Just like any small child, it’s rare that I get it right when it comes to outdoor attire. I either don’t wear enough, or I wear too much. The summer is easy, I just stick my shorts on and I’m happy – it often takes me a good few weeks after the summer has ended to finally get me out of my shorts! The winter, however, is another story.

On top of never getting the layers right, I’ve never had a sensible winter coat.

I caved last year and got myself a rain coat, after coming home from a dog walk looking like a drowned rat, but this only protected me from, you guessed it, the rain. I was still cold, and as mentioned before, I hate being cold. I may be getting better with layers (eventually) but they don’t protect you from the elements!

A few weeks ago, the folks at Regatta decided to help me out with my problem and provided me and Sharon with two parka coats to help us integrate with the winter. We were sent the Salton Waterproof Insulated Parka in Camo Green, and the Penley Waterproof Insulated Parka in Black. 

Features

Starting with the Salton Parka, the jacket includes:

• Soft-touch waterproof / breathable ISOTEX 5,000 fabric.
• Additional DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish and sealed seams.
• Faux-fur trimmed hood.
• Poppered fastening and four pocket design.
• Thermo-Guard insulation and features warming fleece panels around the core.

My first impression of the jacket when I put it on was that I immediately felt warm. This may sound like a daft comment, but when I’ve tried on jackets in the past I’ve still felt cold after a few minutes or they’ve taken the chill in with it. This is not the case with this jacket. It hugs you, but doesn’t leave you feeling restricted. You still feel like you can breath!

On the same note, it fits your body and doesn’t make you look like you’re wearing a tent, which is often the case when a woman wears a mens coat! It also comes with a check print lining in the interior which looks very smart!

Getting caught in the rain seems to be no issue either with rain rolling off the jacket and only making the jacket semi-wet when I got caught in a sudden downpour! If you’re worried about catching the fur rim in the rain, don’t worry, it’s detachable! I often wore my snood with the coat but it’s not necessary, as once zipped right up it’s as warm as an oven.

If you’re a parent or a hoarder or wrappers, this jacket will be one for you. Boasting four deep pockets on the exterior and a small zipped pocket on the interior, I’ve had plenty of places to store everything; from apple cores, dog leads and poo bags, toys, and several pine cones and pebbles – not to mention car keys and snacks! If I’m lucky I also manage to fit in two hats and a pair of discarded gloves.

Are you even a parent if you don’t have half a green grocers, sweet & snack wrappers, and half of toys r us in your coat pockets?! For us, we also have dozens of poo bags and TWO balls for the dog!

— LesBeMums (@LesBeMums) December 30, 2017

Moving onto the Penley Parka, the coat includes:

• Warm-lined and waterproof jacket made of HYDRAFORT fabric with an additional DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish and sealed seams to protect against the elements.
• The front secures with a two-way venting zip and sleek poppered ‘stormflap’.
• The inner is lightly wadded with quick-drying Thermo-Guard insulation.
• Warming Sherpa fleece around the hood.

Sharon’s first impression was that this jacket was very comfortable and forgiving in the chest area. Being more bountiful in the upstairs department, Sharon often struggles finding coats that fit both her chest and hips – but this jacket ticked both boxes, which is impressive considering it’s a men’s jacket.

When Sharon’s not at work, she spends the day travelling on buses or trains – meaning she’s often stuck waiting outside in the wind or rain. In the past, like me, she’s not had much luck finding a coat that can keep her warm and dry, but with the Penley she’s managed to find just that. Sharon’s never been a fan of a fur hood (I know, she’s odd) so this jacket is perfect for her as it’s exchanged the fur edging for a fleece lined hood instead. I also found that it looked quite smart (in comparison to the Salton that looks more casual) for when Sharon needs to travel to London for meetings.

Like me, Sharon is also a keeper of rubbish in her pockets so the two chest pockets is perfect for her bus pass, train tickets, and wallet, and the two lower pockets with side entry openings is brilliant for not only to keeping your hands toasty and warm but for storing snacks when Sharon is on her way home with T from nursery.

Getting caught in a rain shower the other day meant I was able to capture the jacket’s best quality – rain protection! Watching the jacket repel the water was incredible, and asking whether Sharon was cold; for once, she said she wasn’t! She says it’s the best jacket she’s ever had (and she’s had a few!).

Both jackets are incredibly durable with thick zips and good quality finishes such as velcro or poppers on the pockets, venting around the torso, toggles on the inside to make the jacket more fitting or on the hood to make it a little tighter. The Salton also comes with ribbed cuffs which is a lovely feature for hiding cold hands of gripping onto gloves so they stay put!

The style on both parks are simple but traditional at the same time, and I would be happy to pay the current price tag. There is certainly value for money.

If you’d like to see more, you can see the parkas in action here:

Have you got a sensible coat? What do you look for in a coat? Anyone else not keen on the fur hood?!

We were sent two parka coats from Regatta in exchange for a dedicated review, and video, however all thoughts, opinions, and images are our own.