Despite being very lightweight, the jacket adds a bit of warmth thanks to fleeced collar-lining.
The trousers have a really long zip at the bottom of the leg which makes them very easy to get on and off.
SC: Extensive inner lining made the PX5 stormFORCE jacket warm – a huge plus in winter conditions – and the velcro straps on both sides that allow you to tighten the fit around the midriff are a very nice touch.
SRPs: Jacket £175, Trouser £120
For more visit the ProQuip website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Ping Tour Eye
JS: I love the material on the jacket and the trousers, it’s soft, smooth and stretchy.
The jacket does feel a bit snug but doesn’t restrict movement. It just doesn’t really feel like a waterproof suit, which is a good thing, but it offers super protection as the rain just bounces off.
For me, the Tour Eye trousers are as good as it gets because they actually feel like a nice tailored fit. They are one of the only models I’d wear on their own from the outset.
SC: The tighter fit is just what I’m looking for. I hate excess material getting in the way of my swing and this jacket is outstanding in that regard. The cuffs are very adjustable, which is a big plus, and I’d wear this as a winter jacket as well as a waterproof.
I’d echo James’s comments on the trousers. The hem is almost a boot cut but there is plenty of room to slip your shoes through if you are caught short in a storm.
SRPs: Jacket £200, Trouser £150
For more visit the Ping website HERE
To see which suits were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals CLICK HERE
JS: The Tour XP jacket is one of FootJoy’s most stylish to date and I think will appeal to a younger audience. It feels super-premium and like it’s built for golf.
It’s really stretchy and offers a bit of added warmth. It’s the sort of jacket I’d wear off the course.
The trousers are nicely fitted with no excess material and are very easy to whip on and off if caught in a downpour.
There’s a bonus zip inside the trouser pocket which means you can access things in the pocket of your first pair of trousers. Nice touch.
SC: You could see the rain bouncing off the jacket and deflecting away and it not only looks very cool but it is exceptionally high performing as well.
With the prospect of a lot of rain, I want to be wearing fewer rather than more layers. That’s a worry in winter but the Tour XP jacket traps the heat and keeps you very snug. I love both the fit and the feel and it’s a very fashionable golf garment.
SRPs: Jacket £210, Trouser £155
For more visit the FootJoy website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Under Armour Gore-Tex Paclite
JS: Under Armour made a huge statement with their first Gore-Tex suit last year. It was nicely fitted but still allowed movement.
It felt it could withstand a hurricane. If anything it was possibly just a bit too warm to wear in the summer.
The new Paclite model has all the good things about the original Storm suit but feels lighter and more breathable.
You still get the feeling it can withstand the toughest conditions but you can barely notice you’ve got it on. It looks super-cool too.
SC: One of the best fitting jackets on test, the lightweight fabric was a big plus. The pocket zips were on the stiff side but the Gore-Tex material provided an impenetrable barrier.
SRPs: Jacket £240, Trouser £190
For more visit the Under Armour website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Callaway Tour 3.0
JS: This is one of my favourite-looking jackets. It’s simple and classy. It’s also nice and light so a great shell to keep in the golf bag.
There’s a ball cleaner in the jacket pocket which I think is a great addition for when playing winter golf with lift, clean and place rules in play.
The trousers are a little bit on the baggy side and the pockets are quite small. But they were very easy to get on and off over shoes.
SC: A fleece lined collar keeps your neck warm but it will be interesting to see how it reacts when faced with a sustained downpour.
SRPs: Jacket £179.99, Trouser £149.99
For more visit the Callaway apparel website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Lyle and Scott Yarrow/Nairn
JS: One of the most stylish jackets in the test and one I’d definitely wear off the course to the pub or out for a walk in the countryside.
The sleeve-lining is great for added warmth and comfort and the draw cords in the pocket work well if you need the fit to be a bit more snug.
Surprised that the trouser pockets didn’t have zips and on the whole they weren’t as well fitted as the jacket. Think they would benefit from some adjustability.
SC: On first pick up, I initially feared the jacket was a touch on the heavy side and would add some unwanted weight to my bag. Those concerns were quickly dispelled.
This is a fantastic garment and it’s almost a shame to categorise it merely as a waterproof. I’d definitely wear this jacket away from the course.
It’s warm, well fitted, adjustable and leaves more than enough room for a full swing.
SRPs: Jacket £250, Trouser £125
For more visit the Lyle and Scott website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Puma Storm
JS: As soon as I put the jacket on it felt very light and breathable.
The cuff fasteners were a bit elaborate but didn’t cause any problems. The suit gives you full freedom of movement.
I love the overall athletic look and feel and know the jacket would get plenty of use off the course.
The trousers were fine but have adjustable length at the bottom which is great if you need it but a bit fiddly annoying to deal with if you don’t.
SC: You’d expect Puma to incorporate fashion as well as practicality and they have certainly done that here. The velcro cuffs look very durable, while the lining in the pockets is a simple, yet welcome, addition as we move into the really bad weather.
SRPs: Jacket £150, Trouser £100
For more visit the Puma website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Chervo Manner/Sungbis
JS: I love the simplicity of this suit. It’s super lightweight and you can barely notice you have it on.
It was one of the quietest suits on the test.
The trousers have a knee-high zip which really helps when getting them on and off.
There’s a strap at the bottom of the trousers which you can put under your shoe which tightens the fit and offers a bit more protection to your underneath trousers.
SC: Button, rather than velcro, cuffs are an interesting choice and the limited adjustability didn’t allow me the fit I would have liked. I personally like the pockets to be on the larger side as well.
SRPs: Jacket £211.15, Trouser £173.84
For more visit the Chervo website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Cross Sportswear M Pro
JS: This suit was very easy to move about in and had a nice silky feel.
It did feel a little bit more like a tracksuit than a waterproof golf suit if I’m honest but it did a great job on the course.
There are three velcro straps over the zips at the bottom of the trousers which did cause a bit of a problem when trying to get them on and off quickly.
SC: The padded collar is a big plus and the pop button at the bottom allowed me to make the jacket fit more securely to the hips. The cuffs were flimsier than some tested but the stretch in the fabric makes this jacket a very comfortable fit and easy to wear.
SRPs: Jacket £180, Trouser £120
For more visit the Cross Sportswear website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Adidas Gore-Tex 2-Layer
JS: I have always found Adidas waterproofs to be on generous side and this latest suit was no exception.
In fairness the jacket was roomy without having too much excess material.
The trousers are just very baggy – so much so I didn’t need to unzip them to get them off.
Take a bit of extra care when trying on to make sure you’re not getting a size too big.
Despite not being very fitted this Gore-Tex suit offers a really robust shell which will protect you from torrential downpours. It won’t let you down.
SC: A rigid shell and the Gore-Tex fabric gives rain no opportunity whatsoever to penetrate the outer layer. Mesh lining and an internal pocket are also to be applauded. From a fashion point of view, it was a bit bland for my taste.
SRPs: Jacket £199.99, Trouser £174.99
For more visit the Adidas website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Stuburt Vapour
JS: The trousers are very easy to get on. They don’t even have a zip, just velcro which does stick back to itself when putting them on but you can still slip your feet through easily.
Very much a throw-on pair if caught in a shower as they go over your trousers very easily.
Both the jacket and trousers have a tracksuit feel which means they both offer excellent movement.
I wasn’t sure about the lining at the bottom of the sleeve as they have a hole to put your thumb through. If you’ve got a glove on you have to take the jacket off to take the glove off.
Or you just tuck the lining in rather than putting your glove hand through it but then there’s a bit of unwanted material at the bottom of the sleeve.
This suit offers excellent value for money as it does what it’s supposed to which is keep the rain off.
SC: The velcro cuffs work well and I am a fan of the adjustable hem. I’m not so sure about the sleeve linings, which have a gap to place your thumbs. I found it uncomfortable to grip the club when these were employed and I can’t see how using them regularly wouldn’t quickly wear the fabric.
SRPs: Jacket £69.95, Trouser £34.95
For more visit the Stuburt website HERE
Best golf waterproofs 2016/17 – Oscar Jacobson Hartmann/Denis
JS: The jacket feel lovely when you put it on. It’s soft, comfortable and has heaps of style.
The way the droplets of water form on the jacket show how good the waterproofing is. If the rain doesn’t bounce off straight away it will fall off as you walk.
I got quite warm in the jacket which makes me think it may not be ideal as a summer shell. But it’s an excellent winter jacket.
The trousers are very lightweight and don’t have the same premium feel as the jacket – but they are very easy to get on over your trousers and do what they are supposed to.
SC: The sleeves were the longest of any jacket I tried on so the velcro cuffs got a serious work out. They were up to the challenge. It’s impressive to watch water bounce off and away from the surface and that does give you a lot of confidence when wearing it.
SRPs: Jacket £170, Trouser £130
For more visit the Oscar Jacobson website HERE
JS: The jacket is very comfortable with a nice soft feel. I also like its simple styling.
The jacket wasn’t quite as tightly fitting as some so take care with sizing but there is adjustability at the bottom of the jacket if it’s a tad loose.
The material is very stretchy so I don’t think a tight fit would be a bad thing.
The trousers were very easy to get on due to their stretchy nature. Despite a little bit of excess material the suit wasn’t noisy at all.
It feels like a highly premium suit that will withstand any conditions
SC: It was impressive to watch the rain droplets hold on the surface of the jacket, which was an impenetrable barrier. You can just sweep them off and it remains bone dry.
Elasticated at the bottom, I found that I kept having to pull the jacket back down on several occasions as it was riding up and causing the pockets to interfere with my swing.
The Storm-Fit trousers I’ve had in the past have tended to be a relaxed fit and these were no exception. I personally prefer trousers to be more tailored but, on the other side of the argument, they were easy to slip on and off and the pockets were easy to negotiate and a decent size.
SRPs: Jacket £210, Trouser £210
For more visit the Nike website HERE
To see which suits were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals CLICK HERE
