I absolutely love the soft shell jackets as they are perfect in so many weathers which for this country is ideal. They are such a great fit for a women’s practical jacket as quite often with practicality comes baggy and frumpy. The black jacket with the hood looks smart enough for work days as well as walking days and the fact that is is water resistant is a brilliant bonus. The fleece lining offers just the right amount of warmth for cool summer / spring days and those warm autumn/winter days so is an all round practical jacket.

The soft shell jacket without the hood was ordered in teal, a gorgeous new colour added to the soft shell range within Mountain Warehouse collection. The colour is strikingly different to those already on offer within the ladies department of most stores so was really appealing. This jacket offers the same benefits with it’s soft fleece lining and water resistant outer as well as the great shapely fit that I love about these jackets. Ideal for those days where there’s no rain forecast but the day is still a little chilly. The benefit of there being no hood is you can also pop a body warmer or gilet over the top without having to contend with a hood.

The sandals are super comfortable and totally practical for a summer walk when you just don’t want to put socks on. They are available in two colours and I went for the beige and orange combination. The soles are heavily cushioned so they absorb all the impact of fast walking as well as the stones that you can so easily feel through standard fashion sandals. They are adjustable via 2 Velcro straps so can be fitted to suit. The down side of the sandals is that for me, a woman in my thirties, they are possibly too practical looking and could benefit from some aesthetic changes to make them into a more fashionable style. If practicality and comfort is what you’re looking for, these sandals are ideal and very affordable.

It’s has an outer layer that is guaranteed waterproof for three years and a comfortable warm shell inner layer.

It can be worn outer only, inner only or together whatever suits you or the conditions. Here are a few pictures:

Worn together it is very warm, lightweight and comfortable with loads of zipped pockets. The two side pockets are fleece lined all around for hand warmth. An outer breast pocket and an inner breast pocket are cleverly concealed inside the coat zip flap making it very secure and weatherproof for phones, iPods or hand held GPS. There are two more pockets in the shell coat along with inner patch pockets as well.

The coat is mesh lined with underarm zips for ventilation on warmer days.

The peaked hood is a good size and can be detached and stored in the coat collar.

All in all, the Bracken Extreme 3 in 1 is a very good jacket and very good value for money.

When I tried this coat on I can only compare the feeling to if I’d got out of bed, got dressed then popped my duvet back around me to go out for a walk. On a cold winter’s morning when the kids need dropping off at school or the dog needs a walk this coat is going to be amazing and so cosy!

One of the features which is particularly impressive is the inner section on the waist which can be fastened before the coat is zipped up so even if you bent over to pick something off the ground (as you do when walking the dog!) the coat itself remains in position, no riding up or adjustment needed when you are back in an upright position. And when you have two children under 5 and a puppy, it’s surprising how many tricky positions you can get yourself into. I also love the cuff that pops over your thumb, keeping the sleeves in place and your hands that little bit warmer.

The coat length is perfect for covering everything up that you need to keep warm but not so long that you can’t walk freely and the hood is also a good generous size. I found the sleeves a little long however the Velcro adjustment strap fixed that issue by keeping the sleeves in place around my wrists.

I think the range of products at Mountain Warehouse is excellent and I struggled to choose just one. The website splits the range of jackets into easy to follow sections so you can find ski coats, waterproofs, soft shell etc and also shows size availability without having to click through several screens. Overall an excellent product and service from the guys at Mountain Warehouse.