Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsWell-made but curiously sized raincoat that's good for spring/autumn climate
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 May 2018
This is a well-made and more heavy-duty than I imagined raincoat from Meraki. It is stated as ‘Women’s’ although I suspect the only actual differences between this and the ‘Men’s’ is the zipper being on the other way round and perhaps some length/cut differences, as the overall shape and style are pretty straightforward with no obvious nips or tucks anywhere.
I was sent a black version, not the navy as suggested. Out of the bag the coat has that off-putting slightly fishy odour which you often get with treated fabrics, but after a bit of an airing that soon goes away. The main material is polyurethane with a polyester lining, which has a mesh-style composition which may help to reduce sweating. It’s not a super-lightweight raincoat, but neither is it heavy-duty. It’s sort of in-between, in that it’s clearly going to do a good job keeping the rain off you, but might still be a bit too much for summer. The hood is a decent size and also has the mesh polyester lining - which could be a good or bad thing depending how much it might snag your hair. The fastening uses a combination of metal press studs and a zipper. The press studs have a good sturdy action, but the zipper feels a little more lightweight than I was anticipating and might have benefitted from being a bit more rugged, perhaps with a tassel to help operation. I like the enclosed zip runner though as that helps to insulate and protect.
The sizing however is a bit weird. It states ‘Large’ but there isn’t much chest space so be prepared to feel quite compressed up-top, the shoulder width is narrow, and the sleeve length is really quite short. I would have expected a ‘Large’ women’s garment such as this to be akin to 14/16 as a general guide, but to me this feels more like a 10/12. The only part of it that feels ‘Large’ is the overall length of the coat - which I do like.
To be honest, this coat has got me confused with its fit. I’ve tried this coat on a few colleagues and close friends most of whom would identify as a ‘Large’ or ‘Medium’ to see if we can find someone that will fit it but we’re really struggling. It seems you have to be a very specific body composition to get into it - that being fairly tall in frame, narrow shouldered and fairly small-chested but with quite short arms. If you happen to be that body composition then this is a nice well-made coat. Good luck on the sizing!
