Sprayway Cateran Insulated Jacket Review

The Sprayway Cateran Jacket is an insulated jacket that is built for the cold, damp conditions of a British winter. We found it to be plenty warm on our Scottish adventures but the fit could do with some tweaks.

The Cateran jacket uses ThermoSphere blown insulation which Sprayway claim offers similar levels of loft and comfort to down but isn’t as succeptbale to clumping in damp conditions so could be the perfect choice for a damp winters walk.

£220 | Buy from Sprayway

4/5

Highs:

  • Very warm

  • DWR coated fabric for weather proofing

  • Fleece lined pockets

Lows:

  • Heavy

  • Large pack size

Lowdown:

  • TecSHELL™ Loft 40D polyamide ripstop fabric with a PFC Free DWR is highly water resistant, light and tough

  • ThermoSphere blown insulation for down like feel and loft. 195g body, 138g sleeves and 47g hood & collar

  • Stitch through baffle construction

  • Grown on, fully adjustable hood with a wired peak

  • External hang loop

  • Reversed centre front zip with inner insulated placket

  • 2 zipped hand pockets with insulated plackets, 1 large internal stretch mesh stash pocket and 1 zipped inner pocket

  • Adjustable cuffs

  • Adjustable split hem drawcords

  • Size: S - XXL

The outer of the jacket is made from a 40D polyamide ripstop fabric which we found shrugged off thorny bushes and sharp rocks with ease and didn’t notice any pulled threads. This durability does come at a cost in terms of pack size however; it takes up significantly more volume than a lighter weight, down filled equivalent so it might not be a great candidate for fast and light missions in the mountains. It’s also considerably heavier than a down filled equivalent.

The insulation is held in place inside 8 baffles on the body and arms of the jacket and a number over the shoulders; we experienced no clumping or cold spots which is excellent. Sprayway have filled the body with 195g of insulation, the sleeves with 138g and 47g are found in the hood and collar which contributed to a general feeling of warmth even in the coldest temperatures we could muster (-8).

The Jacket dealt reasonably well with high levels of activity, with only a small amount of perspiration noticeable down the back of the jacket but rapidly cleared when we stopped or opened the zip a little. It was perfect on lower intensity activities where we were stopping and starting more.

The fleece lined pockets were very much appreciated when the temperatures plummeted which are further protected from the elements with thin baffles. The hood was also funcitonal and the velcro tab on the rear allowed for a degree of adjustability and the wired peak allowed rain to drip off the DWR coated fabric.

Overall, we found the Sprayway Cateran jacket to be a strong performer given its features and value. It’s more suited to bitingly cold temperatures as the pack size is quite large or lower intensity activities such as a chilly dog walk or sitting around camp in the evening.

Gear ReviewsMatt BuckleyJackets, Down Jacket, Hiking, Gear Review