Berghaus Hyper 140 lightweight running jacket review: ready to take on stormy mountain runs

Berghaus Hyper 140: first impressions

The Berghaus Hyper 140 is a seriously good waterproof jacket, lightweight and with a lot of good, useful features. You can throw it in your pack and not notice it’s there, then pull it out when the rain starts safe in the knowledge that the 2.5-layer Hydroshell Elite will protect you wonderfully well. 

The hood, while only elasticated not adjustable, benefits from a slightly stiffened peak, and the zip pulls on the water resistant YKK AquaGuard main zip and two side pocket zips are long and large enough to be used easily when wearing running gloves. 

A storm flap behind the main zip also helps prevent water getting inside even during extended periods of heavy rain, and the inside pocket is useful for storing smaller items. The cuffs and hem are elasticated but fit-wise this jacket has plenty of room for movement while running in both the men’s fit and the women’s version.

Berghaus say that the lightweight fabric doesn’t compromise on durability but we would still be careful with this jacket when running through brambles and sharp vegetation (as with all jackets in our best lightweight running jackets buyer’s guide). 

Overall, it’s a winning combination of light weight, comfort and rain protection. The jacket meets all FRA and ultra distance race requirements. 

Berghaus Hyper 140: on the trails

We found this was great jacket for stuffing into our pack when heading off into the Lake District mountains for a good long run, whatever the weather. 

The fit is nice and roomy, with plenty of space to pump the arms on steep ascents and flail them around on descents. We found the Hydroshell Elite fabric nice and comfortable next to the skin and that – combined with the elasticated hood and storm flap – prevented us from getting wet from rain. 

The hood did gape a little at the sides, though, so we would rather have a little bit of adjustment on that, rather than the two extra side pockets. In fact, we think Berghaus could even save more weight and ditch those two side pockets – most runners will be wearing a pack, and only a chest pocket is really needed. 

The provided stuff sack is a nice touch but we didn’t use it, as it takes a while to force the jacket inside when all you really want to do is carry on running once the rain has stopped. Just shoving this tiny jacket into a side pocket works really well – we use the bag for keeping a headlamp, its charger and spare batteries together.