From Scandi brands to plastic-free fabrics: 10 women’s raincoats to style out drizzly days

Don’t let spring showers ruin your look. Refresh your outerwear with these fashionable yet functional favourites. The best women’s waterproof jackets for every type of adventure, reviewed and rated. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.

We’ve all heard the adage, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.” I’ve always felt this obfuscates the fact that winter can be tough precisely because of its soggy, grey – yes, “bad” – weather, even if you’re dressed head to toe in warm waterproofs. However, I now have to admit that the right clothes for the right weather can bring a freedom. Enter: the humble anorak.

I spent my 20s dreading winters, which I spent freezing, only thawing out come summer. Even then, a light July sprinkling might have stopped me in my tracks, so opposed was I to clothes that made concessions for meteorological conditions. But with adulthood came an admission that anoraks are low-key amazing. I bought one and – by keeping me dry and therefore warmer – it has, without hyperbole, changed my life.

But not all anoraks are created equal. Some are designed for the kind of conditions you might meet on an Icelandic fishing trawler, while others barely stand up to a summer drizzle. Some don’t seem to consider aesthetics at all, but others can keep their wearer dry without making them look as if they’re going on a log flume.

I’m now the proud owner of two anoraks, and often mix and match with my partner’s, depending on the occasion and type of rain with which I’m faced. Sometimes, I’ll wear an oversized raincoat over my smarter wool coat, and shed a layer as I reach my destination. Other times I wear one over a Uniqlo puffer jacket – a vital winter layer, in my book – and cycle, without feeling weighed down by wool and sweat.

£95 at Rains. £78 at John Lewis. When it comes to wet-weather gear, Scandinavian brand Rains knows what it’s doing (the clue is in the name). This is one of the brands I reach for whenever the weather takes a turn; its long jacket has seen me through countless soggy commutes, playground trips and walks in the woods. After a muddy walk, it’s happily machine-washable – despite having been washed several times over the years, mine is still going strong (use a guppy bag when washing to help prevent the shedding of microfibres into the waterways). I’m a fan of the unisex cut, but if you prefer something a bit more sculpted, then an anorak with an A-line silhouette may be preferable.

It also comes in a shorter style, but I find the longer length more practical. Having said that, I often find myself with sodden legs, as rain seems to be expelled from the anorak and drip violently down on to my knees. Maybe next winter I’ll go for one of its waterproof all-in-ones. A cape – particularly in tinfoil silver – is tempting for cycling.

£59.90 at Uniqlo. If you prefer your raincoat to be minimal – melting into the background rather than bringing main-character energy – then this parka may be for you. It looks like something Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy might have worn on the streets of Manhattan in the 90s, which is no bad thing. Available in black, beige, khaki and blue, the black and beige in particular channel low-key cool. Be warned, though, that this coat won’t stand up to more than a shower: opt for something less Kennedy-chic if you’re expecting heavy rain.

From £125 at Stutterheim. My partner has one of these sturdy garments from the Stockholm-based brand Stutterheim. The texture of the fabric is less like a traditional anorak and more like the tough skin of a dogfish – more hardy than any other waterproof I’ve come across. It somehow still manages to look desirable, thanks to the Scandi design sensibilities that have gone into it. As the label reads: “Swedish melancholy at its driest.”.

Despite the underarm eyelets, it won’t be the best for strenuous activity – the heavy material would make an uphill cycle hot and sweaty work. There is a more lightweight version, which is less fit for the Atlantic and more apt for spring. There are a rare few colours here, such as peach, that fall outside the usual black, blue, khaki and yellow – and several colours currently have between 30% and 50% off, which is welcome on the cost of a £250 jacket.

Read our guide on how to choose a waterproof jacket for more advice on prices, features and fabrics. £37.50 at Mac in a Sac. £37.50 at John Lewis. Mac in a sac, cag in a bag – whatever you want to call it, this pack-it-down-tight-and-pop-it-in-your-schoolbag anorak will be well known to any child of the 90s. Decades later and it’s still going strong – as close to an icon as you can get in the wet-weather space – the Spice Girls of anoraks.

It’s also reasonably priced, weighs about the same as a punnet of strawberries and comes in an array of colours – neon blue, pink, orange, yellow and green; pink, soft orange and violet; classic black, navy and charcoal. The elasticated cuffs will help keep out rain, as will the adjustable hood, which can be pulled tight over your head for that particularly grim sideways kind of rain.