With the LightHeart Gear Silpoly rain jacket, I would like to introduce you to a completely non-breathable alternative. This may sound strange at first, as people usually look for a breathable rain jacket. However, this doesn’t necessarily meet my requirements, as I usually sweat so much myself that it’s not worth it for me to stay dry – with or without a jacket.
For me, the only function a rain jacket has to fulfill is to keep out the wind and keep my body warm. The LightHeart Gear Silpoly rain jacket fulfills this criterion perfectly for my needs.
If you’re wondering where you heard the term Silpoly from, Silpoly is now often used in tarps and tents as an alternative to Silnylon or expensive Dyneema, which have been tried and tested for years. In terms of its properties, it lies somewhere between the two materials.
- It absorbs less moisture than Silnylon, but more than Dyneema.
- It is less sensitive to friction than Dyneema, but more than Silnylon.
- The weight is lower than Silnylon but higher than Dyneema.
The Durston X-Mid 1 Solid that I presented, for example, has an outer tent made from Silpoly and the inner tent from Silnylon.
Test size
I bought the jacket in fall 2022 and had it with me on several multi-day hikes by the time this review was published (January 2024). I mostly wore it as a layer against the wind or in camp over the insulation layer for extra warmth. Of course, it has also withstood the odd rain shower. However, I haven’t had to wear it for days yet and it has survived the odd rain shower without any problems.
What I like about the LightHeart Gear Silpoly rain jacket
- low weight
- no need to waterproof it again
- large pitzips
- hardly absorbs any moisture
The LightHeart Gear Silpoly rain jacket impresses with its low heat build-up and minimal weight. If, like me, you are a bit lazy, you will also be pleased that the Silpoly rain jacket never needs to be waterproofed again.
I particularly like the generously dimensioned pitzips, through which it is possible to put your entire arms. Unfortunately, this was not possible with my Marmot SuperMica at the time. This allows me to wear the jacket like a vest, which I particularly like to do when it’s very windy. In combination with a Polartec Alpha Direct midlayer such as the FarPointe AlphaCruiser, it can get very warm very quickly.
The Silpoly material used hardly absorbs any moisture. In the evening at camp, I can simply wipe the jacket dry with a cloth and I have a dry layer that I can put on again.
What I don’t like about the LightHeart Gear Silpoly rain jacket
- shoddy workmanship
- You have to seal the seams yourself
- Sleeves a little too short for me
The workmanship of my jacket leaves a lot to be desired. There are a lot of seams that are not finished properly and the sewn-on hook tape is coming off and has to be sewn on again. One thing I could do without is the independent sealing of the seams, which is necessary to make the jacket really waterproof. I also think the sleeves are a little too short and the pockets are superfluous. In my opinion, they are cut in such a way that I wouldn’t put anything in them, especially because you can’t close them securely.
Conclusion
I really like the jacket. It is exactly the garment I would want for a multi-day tour, if it weren’t for the sleeves and pockets. From spring to early winter, a jacket that keeps me warm but not dry is enough for me. Only in winter would it be more important for me to be as dry as possible.
The build quality was poor, especially when you consider that the jacket currently costs €199 (as of December 2023). I hope that my model is an isolated case. I’m pretty sure I paid a little less for the jacket at the end of 2022. If I needed one right now, I’d probably bite the bullet and spend €50 more to look at the lighter and more breathable Montbell Versalite.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this could also be a nice DIY project. Silpoly 20D is not that expensive at under €10 per meter. So if you can sew, you should keep this in mind.
Note
I bought the featured products myself. This article was not sponsored by anyone, and although I try to be as objective as possible, this is only my subjective opinion of the products presented.
