Berghaus Ridge-Seeker Waterproof Jacket | Tested and reviewed

Featuring Gore-Tex’s new, more eco-friendly ePE membrane, the Berghaus Ridge-Seeker is a solid waterproof jacket with a minimum 28,000mm HH rating, a 3-layer design and some impressively protective features.

The 75-denier fabric feels chunky and robust, which adds to the sense of all-weather proficiency. You also get fully taped seams and loads of other waterproof-centric features, including a peaked hood, water-resistant zippers, sealed (non-mesh) pocket designs, and hook-and-loop wrist cuffs.

The Ridge-Seeker weighs 483g (men’s small), which is neither ultralight nor excessively heavy, and the cut is regular (not athletic), true-to-size and has space for layering underneath.

There are flaws. There’s way too much volume in the arms and the wrist cuffs are positively cavernous, meaning I have to over-stretch the Velcro tabs to seal them closed, and the rest of the arms have excess, bunched-up fabric.

The Ridge-Seeker is quite pricey too, and the new ePE fabric’s DWR might 'wet out' quicker than non-eco DWRs and require more regular re-proofing. The fabric’s breathability score is poor too, so it’s easy to over-heat.

But, putting these drawbacks aside, the Ridge-Seeker has good eco credentials, a comprehensive feature set and offers free repairs for life – so there’s still a lot to be impressed by.

Waterproofing and construction

This jacket feels reliably waterproof. The fabric has a certain robust, sturdy quality to it, providing a substantial barrier to rain courtesy of the 75-denier thickness. In-use, during test hikes in the wintry Lake District fells in December and January, I found the Ridge-Seeker jacket felt pretty protective, with rain beading on the surface nicely, keeping me dry during light downpours.

More time is needed to truly to test its long-term performance, including how quickly the DWR will “wet out”, but my initial impressions were decent enough.

Made from Gore-Tex’s new ePE membrane, this jacket has a minimum hydrostatic head rating of 28,000mm, which – by any standard – is an impressive, top-tier grade (although, annoyingly, Gore-Tex doesn’t state exact figures for specific versions of their fabrics).

You also get fully taped seams and loads of other waterproofing design features, such as a protective hood, water-resistant zippers, sealed (non-mesh) pockets, and hook-and-loop wrist cuff closure.

The construction technique is 3-layer too, which is commonly regarded as a more bombproof and durable approach than 2-layer or 2.5-layer waterproofs, which should (in theory) provide enhanced protection in atrocious weather.

The use of Gore-Tex’s new ePE membrane, which will soon become universal across Gore-Tex’s entire range, comes with pros and cons. It is far better for the environment, avoiding the use of harmful PFC chemicals in the manufacturing process, and Gore-Tex confidently claims there is no difference in performance between the new eco ePE fabric and the old ePTFE fabric.

Critics, however, are not necessarily convinced by this argument, claiming that ePE’s PFC-free DWRs don’t last as long, the fabric “wets out” quicker, are more vulnerable to performance drop-off caused by contaminants (e.g. dirt, mud, grime, sweat), and require more frequent re-proofing.

I’m somewhat undecided on this and the jury is, perhaps, still out – but it’s worth noting these concerns as a potential risk. Of course, many other rival waterproof fabrics also have PFC-free DWRs, and therefore come with the same potential drawback as Gore-Tex ePE, so it looks like we’ll all just have to get used to more regular re-proofing. Yawn.

Breathability and ventilation

I tend to always over-heat in a waterproof hard shell. I just find them clammy, even if all of the pit vents are open and the fabric has an exceptional breathability rating. None of this seems to make much difference for me.

When I’m hiking quickly in the mountains, my body is working hard, and I’ll always feel sweaty and hot inside a waterproof jacket. The shell will start to feel claustrophobic and plastic-y in such conditions, and ultimately I’ll end up a bit uncomfortable and flustered.

So, in my experience, it’s always best to take brands’ claims about breathability with a sizeable pinch of salt.

That said, the Berghaus Ridge-Seeker has a few nice design touches to help mitigate the walking-sweat-box scenario. Under each arm you get very long 40cm pit vents, with two-way zippers so you can micro-adjust the venting to your exact needs.

The main central zipper on the jacket is also two-way, meaning you can unzip from the bottom upwards, giving the jacket an airier, more open structure. These help a little, in my opinion, but for me they don’t make a huge difference – it’s still quite easy to over-heat in the Ridge-Seeker.

Perhaps this is the case because, according to Berghaus’s PR representative, the official breathability rating of the Ridge-Seeker’s Gore-Tex fabric is a RET of <20. Gore-Tex classify this as “breathable” – but it’s actually quite an average and disappointing rating.

For some hillwalkers this poor breathability performance will be deal-breaker and, for £350, it’s certainly not what you’d expect to see.

To analyse RET ratings a little more, here is some info from a scientific study of hikers known as the Hohenstein test.

This study states that a RET value of <20 is “satisfactory or breathable”, but also as “uncomfortable at a high activity rate”. So if you’re working hard, you will probably feel sweaty and clammy in this jacket.

The Ridge-Seeker’s rating is also two steps down from the Hohenstein test’s more premium grades: a RET of 0-6 is “extremely breathable” and “comfortable at a higher activity rate” while a RET of 6-13 is “very breathable” and “comfortable at a moderate activity rate”.

For comparison, the Tierra Nevado – which uses an older-style Gore-Tex ePTFE fabric – has a RET value of <6, which is a far superior rating to the Berghaus Ridge-Seeker.

Weight and packability

On my scales this jacket weighs 483g in a men’s small. In some ways I prefer a lighter, more minimalist waterproof, perhaps weighing around 300g and featuring an ultralight membrane technology such as Gore-Tex Paclite or Paclite Plus.

But these jackets are much better for the fairer weather of spring and summer, with less intense, shorter-lived downpours. In fact, 483g hits quite a nice balance for true 3-season use, including poor weather days in autumn with heavier, all-day precipitation.

It’s far from ultralight, but it’s definitely not excessively heavy either. For me, a jacket of this weight feels quite bombproof and protective, yet still with a touch of lightness and agility. It works quite well. During my Lake District test hikes, I never felt too weighed down in the Ridge-Seeker and I never found it too hefty or cumbersome – although it is perhaps a little boxy, rather than truly athletic or minimalist.

Packability is absolutely fine too. The jacket packs down quite compactly and won’t take up too much space in your backpack.

Size, fit, freedom of movement and comfort

In my experience, the Berghaus Ridge-Seeker fits true-to-size. I’m 178cm tall and weigh 66.5kg, with a slim, athletic build and the men’s small fits me well. I’d describe it as a regular cut, rather than an athletic or slim-fitting one, and there’s arguably a tad more room than in other men’s smalls from other brands.

It’s ever so slightly on the spacious side for me, but this works nicely for layering underneath. I like the all-round cut. It fits my shoulders and chest fine, and the “dropped” style cut offers good coverage over my backside and the top of my legs.

But I don’t like the cut of the arms. They are way too voluminous and the cuffs are so cavernous I could literally fit two of my hands in the gaping hole. This means that I have to over-stretch the Velcro tabs to seal the fit around my wrists, and the rest of the arms have quite a bit of bunched-up, extra saggy fabric.

Besides the arms issue, the fit is fine, however. It’s perhaps a tiny bit boxy for my liking and it’s less agile than I usually prefer, but overall I find the Berghaus Ridge-Seeker pretty comfy with decent freedom of movement. It’s not the comfiest ever, but I did have a positive experience wearing it.

Features: hood, pockets, wrist cuffs, zippers and waistband

I’m impressed by the feature set of the Berghaus Ridge-Seeker jacket. Everything you’d expect and hope for is present, and there aren’t any glaring omissions that I can see. The approach is quite standard – there isn’t anything radical or innovative here, but there’s no need to re-invent the wheel.

Berghaus has stuck to the usual playbook – adjustable hood, cinchable waist hem, Velcro wrist cuffs, large pit vents, water-resistant zippers and a quartet of pockets – and it’s a line-up of features that hits the mark excellently.

The wrist cuffs feature hook-and-loop Velcro tabs and they work well enough, although – as mentioned above – I find the cut of the arms way too voluminous, which is far from ideal. Another slight gripe is that, on my face at least, the gap for my face - created when the neck collar and hood are fully cinched-in – sits quite low on my face, exposing the chin.

This might be something to do with my face shape (I have quite a prominent chin), but I certainly prefer more comprehensive facial coverage from a hood. Because the hood is so large, there is quite a bit of bunched-up fabric too, when I fine-tune it to my fit my head, which slightly reduces comfort.

Despite these slight flaws, however, everything else works well. The hood, in fact, has a good design, nice shape, an excellent visor and three-way adjustment. The waist hem is adjustable via two drawcord toggles for a cinched-in fit.

You get two large 40cm pit vents, one under each arm, for enhancing air-flow and breathability, and each vent has two-way zippers. All of the jacket’s zippers are water-resistant. The central zipper works in both directions and is backed by a sturdy internal stormflap.

On my sample jacket, however, the central zipper had a tendency to snag and “catch” at the base, which was rather annoying – but this could just be an anomaly with my garment. In terms of pockets you get four: two handwarmer pockets, one external Napoleon pocket on the left-hand chest, and one internal zippered pocket for a phone.

Sustainability

In terms of its sustainability and environmental credentials, the Berghaus Ridge-Seeker performs quite well, but not exceptionally, across these metrics. It’s a positive step to include the new Gore-Tex ePE technology, which is free from harmful PFC chemicals.

But the jacket doesn’t feature any recycled materials and it doesn’t appear to have any ethical quality standard marks, such as FairTrade or bluesign.

However Beghaus is a B Corp and a nice touch is the Berghaus “Repairhaus” programme, with a team of kit experts “on hand to stitch any rip or replace any zip, if they possibly can, as many times as you need them to”.

The repair is free, although you have to pay for postage. This approach helps to extend the usable life-span of your jacket and, thus by extension, improves the carbon footprint and environmental impact of your purchase.

Verdict

The Berghaus Ridge-Seeker is a protective, 3-layer hard shell featuring Gore-Tex’s new ePE waterproof technology – but it’s not very breathable and the cut of the arms is too voluminous.

See how the Berghaus Ridge-Seeker gets on against rivals in our big waterproof jacket roundup.

About the author

James Forrest writes regular features and route guides for Trail and has been one of our main gear testers for the last few years. James is based on the edge of the Lake District so when he isn’t off on his latest crazy adventure or challenge, he’s walking in his local fells.

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