My cosy new Ronja jacket, £150 from Didriksons at Outdoor World Direct, has been keeping me warm all winter. Here’s my review of a snow-friendly coat that feels like you’re wearing a waterproof cuddle.
Didriksons Ronja review
Product description: “The Didriksons Ronja short length coat is highly functioning jacket – with lots of technical features – great for hikers and hillwalkers. The jacket has a waterproof seam sealed outer which allows you to keep going when the weather turns sour and uses padded insulation to keep you warm and snug in bad weather. It has a peaked synthetic hood which benefits from a detachable faux fur to offer additional warmth and protection against the elements.”
In cold weather: I get sent a lot of coats to review and usually rotate them in the winter according to whim. Not so with my Didriksons Ronja parka, which I’ve worn obsessively since it arrived. Its padding is consistently warm without being bulky, and it’s so waterproof that you can watch the raindrops hit its seam-sealed outer material and sit there forlornly until you give yourself a shake and they fly off and shower nearby friends. Swedish outdoor outfitters Didriksons champion both form and function, and the clean lines and nordic fur trim of the Ronja echo Scandinavian design. I love the stylish fur hood but it is rather huge – take the fur lining off for cycling and sports wear and pop it on again for city strolls.
Ski trip: The Ronja isn’t a ski-specific coat (it doesn’t boast a snow skirt, for example) but that didn’t stop me hitting the slopes in it on my recent trip to the Alps. And it performed very well indeed, despite falling off rails and into snowdrifts, getting pelted with snowballs and enduring a healthy amount of apres ski. Elasticated cuffs stop snow getting up sleeves, inner zipped pockets will keep your phone and lift pass safe and dry, and the fur-framed hood keeps your face a tad warmer in blowy blizzards.
Verdict: Timeless design meets waterproof meets warm – quite simply, the Ronja a fantastic coat for the cold. This is your take-anywhere winter parka sorted for a decent price. Need more reasons to pick a Didriksons parka? Check out their amazing new lookbook and the rest of the Didriksons collection at Outdoor World Direct.
