When the hood is not in use, it doesn’t bother the neck at all. With the zip closed, it almost feels like a tube scarf.
The Winter Anorak also has the same drawstring as the latest version of the Windbreaker. The straps can be reached from the outside and are easily adjustable at any time. In the back, a narrow flap remains below the tunnel, which results in a very good fit of the anorak: the bottom remains well covered at all times.
Of course, thumbholes on the sleeves and the back pocket, which I have often praised, are also standard with Soar. In addition to the Napoleon pocket on the chest, this provides a second transport option. The front pocket is ideal for carrying a mobile phone, while I would rather pack gloves and food in the back pocket.
Running experience
For a garment in this price range, I was hoping for the widest possible range of uses. This is already given by the ingenious material alone: in mild temperatures it can be worn very comfortably directly on the skin and then later in the year it can be gradually fitted with thicker layers.
In contrast to the All Weather Jacket, however, the full-length zip for manual climate regulation is missing. In practice, I found that this seems to be completely unnecessary. 😉 Even on runs where I underestimated the thermal performance of the Anorak, I didn’t miss the zip once.
What surprised me most was the comfort while running. I’m not quite sure what is so different about the fit compared to the All Weather Jacket, but somehow the Anorak feels even more comfortable. The stretchiness of the material certainly contributes to this.
Running with a hood also worked surprisingly well for me. If the ears weren’t covered, I could almost forget I was wearing one. I almost felt as if Tim Soar had taken my head as a template for the shape of the cap, that’s how well the facial closure fits. So I’ve been using the hood not only in rain showers, but also happily against the cold. In both scenarios, the Soar Winter Anorak works perfectly for me.
Conclusion
