Passenger Eclipse Insulated Waterproof Jacket review: a stylish coat for winter warmth

An insulated waterproof jacket provides protection against the drink, while also holding onto body heat, making it an ideal garment for the winter months. However, it’s won't be the ideal jacket for active pursuits like hillwalking or mountaineering. This is because its all-or-nothing design offers little flexibility when it comes to layering. If you’re working up a sweat during a long ascent in wet, windy and warm conditions, you’ll want the benefit of a waterproof shell without loads of insulation, otherwise you'd overheat. This is why hikers’ waterproofs tend not to be insulated.

However, an insulated waterproof is perfect for more relaxed activities: we’re thinking camping trips, easier walks, decorating the town square's Christmas tree and general life during the colder months. This fall, I was delighted to test and review such a jacket in Passenger’s new Eclipse Insulated Waterproof Jacket. Passenger have been growing in popularity in recent years, having been founded in 2012 by Richard and Alexa Sutcliffe and inspired by the great outdoors of America’s Pacific Northwest.

The brand is committed to sustainability, planting a tree for every order that’s placed, and creating its apparel from recycled materials. Its clothing is certainly in fashion at the moment, while pieces of its Activewear Collection having been adding a splash of color to the hills and mountains too.

First impressions

My two first impressions were that the jacket looked great but also that it was rather on the large size. I’m a UK Small and my initial thought was that the Eclipse felt a tad too big at the arms and hem, while there was quite a lot of space beneath the front of the jacket. And this was while already wearing a jumper underneath. Unless I was off to the Arctic Circle, it’s unlikely I’d need more layers under what’s already a nicely insulated jacket, so this space for layers seems unnecessary.

However, by tightening up the drawcord on the hem and adjusting the Velcro on the cuffs, I suddenly felt more at home. As mentioned, it has a stylish aesthetic, and I could well imagine myself wearing it both in town and in the backcountry. The interior fabric is wonderfully soft, especially around the chin where there are lovely fleecy panels. So, perhaps a little large but certainly a joy to wear.

Meet the expert

Alex Foxfield

Alex is a Mountain Leader and former President of the London Mountaineering Club. He has a great passion for the high places and enjoys a range of activities, whether he's mountain running the English Lake District, scaling alpine peaks on mainland Europe, getting his teeth into the Scottish Highlands during winter or camping in North Wales.

Fabrics

Passenger has teamed up with Thermore for the jacket’s insulation, using 100% recycled Ecodown. In this case, the “down” doesn’t come from ducks or geese but from recycled PET bottles – perhaps Thermore should have called it Ecosynthentic, but it doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it?

By using post-consumer plastic bottles, Ecodown gives what would otherwise be landfill a new lease of life, making for a sustainable alternative to traditional down. One advantage of this kind of synthetic insulation is that no living creatures are exploited, which means it’s a suitable option for vegans. The material is bluesign approved and meets the Global Recycled Standard. Generally, products featuring synthetic insulation are less packable than down equivalents, but you’re unlikely to need to stuff the Eclipse into a hiking backpack anyway, so this isn’t much of an issue here.

The laminated, 2-layer polyester face fabric is also crafted from recycled materials, with a DWR coating for water resistance. While the jacket has ‘Waterproof’ in its name, the term waterproof can apply to quite a wide spectrum when it comes to a fabric's ability to repel the drink. In this case, Passenger say that it’s ‘tested to light rain waterproof rating’. So, don’t expect it to perform like a Gore-Tex Pro jacket but do expect a decent level of protection from showers and the like.

Passenger have employed Bemis tape for the taped seams. Like Patagonia and Cotopaxi, among others, Bemis is a member of 1% for the planet, so it pledges 1% of its profits to environmental causes. It’s also a member of the Conservation Alliance, whose mission it is to engage businesses to fund and partner with organizations to protect wild places for recreation value and for the habitats they contain.

Features

As well as its high quality, recycled materials, the Eclipse also comes with a range of nice features. The hem, cuffs and hood are all adjustable, allowing you to cinch everything in when Jack Frost comes calling. The hem tightens with an elasticated drawcord that’s adjustable from tabs on both sides of the jacket. Similarly, the hood features a concealed drawcord, while the peak is stiffened to stop water dripping down into the wearer’s face. Velcro tabs enable fuss-free adjustment at the cuffs.

There’s a quartet of zippered pockets: two handwarmers, one external chest pocket and an internal chest pocket. The exterior pockets and the main front zipper feature branded zip pulls, making them easy to grab when wearing gloves. The zippers in question are YKK, so you can expect plenty of durability.

On the trails

Passenger say the Eclipse is “inspired by road trips into canopy covered wilderness”. So, naturally, I was keen to test it out on the kind of woodland trails that were its muse, as well as wearing it for everyday activities.

The jacket was a wonderfully comfortable and warm option for easy fall strolls during the colder months. I adore the soft, fleecy panel at the top of the jacket, which feels great against the neck and chin. Above all, it’s a cozy jacket that I always looked forward to getting into on frigid days.

As mentioned, it’s not a jacket for active pursuits, nor is it meant to be – I’d quickly overheat on any sort of long uphill pull, having to open up the front zip or remove the jacket entirely to let some cold air in.

In terms of its waterproof credentials, I was impressed with the jacket’s ability to bat away moderately heavy rain. Thanks to the DWR coating, water beaded on the surface, maintaining the jacket’s ability to breath. In time, this will need reapplied with Nikwax or similar – though this is the case with most waterproof jackets.

On really chilly days, I had one qualm with the jacket’s otherwise excellent warming qualities. The Ecodown insulation sits behind the hand warmer pockets, rather than in front of them, making them more like hand cooler pockets. There’s just a thin layer of polyester separating the cold air and my hands. So, when it’s really cold, I’d grab my hiking gloves too.

As mentioned, I felt the Eclipse was a little on the large size for a small. During the test period, I even let my visiting brother-in-law borrow it for a day trip to the zoo. He’s usually a medium or even a large. Nevertheless, the Eclipse fitted him nicely, seemingly tailored more towards his size than mine. So, I’d recommend going a size up if you want a more tailored look.