I am sincerely conflicted about Craghoppers Madigan Long Jacket, from the very fact that to me a long jacket is by its very nature a coat?

Anyway, I’m going to try and avoid being pedantic and present you with the facts about what is largely a decent jacket, particularly for the price bracket its competing in – but which does have some issues you should be aware of before you consider buying it. Firstly you need to know what this jacket is not: it’s not a technically superior jacket that any serious climber, mountain walker or long-term outdoor-active person would necessarily choose.

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So who is the Craghoppers Madigan Long Jacket designed for?

Well, in my opinion it is suitable – even ideal – for lowland dog walkers, anyone looking for a fairly tidy waterproof coat for being about town in a downpour, a mum on a wet school run. I.e., someone wanting a smart looking, genuinely waterproof coat at a reasonable cost…

And now to make your buying choice as simple as possible here are the pros and cons of this jacket, which I have been wearing for about 3 months, in all weather conditions (apart from snow): -

Craghoppers Madigan Long Jacket Pros: 

• This jacket is available in colours other than black! I like black, prefer all my outdoor clothing to be black, but am aware that many people find black boring. So, it’s nice to have a colour range to choose from
• Craghoppers offer a lifetime guarantee on this coat… you can’t really ask for more of a guarantee than that, and most outdoor kit manufacturers offer no such thing
• The coat proved itself to be 100% waterproof as advertised and is supposedly made from a breathable fabric too (however, see also cons!)
• It has more pockets than a pool table including 3 that I only just discovered when closely examining the construction of the coat for the purposes of this review
• So, as marketed, this coat really does offer hidden pockets to keep your valuables safe!

• It’s very well put together – I am remarkably impressed with the manufacturing quality
• It has a nice soft inner collar to keep your neck and chin protected from jacket chafing

• It’s surprisingly warm (however, see also cons!)

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Craghoppers Madigan Long Jacket Cons: 

• I’m super nesh – I hate the cold. [Ed: I had to look up 'Nesh'] However, unless you’re prepared to go naked beneath this coat (sorry, this long jacket) or only wear it when the weather is really on the cool side, you risk sweating like a monkey. This could be considered a bonus if in this country it only rained in the winter. However, as it rains in Britain during all four seasons, you will need an alternative waterproof coat/jacket for spring/summer wear.
• And to that end I refute the product’s marketing angle that it’s made from breathable fabric. I wore it on a mild day, (certainly not a hot or even a warm day), and went for a long walk in the pouring rain, and when I got back to the car I was discernibly damp beneath my coat – from sweaty condensation. Not a problem if it’s cold outside – but a problem during milder weather in my opinion.
• I hate the hood. Note this is really a personal preference and I therefore recommend you try this jacket on and test the hood before ruling it in or out. However, the reason why I hate this hood is because I only like massively adjustable hoods that give me, my hair and face the maximum protection possible from the rain. I.e., I really only like the sort of technically complex hoods you find on a mountain jacket in a stratospherically different price bracket. This particular hood has some adjustability, is removable and has a peak all in its favour – but whilst it kept most of my ponytailed hair dry, my whole face was afforded no shelter or protection from the rain and that really, really irritated me.
• It’s made from very noisy material and lacks a certain amount of feminine specific styling (it’s a bit baggy and unflattering)

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Technical information from Craghoppers

You may find the following information from the manufacturer useful when considering whether to make a purchase or not:

• Waterproof, breathable, taped seams and water tight construction
• Designed for moderate to heavy downpours
• Waterproof: 15,000MM
• Breathable: 20,000g/m 2/24hrs
• Adjustable cuffs and waist
• Stormflaps, O/S map pocket

My conclusions

If you’re looking for a well-priced, well-made, smart-ish looking coat (a long jacket is a coat…why call it anything else?) that’s most certainly waterproof and which comes with a lifetime guarantee I’d take a very close look at Craghoppers Madigan Long Jacket.

But if you’re looking for something more technical or for a 4 season waterproof, look elsewhere.

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