Functional jackets are available in many different versions. There are good reasons for this, as the various outdoor activities where functional jackets are worn also call for different properties

A leisure time jogger needs to wear different kind of clothing on their twenty minute-run in the morning than a mountaineer on a fortnight in the Alps, for example. What does your outdoor jacket have to be able to do? This question is precisely the aspect that explains the differences between the various functional jackets.

OUTIQ: eco-friendly and efficient

The OUTIQ range primarily focuses on providing warmth, of course, as these jackets store your body heat. However, the same technology also uses clever solar ball molecules to convert solar power into heat. This ensures that your jacket keeps you comfortably warm and cosy – even in rainy weather, snow and icy wind. Obviously, the outdoor jackets in the OUTIQ range are also equipped with a waterproof outer layer.

The high-tech fibre filling contains no animal down whatsoever. Unlike down feathers, which tend to let in the cold in an uncomfortable way as soon as they get wet and are also a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria, the high-tech filling of a OUTIQ jackets will keep you impressively warm in any weather.

ANOTHER BONUS: IT IS LIGHTWEIGHT, EASY TO CLEAN AND FAST DRYING

Rainseries: breathable and waterproof

If you want to stay dry outdoors all day long, jackets from the Rainseries range are the ideal choice for you. They are completely waterproof but don’t make you sweat. Although the material keeps water out, it is breathable and allows moisture to escape from the inside to the outside. The jackets in the Rainseries range are also reliably windproof. These jackets provide the ideal protection on rainy autumn and spring days or also on cool summer evenings.

Airseries: as light as a feather and moderately warm

The jackets in the Airseries range are typically a very low weight and look casual. An Airseries jacket weighs only about half as much as an ordinary jacket. The cleverly positioned seams of the quilted design ensure that the jacket keeps its shape, and the thin layer of padding inside the quilting will keep you moderately warm. You’ll hardly notice that you’re wearing it yet will benefit from the comfortable warmth provided by this featherlight jacket. This jacket is not waterproof, so it is the perfect choice for outdoor activities in good weather when it’s not too cold. It is a great travel jacket, as it is easy to clean, durable and a very compact size when folded.

GORE-TEX®: thermal and breathable

The microporous GORE-TEX® membrane offers four benefits: the jacket is windproof, waterproof, breathable and allows vapours to escape. The rain can’t penetrate, and the moisture resulting from vigorous activities that make you sweat can also escape. GORE-TEX® can be combined with textiles in a wide range of different ways; accordingly, the choice of functional jackets with this technology is therefore equally wide.

GORE-TEX® has long since become firmly established in the area of outdoor clothing.

Jacket in dark blueJacket in dark blue

Jacket in dark blue

with Rainseries technology

Quilted bomber jacket in olive greenQuilted bomber jacket in olive green

Quilted bomber jacket in olive green

in feather-light fabric

Jacket in redJacket in red

Jacket in red

with Outiq technology

Coat in dark blueCoat in dark blue

Coat in dark blue

with Outiq feature

Jacket in blackJacket in black

Jacket in black

with shiny outer fabric

Bomber jacket in navyBomber jacket in navy

Bomber jacket in navy

from a material blend

Which jacket is perfect for which area of use?

You should always choose the right jacket for the time of the year and the activity you intend to pursue. Functional jackets can only offer optimum protection if they are worn in the right context. This means that a light rain jacket without thermal protection is ideal for summer activities. If these activities are likely to make you sweat, your functional jacket has to be breathable. The jackets in the Rainseries range are a particularly good choice, in this instance.

BY THE WAY: THE POPULAR SOFTSHELL JACKETS ARE ALSO A GOOD CHOICE IN THE AUTUMN WHEN SHORT SHOWERS ARE LIKELY.

A slightly padded jacket will keep you a little warmer

A thin, slightly padded functional jacket, on the other hand, is a better idea for a relaxed cycling tour in the autumn and spring when the weather is dry. Jackets from the Airseries range are therefore ideal for a family outing, a picnic on a park bench or an evening stroll through the old city centre with friends on cool late summer evenings.

In the winter, war outerwear is a must

During the cold time of the year, when you spend many hours outdoors in windy, wet and cold conditions and have to be able to rely on a well-insulated jacket that will keep you warm, you should make sure that you make the right choice. Your OUTIQ jacket will keep you comfortably warm when the wind is blowing coldly in your face. To keep your head warm, jackets with an attached hood are perfect, although you can also combine your jacket with suitable accessories such as a hat and a scarf

All-rounders are suitable for all-year round wear

A 3-in-1 jacket can be a super everyday all-rounder. It offers you the chance to combine the functional properties of different jackets with each other. A typical combination, for example, is a breathable, water- and windproof outer jacket with a warm inner jacket. You can wear it practically all year round: you can wear either one or the other jacket, or both of them together – and can therefore use it in three different ways.

• in-1 jackets are less versatile. They usually consist of a light outer jacket with a waistcoat underneath, and are therefore more suitable to being worn from March/April onwards until late autumn.

Parka in redParka in red

Waistcoat in yellowVest in yellow

Jacket in olive greenJacket in olive

Quilted jacket in orangeSteppblouson in orange

Conclusion: every jacket performs specific functions

The particular properties of a jacket can be appreciated best if it is worn for the purpose and in the temperature and weather conditions it was designed for. In short: a rain jacket works best in rainy weather, a ski jacket on the piste and a cardigan is the ideal choice for enjoying an apres-ski snack inside a mountain-top hut. If you own a choice of several jackets for various uses, no weather will be able to stop you from participating in all those tempting outdoor activities.