7 Sustainable Rainwear Brands to Keep You Dry and Stylish Throughout the Year

Summer, and those balm dry evenings where it felt like the glorious sun would never leave, is a distant memory now. We’re in October folks, and while you might not want to hear it, this is officially the wettest month in the UK with an average of 13 days of rain expected. Some of you may be suitably prepared, and if you have a rain jacket don’t go buying another one if it’s not needed. After all the most sustainable decision you can make is actually wearing the clothes you already have in your wardrobe.

But if you’re lacking prior protection from the impending deluge, take a look at these seven stellar rainwear and outerwear brands, all of which come with some mighty fine sustainable eco-credentials. Now that’s what we like to see.

7 Sustainable Rainwear Brands To Check Out

Maium

Amsterdam brand Maium certainly knows what it’s doing when it comes to rainwear; after all, when it comes to dry climes, the city isn’t exactly the Sahara. It’s also a dab hand at recycling, crafting its raincoats out of recycled PET plastic — as opposed to virgin polyester which is made from far-from-eco-friendly petroleum — or biodegradable materials, before wrapping it up in a shipping bag made from 22 recycled PET bottles to be sent to your door. Mission sustainable rainwear completed.

And if you needed a third reason to invest, then just take a look at the trendy designs on show, from long-line puffas that look like they’re made for fashion week inter-show dashes to slick, all-black trenches taking their cues from The Matrix and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. ’90s PVC chic made sustainable then? Err which pill do we take?

Finisterre

Fellow B Corp Finisterre is a real leader in this field, and as a brand made by surfers for surfers, it makes sense that environmental protection and sustainability are at the very core of its ethos.

Along with sustainable features like recycled polyester and incredible supply chain transparency, the brand is also a master at waterproofing, featuring rain jackets across the hydrostatic head spectrum — the standard measurement of how waterproof a fabric is. If you need a coat with a hydrostatic rating of 20,000 then — pretty much as good as it gets in the waterproof jacket world — Finisterre has you covered.

Patagonia

Founded by legendary rock climber Yvon Chouinard in 1957, Patagonia has done the seemingly impossible over the last 60 years, creating a brand that hypebeasts crave but which also has environmental and social responsibility firmly embedded in its every move.

Take its Worn Wear scheme, which promises store credits for anyone who wants to return their Patagonia apparel to then be sold on, a brilliant initiative that other brands would do well to follow. In terms of its rainwear selection, the Triolet Alpine Jacket is a stand-out. Made with three layers of recycled waterproof and windproof GORE-TEX fabric, its approved by both bluesign, a leading certification for sustainable textile production, and Fair Trade.

Sure, it’s built for the Alps, but that’s not to say it won’t do the job on a cold, rainy night in Stoke.

On Good Authority

We have it On Good Authority — ah now see what we did there — that the sustainable pedigree behind this London-based rainwear brand is second to none. Don’t believe us? Well, how about certifications and seals of approval from sustainable titans like Eco-Age, Oeko-Tex, bluesign and BSCI.

The brand likes to keep things focused with just one raincoat style being sold currently (the field jacket pictured below, and a sleek parka are incoming), a noble strategy that’s a welcome stand against fashion’s never-ending weekly drop culture, while an eco-footprint is present in every step, from laying out energy and water wastage savings on its product page to 100 percent recycled materials in its packaging.

Tretorn

Dedicated sustainability initiatives and material innovation, have placed Tretorn at the top table of Scandi eco-conscious brands. Hailing from Sweden the brand is perhaps best known historically for its Nylite sneakers which were made famous by adorning the feet of tennis legend Bjorn Borg.

In recent years though it’s the rainwear that has been catching attention, including a rain jacket made out of regenerated nylon from discarded fishing nets found at the bottom of the sea, and a 100 percent biodegradable Bioplant Jacket, which is made from plants such as sugar cane and tapioca. And when we say completely, we mean to say that even the zip will degrade. Now that’s nifty.

Rapanui

Based on the Isle of Wight, Rapanui is a fully circular brand, with every product designed to be sent back when it is worn out to then be remade again fresh for the next person. Going beyond this the brand also uses the highest standard of organic cotton — its raincoats are made out of the fabric before being cast in PFC-free water-resistant coating — while all of the water to dye it is then recovered, cleaned and recirculated, ensuring no wastage at the end.

All of that would be enough to solidify Rapanui as one of the most sustainable brands around, but the company is also leading the way in its use of renewable energy, with its factory in India containing two wind farms to power it. Rapanui, we salute you.

Raeburn

Led by esteemed designer Christopher Raeburn, the eponymous brand has turned recycling archive pieces and decommissioned military wear into a fine, high fashion art, in turn creating a unique visual language that is immediately recognisable.

A recent collaboration with Manchester-based heritage brand Private White VC sees Raeburn radically reconfigure a classic weatherproof field jacket, made traditional on the outside but with a reversible inner made out of parachute canopies. Those on the search for a hood need only look out for one of the brand’s breathable anorak jackets made from that same material.

And because of the way Raeburn works with existing surplus materials and artefacts, no two garments are identical and every piece unique — an engaging way to effortlessly blend a sustainable story with our collective lust for that which no one else can have.