It speaks volumes about current price pressures that the last two insulated jackets I've reviewed have both been in excess of £300. Whilst these lightweight, specialist offerings have their place and would definitely be worthwhile investments to more weight-conscious users, I think it's fair to say that when it comes to an insulated jacket most people - perhaps especially most walkers - just want something that's affordable and warm. The Torridon Insulated Jacket meets both of these requirements, coming in at a competitive £180 and with enough insulation inside to keep you snug throughout even the deepest, darkest depths of winter.

This jacket is built with the same durable, chunky feel as its namesake waterproof shell, a product we were really taken with when it came out some years ago. They'd pair together well:

In Use

The Torridon Insulated Jacket is fully in its element in the winter environment. It would also be perfect throughout both spring and autumn, though perhaps not summer, when you might prefer something a little lighter. At 570g (Men's Medium, on our scales - it's 550g on the Sprayway website) it's probably best described as midweight, but it feels like it offers a fairly heavy weight level of protection - both in terms of the warmth it provides and the fit, which helps to keep the elements out. It's generously sized, so fits on easily over layers, and features a decent sized hood (including wired peak) which makes a real difference on days when the weather is wet and windy. As a result of this it doesn't have the smallest pack-size, but that's not to be expected given a synthetic jacket of this thickness, weight and price point. This is not a specialised ultra-packable lightweight, but more of an affordable all-rounder.

Whilst the Torridon could be used for climbing and mountaineering, that sort of technical use is not where it would be at its best, since its cut is much better suited towards hillwalkers. For me, for instance, there is some hem lift whilst raising your arms above your head, which wouldn't be a problem for belaying, but might when you're climbing. We're pretty sure that this is not what Sprayway had in mind when they designed the Torridon, but for winter climbers on a budget there's definitely the potential to apply it to that kind of usage, given the features and the level of warmth.

What it's made of

When it comes to construction the Torridon Insulated features a 40D ripstop outer, which is pretty respectable - especially when you consider that Mountain Equipment's bombproof but much pricier Fitzroy jacket is 'only' 30D. This, more than anything, contextualises how hard wearing the Torridon is designed to be. This fabric is pretty windproof, and has a good level of (PFC-free) water repellency.

It's worth mentioning that the ThermoSphere, which is Sprayway's proprietary synthetic insulation, is 90% recycled. You get a chunky 120g of it in the body, which is probably more than adequate for most British winter days, and 80g in the sleeves and hood for increased mobility.

Overall, it's worth looking at these features with the price tag attached, because whilst you may not be getting all the big name branded materials such as Gore-Tex and Primaloft, what you certainly are getting is a really good jacket. Whilst some of the features could be refined, that refinement would cost you, and to be perfectly honest, if you're largely using it for hillwalking or winter camping then what difference do some of those refinements really make?!

Fit

Unfortunately the Torridon Insulated Jacket currently only comes in a men's version. It is generously sized, designed to fit over multiple layers for easy use on a windy summit or - when it comes to that - between problems on a chilly bouldering session. I am a pretty standard men's medium in most brands, and in this size the Torridon Insulated fits me perfectly over a base layer, fleece and shell.

In terms of the cut it's fairly active, but does lift around the hem when raising your arms right above your head, which is why it's probably better suited towards hillwalkers than it is mountaineers. That said, it's always worth trying these things on, because body shape and size does have a large part to play in the effectiveness of any jacket's fit.

Features

The Torridon Insulated features four pockets: two fleece lined hand warmer pockets (which are the height of luxury and also very usefully double as a stuff sack), a chest pocket (oversized, so it easily fits a phone) and an internal pocket (again, oversized). It's nice to have various options, both inside and out, high and low so that irrespective of what you're doing you've got plenty of storage options.

The hood has a good amount of volume, so much so that it can fit over a helmet (just). If you don't need it to - and we assume this will go for most purchasers of this jacket - then you can easily cinch the volume down. Either way, it provides good coverage around the sides and features a wired peak on top, which is great for when a breeze picks up.

Something else we've liked is the use of a decent sized two-way zip (and toggle) which makes usage easy, even with cold fingers. In more competitively priced products costs are often cut by using a lighter weight and less substantial zip, but it's a false economy when they fail to do up in an absolute gale.

Summary

The Torridon Insulated Jacket ticks a lot of boxes. It's warm, it's affordable, and in spite of this it doesn't cut many corners in terms of its performance on the hill. It might not be the lightest, but - if anything - it's reassuring how much it weighs, insofar as it feels like it'll withstand bad weather and take the knocks that come with use whilst out and about. For a lot of users - perhaps hillwalkers in particular - this will be the only winter-weight insulated jacket you need, and we do think it represents very good value at the price.