Barbour Beaconsfield Jacket
Designed to be worn for a range of activities, from a day’s shooting to walking the dog, this versatile and functional jacket is both waterproof and windproof and apparently highly practical. Well, after a couple of months of daily wear, do I agree?
The first thing you notice is that it’s never going win any style or fashion awards, and if that’s what you’re looking for, Barbour already offer a great selection of more ‘in fashion’ gear, but when it comes to comfort and warmth, the Beaconsfield ticks all the right boxes.
Thanks to the Thermore insulation as soon as I put it on I could feel the warmth, and the great thing is, you don’t need to bulk up with layers of clothing to keep warm, with temperatures dropping down to single figures - I’veworn a t-shirt underneath and still been toasty warm.
Let’s take a look at the pockets.
The Beaconsfield has two large storage pockets with tiny drain holes that are fastened by press studs, and a further two ‘hand warmer’ pockets above them. I used inverted commas because traditionally, hand warmer pockets are lined with a warm material, but with the Beaconsfield they aren’t, instead it’s lined with the same material as the rest of the coat. I’m not moaning here, they’re still a comfortable place to rest your hands.
Staying with these pockets, inside you will find the hooped elasticated drawstring that tightens the waist of the jacket, and occasionally my fingers get entangled in them - again no big deal, just an observation. There’s also a couple of lengths of material hidden in the side pockets with a press stud on the ends, this puzzled me for a while and eventually had to contact the PR team for an explanation. These strips are to hold open the flaps of the lower pockets for when you’re constantly using them! A great idea and one I use regularly when reaching for training treats for Lilly.
There’s another huge zipped pocket on the inside and a rear zipped pockets for a handy storage solution.
Other features that make the Beaconsfield such a warm and practical jacket are the soft internal elastic cuffs and deep corduroy collar that reaches up to cover my ears!
A special mention has to go to the insulated detachable hood. Normally with a new jacket I would dispense with the hood in favour of a hat, but the Beaconsfield’s hood is such an integral part that I’ve keep it on. It isn’t a flimsy affair; not only does it retain heat, but, like the rest of the jacket, it hardly makes a sound when you’re moving. In torrential rain the constant patter is muted, and when it’s windy it boasts an elastic cord that cinches around your face.
I wear the Beaconsfield at least 3 times a day whilst walking Lilly for around an hour a time, and from the moment it arrived it became my favourite outdoor jacket. It’s proven to be both warm and practical, and although it looks a little bulky, it still allows for plenty of freedom and manoeuvrability.
It may not be the cheapest jacket around, nor is it the most expensive. In my experience you get what you pay for with Barbour - a quality garment.
Price: £379
more at » https://www.barbour.com
