First published on July 13, 2026 • Last updated on July 13, 2026
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Looking for a rain jacket that goes below your waist? Scott writes about three excellent options in this article; the Skybird and Stormbird by Finisterre and the Halkon by Paramo. Any of these jackets would be an excellent choice for men or women taking part in a wide variety of outdoor pursuits.
Topline Summary:
The Skybird, Stormbird, and Halkon are all top quality rain jackets with both men and women’s sizing options. The different materials, cuts, and pocket layouts make each one great for different reasons and uses in cool to cold weather.
Shopping for rain coats is hard
When I needed to replace my rain coat this year, I looked at a variety of options across a bunch of different brands. I found most of the outdoor brands I’ve used in the past primarily focused on backpacking rain jackets; cut a little slimmer and short enough to accommodate a pack’s waist belt.
Well, I haven’t used a backpack waist belt for years and really wanted a little bit better coverage than the short jackets provided. I basically wanted to cover my butt.
So, I threw my net a little wider to see what other brands were available. To my great pleasure, I found two UK companies with a different outlook.
Two great brands you probably don’t know
Finisterre
Finiterre was founded in 2003 in the small coastal town of St. Agnes in Cornwall, England. They started out making fleece products for local cold water surfers and have branched out since. I really liked that they’ve been a B-Corp since 2018, which means they support fair wages and environmental sustainability. All of their products are available via the website in the United States. They are (according to their website) stocked in brick and mortar stores in the U.S. as well.
At testing, both styles are available for men and women. Angie tested the woman’s cut Skybird and I tested the men’s cut Stormbird.
Paramo Directional Clothing
Paramo Directional Clothing began in 1992 when the founder of Nikwax, Nik Brown, formed a partnership with Creaciones Miquelina, a sewing workshop in Bogata, Colombia, to produce clothing using his innovative waterproof material. Creaciones Miquelina is now a charitable foundation and provides jobs for 150 local women producing Paramo clothing for a global market. While not a B-Corp, Paramo and its sister corporation Nikwax were transferred by Nik Brown into an Employee Ownership Trust in 2022. A part of that transfer was a commitment to provide 1% of proceeds to environmental and social projects.
Only a portion of the Paramo products available in the U.K. are on their U.S. website. The international website, priced in U.S. dollars, has a much greater variety of products. Given the quality of the jacket I tested, I’m hoping they expand their product list here in the U.S. in the near future.
I tested the Halkon, available in both men’s and women’s sizes.
Finisterre Skybird
The Skybird is a light weight (342 grams), packable, rain jacket that’s cut a little longer than most. Made of 3-layer recycled polyester fabric with a ripstop exterior and a non-PFAS waterproofing coating, it is a daily wear rain jacket.
The integrated hood is fully adjustable as are the cuffs and hem. The button-down storm flap on the front zipper and the high neck help to keep wind and water out. One thing it doesn’t have are pit-zips or other type of ventilation for high-intensity activities. This makes sense; this is a jacket made for the English seashore, not backpacking or mountain biking across the moors.
Angie has had nothing but praise for this jacket. She really appreciates the extra coverage past her waist line. She’s worn it in snow, driving rain, and high winds. It is her go-to Pacific Northwest three-season choice while for the warmer rain, like in the Amazon, she continues to recommend Craft. But for everything else? She’s been birding, beach combing, and city touring in the Skybird. According to her, it is outstanding , especially when paired with a Pendleton wool shirt for the coldest days.
The Finisterre StormBird
The Stormbird is their most technical rain jacket. It’s made with a 3-layer recycled polyamide fabric with a ripstop outer layer coated in a non-PFAS waterproofing, is fully seam sealed and weighs in at 663 grams. I was impressed right out of the box by the high quality material. The polyamide fabric is a little thicker and stiffer than what I’ve experienced with U.S. brands. After the first couple of wears, it relaxes and feels like you’ve had it for years.
It has many of the features of the Skybird, but taken up a notch. For example, the hood is a little longer and fully covers a baseball cap brim, there’s fabric inside the jacket collar to reduce the rubbing one can get with a shell, and there’s an outside chest pocket (this is one of my favorite features of a rain jacket). Still no additional ventilation for the same reasons as the Skybird.
The jacket is longer than typical and goes well below my beltline. The jacket was a great fit in my standard “large” with plenty of space for layering. The pocket layout and sizes are good as well. Although the hand-warmer pockets are a bit higher on the body than I’m used to and felt a little odd at first, they quickly became comfortable with use.
The Stormbird performed very well. It wears “warmer” than one would think due to, I think, the thicker material and its high degree of windproofness. In spite of that, it packs smaller than one would expect for a long jacket.
Paramo’s Halkon
The Paramo Directional Clothing Halkon is different from any other rain jacket I’ve tried and it starts with “Analogy Waterproof,” a fabric that’s quiet, soft to the touch, and very effective in keeping the weather out. With appropriate layering, it kept me very comfortable while birdwatching at 20 degrees.
The jacket is very different in cut from any other I’ve tested. This is an iconic British field jacket with big pockets everywhere, inside and out. The zippers and buttons are reverse from the U.S. standard. It’s also longer with a generous cut so I had to size down to a Medium to get a good fit. The downsizing turned out great and had no effect on my ability to use multiple layers for insulation.
This jacket is thicker and heavier (976 grams) than one might expect, making one believe it’s insulated. I found out one chilly afternoon in the field that it is definitely not insulated. So, a word to the wise: layer appropriately.
The Halkon has small vents on top of both arms. They are fair but the better way to dump heat is to unzip the jacket and use the inside storm flap buttons. This allows more air to flow than the arm vents alone while still keeping most weather out.
The hood is excellent. Big enough to cover a baseball cap brim, fully adjustable, and it has a reinforced brim that holds its shape. The collar of the jacket allows the hood to be rolled and stored inside. I found that option made the collar uncomfortably tall and thick, but others may not find it a problem.
The pockets, all 9 of them, merit a special callout for size and utility. The four pockets on the lower outside front, 2x buttoned pouches and 2x zippered hand-warmer pockets, were especially useful in cold weather. I could store gloves, hat and scarf with no space issues. I did, however, forget sometimes where I put what, which led to some searching. The two zippered pockets on the chest are more than big enough to store maps or a guide book. They are, however, a little deep to keep one’s cellphone at easy reach. The inside jacket has another two large mesh pockets at the hem and a zippered pocket on the right-side chest. Regardless of your activity, you’ll find more than enough space to make it a challenge to remember where you put your stuff.
Bottomline Recommendations for raincoats with great coverage:
You really can’t go wrong with any of these jackets in cool to cold weather. Each has a highlight you may want to consider. The Skybird is lighter weight for everyday use. The Stormbird has thicker material and wears warmer than the other two. The Halkon is super quiet with pockets made for birders, day hikers or photographers to fill with their essentials. The best jacket choice really depends on your use case. I’m super happy we had the chance to test them out!
Finisterre Skybird – Highly Recommended
- Buy direct from Finisterre: Men’s Skybird
- Buy direct from Finisterre: Women’s Skybird
Finisterre Stormbird – Highly Recommended
- Buy direct from Finisterre: Men’s Stormbird
- Buy direct from Finisterre: Women’s Stormbird
Paramo Directional Clothing Halkon – Highly Recommended
- Buy direct from Paramo: Men’s Halkon
- Buy direct from Paramo: Women’s Halkon
