If you’ve been looking for an everyday spring jacket that won’t cost the earth – you’ve just found it

Didriksons is a Swedish brand dating from 1913, known for making waterproof and windproof jackets. Originally, the company produced jackets for fishermen but has since grown to specialise in producing numerous items of functional outdoor clothing.

I’ve been wearing one of the company’s Dario waterproof jackets (there’s a Varja equivalent designed for women) and it’s been great during the changing seasons over the last few weeks. There were storms where I live last weekend and biblical rain as well – despite having been sunnier earlier in the day. It’s these kind of spring extremes this is a really great jacket for and what’s more, it’s relatively inexpensive at £110/€120.

Didriksons lists 15,000 mm water-column protection, so keeping dry was not an issue even in very wet conditions. As you’d expect there are standard inner and outer pockets with water-repellent zips and a chin-guard, an adjustable hood with brim and a comfortable hem drawcord and elastic cuffs.

One of the key features of the lightweight (520g) jacket is EcoLactam – a nylon material developed by Fibrant that uses the organic compound caprolactam and first tested a couple of years back. This PFAS-free material is super-durable yet has a much lower carbon footprint than other more conventional jacket materials – Didriksons says the process reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70 percent compared with conventional nylon. So it’s a great ‘green’ choice.

Dario is available in wide variety of sizes from XS to 3XL and is a straight fit. My colour is the yellow pollen. I think it could be brighter, but all the finishes are somewhat muted – the dark moss green is also a favourite of mine. There are also reflective areas, while the branding is subtle.

Overall, the Didriksons Dario is an extremely comfortable jacket to own and wear. While it isn’t an option for a cold winter day, it’s ideal for any conditions where any kind of inclement condition is a possibility.

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Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

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