Anywhere where there’s a join or opening, such as a seam, is a weak spot in the waterproofing where water can get in, but for a jacket to be deemed waterproof it has to make sure this can’t happen. A lot of waterproof jackets will have taped seams, where an extra strip of waterproof material is glued to the back of the seam, providing extra protection.

Some of the more expensive jackets also have ‘sonically welded’ seams which sounds like something out of Doctor Who – slightly disappointingly it just means that the fabric has literally been welded together at the joins. This does make it very waterproof though.

For similar reasons, zips can also be an area where water has a chance of getting in. More expensive jackets will have water resistant zips that have a coating or cover that prevents water getting through.

You’ll also want to look out for a ‘zip garage’ at the top of the zip; this is a little cover that will help prevent the zip toggle rubbing when you’ve got the jacket fully done up.