HikingMarmotWaterproof Jacket
Marmot Precip Eco rain jacket review: a standout all-rounder at a reasonable price
A packable waterproof jacket that offers great all-around weather protection, weighs very little, and performs excellently on hikes and trail runs in 3-season British weather. And all at an even more impressive price.
✓ Best BuyMarmot Precip Eco Rain Jacket
Weight291 gWaterproofing10,000 mm HHPrice<£100 (Amazon)
The good✓ Lightweight at 291 g
✓ Very affordable at sub-£100
✓ Huge pit zips
✓ Small pack size (stows into own pocket)
✓ Fully adjustable hood
✓ High-quality taped seams
The not-so-good✗ Breathability could be better
✗ Pockets are flimsy
✗ Not suited to heavy pack use over extended trips
Check price on Amazon →
At a glance
| Brand | Marmot |
| Model | Precip Eco Rain Jacket |
| Price | ~€140 direct from Marmot / sub-£100 via Amazon and Go Outdoors |
| Weight | 291 g |
| Construction | 2.5-layer NanoPro + DWR coating |
| Waterproof rating | 10,000 mm hydrostatic head |
| Breathability rating | 17,000 g/m²/24h |
| Ideal for | Lightweight backpacking, trail running, fastpacking, gravel riding, bikepacking |
| Pack size | Stows into own pocket |
Overview
The Marmot Precip Eco is one of the most popular rain jackets in the UK. And while this might be the first time you have actually heard about it, you have almost certainly seen them out on the trail. Head up Pen y Fan on an overcast day and you are practically guaranteed to see at least half a dozen of them in varying sizes and colours. And all for good reason.
Weighing in a touch below 300 g (291 g to be exact), the Marmot Precip Eco is a decidedly lightweight and packable waterproof layer. The jacket can be picked up in a huge array of colours, and with a 2.5-layer construction, you can rely on its waterproofness. The Precip is constructed from Marmot’s own proprietary NanoPro technology before being finished off with a DWR coating on the outside. The seams are all sealed to a very high-quality finish, the hood is fully adjustable (though not large enough to fit over a climbing helmet), and the jacket can be folded up and stashed into its own pocket for easy storage.
When it comes to waterproofness and breathability, the Marmot Precip Eco is listed as having a hydrostatic head rating of 10,000 mm and a breathability rating of 17,000 g/m²/24h. Which is technical language for saying that it will keep you dry in all but the most horrendous deluges, whilst allowing for some pretty good breathability. In fact, we found that, when the pit zips are completely open and you wear it combined with a long-armed base layer, the Marmot Precip Eco is plenty breathable enough to wear on some longer trail runs. Without the base layer, the material can feel a little sticky on the skin, which is not particularly pleasant. But, again, good luck finding a waterproof jacket that does not feel uncomfortable against your skin when you start to work up a sweat at this price point.
When bought directly from Marmot, the Precip Eco will set you back around €140 (prices are not currently displayed in £). To save some money, however, you can often pick this up for sub-£100 at many of the big e-commerce stores, such as Amazon and Go Outdoors. And for that price, we think the Marmot Precip Eco is a phenomenally good buy.
The Marmot Precip Eco (image courtesy of Marmot)
How we tested
Over the years, we have actually gone through two models of Marmot’s Precip Eco. We wore the first until it was unable to keep us waterproof, and the latest model has become one of our go-to fastpacking and trail running jackets for wet and windy use. So it is safe to say we have properly tested this thing. So far, we have had it on an untold number of day trips in numerous national parks and in all four seasons, used it on a 4-day backpacking trip through Germany’s Black Forest National Park (where the rain barely let up for a second), run hundreds of miles on drizzly trails all over the UK, and — most recently — worn it on a 2-night spring fastpacking trip through the Brecon Beacons where it had to contend with driving wind, the odd rainstorm, and a chubby Welshman working up a mighty sweat inside it.
In all this time, we have constantly been impressed by the value of it. It has never let us down when we have whipped it on, and because of its small pack size and lightweight, it has become a staple in the bottom of our bag — only being swapped out for something a little more rugged when the activity or weather forecast demands it.
In fact, the only thing that could be improved is the durability. In our experience, if you wear a heavy pack over the Precip Eco for any extended length of time (several multi-day trips), the outer layer can get damaged by the weight. This can impact the waterproofness of the jacket, although we would not consider this a downside worth flagging as it is really not designed to be used constantly underneath a 15 kg pack.
“It’s never let us down when we’ve whipped it on, and because of its small pack size and lightweight, it’s become a staple in the bottom of our bag.”
The Marmot Precip Eco (image courtesy of Marmot)
Features and performance
Waterproofing and construction
The 2.5-layer NanoPro construction is the backbone of the Precip Eco’s performance. The seams are fully taped to a high-quality finish, storm flaps protect the main zip, and the adjustable cuffs on each wrist can be synched down tight either against your skin or over a pair of gloves. In our testing across dozens of wet outings — from drizzly Dartmoor days to downpours in the Black Forest — it has never let water in. At 10,000 mm hydrostatic head, it handles the full range of British weather short of a sustained tropical downpour.
Image courtesy of Marmot
Breathability and the pit zips
A breathability rating of 17,000 g/m²/24h is strong on paper, and in practice the Precip Eco is reasonably breathable for its price class. The real star here, however, is the pit zips — which are genuinely huge. When fully open and combined with a long-armed base layer, you can get enough airflow to wear this comfortably on a trail run. Without the base layer, the material can feel sticky against skin during high output, but that is a near-universal limitation at this price point. The sleeves can also collect sweat during intense activity, making it unsuitable for layering directly over a down jacket on the move.
Image courtesy of Marmot
Packability, pockets and hood
The jacket stows into its own pocket — a genuinely useful feature when you are switching between hiking and moving through a town. The hood is fully adjustable and does its job well in wind and rain, though it is not sized to fit over a climbing helmet, which is worth noting for technical use. The handwarmer pockets are functional but on the flimsier side compared to pricier jackets, and will not win any awards for build quality. For the price, that is a reasonable trade-off.
Image courtesy of Marmot
A quick note on photography: We lost our Marmot Precip Eco on a windy hike and — foolishly — had not gotten any representative photos of it by the time it blew out of reach. To give you a better sense of what the jacket is like, Marmot kindly sent us the images you see here.
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Our verdictThe best-value waterproof jacket for 3-season UK use.The Marmot Precip Eco is an ideal little workhorse for people who are looking for a wind and waterproof jacket for a range of sports without completely breaking the bank. It is lightweight, easy to carry and offers good performance on UK 3-season adventures. If you shop around a little, you can normally pick one up for well below £100. And for that price, we think you will struggle to find better value for money.Check price on Amazon →
Image courtesy of Marmot
FAQs
How waterproof is the Marmot Precip Eco?Very waterproof. With a hydrostatic head rating of 10,000 mm, it will keep you dry in all but the most miserable of deluges. High-quality taped seams, protective storm flaps on the zips and adjustable cuffs on each wrist help seal everything down tight, either against your skin or over a pair of gloves.
How breathable is the Marmot Precip Eco?Reasonably breathable. We have used it on trail runs and found the baggier fit combined with the large pit zips do a great job of regulating and dumping heat. The sleeves can collect quite a bit of sweat during high-intensity activity, making it unsuitable for layering over a down jacket.
How does the Marmot Precip Eco perform in UK winter conditions?Reasonably well as a layer you’ll sporadically put on in the rain. The thin 2.5-layer material does not perform like a rugged hardshell, and the jacket does not work well as part of a layering system as it quickly gets clammy when combined with a down jacket. For true winter waterproofing, consider a hardshell like the Patagonia Triolet, Alpkit Definition or Rab Kangri.
Is the Marmot Precip Eco worth the money?Yes. Lightweight, ridiculously easy to carry, and for less than £100 you get a versatile waterproof jacket that lends itself well to hiking, backpacking, trail running, fastpacking, gravel riding and bikepacking. We cannot think of a better value waterproof at this price.