Regatta Pack-It III Review: A £25 Waterproof, and Which Fabric You Get
The Pack-It III is probably the best-known cheap waterproof in Britain. It is a thin, unlined shell that folds into its own bag, and it usually sells for about £20–£25. Buyers mostly like it. The catch is the paperwork: Regatta’s own pages give three different fabric ratings for the same jacket, and Regatta says the rating “may vary” with the batch. So we have set out what each listing says.
Where the reviews line up
We could not find a UK magazine or newspaper test of the Pack-It III, so this page draws on three other places. The first is Regatta’s own product pages. The second is Packstack, a gear-review site that weighed up owner feedback from several shops and scored the jacket 5.5 out of 10 in September 2026. The third is Amazon buyers, who give it 4.4 out of 5 from 16,752 ratings. We read that score on a site that copies Amazon listings, because Amazon would not let us open its own page.
All three agree on three things. It is light and genuinely packable. The fabric is 80 g per square metre, and the jacket folds into a stuff sack you can keep in a daypack or glovebox. It keeps showers out. The seams are taped, which is what makes it waterproof rather than showerproof, and plenty of buyers report staying dry. It is cheap. Regatta’s own price was £25 against a £50 “was” price when we checked, and other shops sold it for less.
Here is where they part company. In long, heavy rain, some owners say it lets water in, including one who wore it on a walk and said it was “not waterproof at all”. The other gap is sizing. Some Amazon buyers say it comes up small and tell you to go up a size or more. Packstack found owners complaining that it was too small and others that it was too large. Order from a shop with easy returns.
The real decision is what you will use it for. As a spare jacket for showers, at £20–£25, it does the job. If you are walking for hours in proper rain with a rucksack on, a 5,000 mm fabric is near the bottom of Regatta’s own range, and you should spend more.
The three reviews this summary is built from
- RegattaThe maker’s UK pages. Specs, price and a 4.3/5 rating with no review count, so we use the specs and not the score.
- PackstackGear-review site, 4 Sep 2026. 5.5/10, built from owner feedback at several retailers. It does not give a review count.
- Amazon buyers4.4/5 from 16,752 ratings, read on a site that copies Amazon listings, 5 Oct 2026.
Before the review: which fabric is in your jacket?
The Pack-It III has been made in batches with different fabric ratings, and Regatta admits it. Its UK page for the navy jacket says: “Due to mixed seasonal stock, the waterproof rating of this product may vary.” On the day we checked, Regatta’s own pages listed ISOLITE 10000 (black), and ISOLITE 15000 with a 10,000 g/m²/24h breathability figure (navy), while its international navy page gave 15,000 g/m²/24h. Shops are still selling stock described as Isolite 5000, 5,000 mm. That includes SportsShoes and Sports Direct. Regatta’s own explanation of its fabrics gives a rating only for ISOLITE 5000. It says the higher numbers are its Isotex range. So, before you buy, check the label on the listing. If it does not say, assume 5,000 mm.
Women’s version: the Women’s Pack-It III is the same jacket with a women’s cut, in sizes 8 to 26 at Towsure. It is described as ISOLITE 15000 and 180 g. Women’s buyers report the same sizing problem.
Specification at a glance
| Spec | Figure | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | 100% polyamide, unlined, DWR finish, 80 gsm | Regatta UK product pages, 5 Oct 2026 |
| Waterproof rating | 5,000 mm (Isolite 5000) on older or retailer stock; ISOLITE 10000 or 15000 on current Regatta pages | Regatta says the rating “may vary” with the batch. SportsShoes and Sports Direct say 5,000 mm |
| Breathability | 10,000 g/m²/24h (Regatta UK, black and navy) · 15,000 g/m²/24h (Regatta international, navy) | Regatta’s own pages disagree. Towsure gives the women’s version as “5,000–15,000” |
| Seams | Taped | Regatta and every retailer we read |
| Hood | Adjustable with a shock cord, not detachable | Regatta. No peak or rear volume adjuster is listed |
| Pockets | 2 lower pockets | Regatta |
| Weight | 180 g (Towsure for the women’s, and the Amazon-copy listing for the men’s) · 298 g (Packstack) | Regatta publishes fabric weight only. We have printed both figures |
| Packed size | Not published | Every source says only “packs into a stuff sack” |
| Sizes | Men’s XS–5XL · women’s 8–26 | Regatta UK. 4XL and 5XL were out of stock on 5 Oct 2026 |
| Fit | Regular fit, per the listing. Buyers disagree on whether it comes up small or large | SportsShoes says “true to size”. Several Amazon buyers say size up |
| Care | Machine washable. Wash it with a cleaner made for waterproofs, not ordinary detergent, then dry it with heat to bring the water repellency back | Amazon-copy listing, and Regatta’s reproofing guide |
| Guarantee | 2 years against faults. The 3-year performance guarantee applies to Isotex garments, not Isolite | Regatta’s product guarantees page |
| Price | Regatta £25 (was £50) · Cotswold Outdoor £20 (RRP £30) · Sports Direct £25 (RRP £49.99) · YPC £22.99 | All checked 5 Oct 2026 |
Regatta
Regatta’s pages are where the specs come from, and they are also the source of the confusion. The construction is the same on both colours we read: polyamide fabric, unlined, a durable water-repellent finish, taped seams, a hood with a shock-cord adjuster, two lower pockets and a stuff sack. The fabric rating is not the same. The black jacket is listed as ISOLITE 10000. The navy one is listed as ISOLITE 15000 with a breathability figure of 10,000, and it carries the note that “the waterproof rating of this product may vary” because of mixed seasonal stock. Regatta’s guide to its waterproof fabrics adds to the confusion. It gives a rating for Isolite only at 5,000 mm and lists the higher figures under its Isotex range. The site shows 4.3 out of 5 from buyers but does not say how many, so we give it no weight.
Two practical points from Regatta’s own pages matter more than the rating. First, the guarantee is two years against faults. The longer three-year guarantee on waterproof, windproof and breathable performance applies only to Isotex garments, and this is not one. Second, washing the jacket does not damage the waterproofing; ordinary detergent does, according to Regatta. Wash it on a gentle cycle with a cleaner made for waterproofs, then tumble dry it or dry it somewhere warm to bring the water repellency back. Use a spray-on proofer for small patches and a wash-in proofer when the whole jacket has stopped beading.
Watch: Avis sur la Regatta Pack it III Mixte veste imperméable Randonnée extérieur
A French-language overview of the Pack-It III. We confirmed it from search listings only, so we cannot say which fabric batch it shows.
Watch on YouTube ↗Packstack
Packstack did not test the jacket itself. Its review gathers what owners have said at several retailers, so it is closer to a community digest than a hands-on test, and it gives no review count. It is useful because it puts the complaints side by side. On waterproofing, owners contradict each other: one calls it “100% waterproof and very comfortable”, and another says “it’s not waterproof at all” after a walk. Packstack reads the rating as fine for light rain and likely to soak through in a long downpour.
It also reports that a cyclist found the jacket hot when working hard, so it suits walking pace better than effort. Its sizing findings point both ways: one owner found a small too tight and a medium short in the sleeve, while another found their usual size far too large. Packstack’s advice is not to buy without checking the returns policy. It also mentions a storm-flap tape that keeps catching in the zip, and it gives the weight as 298 g, a figure we could not match to any other source.
Watch: Avis sur la Regatta Pack-It III Homme veste imperméable extérieur Randonnée
A French-language owner’s opinion of the men’s jacket. Confirmed from search listings only.
Watch on YouTube ↗Amazon buyers
This is the biggest sample by a long way, and the score is solidly good. Amazon blocked our reader, so we took the figure from a site that copies Amazon listings and could not check it on Amazon itself. The same listing describes the jacket as Isolite 5000, 5,000 mm, 180 g, a regular fit and machine washable. That is probably the older fabric, so there is a good chance many of these ratings are for the 5,000 mm version. The women’s jacket shows the same pattern: a 2023 deals write-up quoted 4.3 out of 5 from more than 5,000 Amazon reviews. Buyers there said it “kept my clothes dry”, and several warned it was “extremely small fitting”, one saying they bought three sizes up.
Taken together, buyers are happy with what a £20–£25 packaway does well: you forget it is in the bag until it rains, and showers stay out. The complaints are about fit and long, heavy rain, not about it falling apart. A German-language review analysis we read (Kimola, a 30-review preview) shows the same split, with praise for water beading off the fabric and complaints about leaks after minutes in steady rain.
Watch: REGATTA Women’s Pack It III Waterproof Rain Jacket Nylon Shiny Black Women
A short clip of the women’s version, which is useful for seeing the cut and the shine of the fabric. Confirmed from search listings only.
Watch on YouTube ↗Strengths and weak points
What holds up
- Very light, with 80 gsm fabric, and it packs into its own bag. Easy to carry when you probably will not need it.
- Taped seams, so it is waterproof by construction, not just showerproof.
- Adjustable hood and two lower pockets. Simple, and it all works.
- Big size range: men’s XS–5XL, women’s 8–26.
- Rarely sells at full price. £20–£25 was normal on the day we checked.
- Machine washable, and Regatta explains how to reproof it.
What people complain about
- The fabric rating varies with the batch, and Regatta’s own pages disagree with each other.
- Some owners say it leaks in sustained heavy rain.
- Inconsistent sizing. Some say it comes up small, others large.
- Gets hot when you are working hard, and it is unlined, so it clings when damp.
- The guarantee is two years only. The 3-year performance guarantee does not cover Isolite.
- One report of storm-flap tape catching in the zip.
Who it actually suits
Buy it if you want a cheap, light shell to keep in the car, a daypack or a festival bag. It suits dog walks, the school run, city breaks and summer hill days when rain might come but probably will not last. At £20–£25 it is a sensible spare, and a reasonable first waterproof for occasional walkers. If you are carrying it in a pack, our Osprey Talon 22 review covers a daypack it will fit in.
Look elsewhere if you walk for hours in steady rain, wear a rucksack whose straps press water through the shoulders, or run or cycle hard in it. A jacket with a higher, consistent rating and a proper peaked hood is worth the extra money for that. If you prefer a similar budget packaway, Mountain Warehouse’s Pakka is the obvious rival, though we have not researched it for this page.
What we could not check
- The videos were confirmed by search listing, not by opening them. YouTube blocks our checks, so each video’s watch address and title had to appear in two differently worded searches. The listings did not name the channels. Two of the videos are in French, and we cannot tell which fabric batch any of them shows.
- Which fabric is being sold right now. Regatta’s pages say ISOLITE 10000 or 15000, retailers still sell stock described as Isolite 5000, and Regatta says the rating “may vary”. We could not find a hydrostatic head figure in mm on Regatta’s pages for the higher ratings.
- Breathability. Regatta’s own pages give 10,000 and 15,000 g/m²/24h for the same navy jacket, so we have printed both.
- Weight and packed size. Regatta does not publish either. We found 180 g from two sources and 298 g from a third, and no packed dimensions anywhere.
- The Amazon rating on Amazon itself. Amazon blocked our reader. The figure of 16,752 ratings comes from a site that copies Amazon listings, and it may combine colours and older batches.
- A UK editorial test. We found no test by a UK magazine, newspaper or consumer title. Nothing on this page is backed by an expert test.
- Regatta’s review count. Regatta shows 4.3/5 but no count, so we have not used it. Cotswold Outdoor shows 31 reviews and Decathlon shows 14, but we could not read either average.
- Hood detail. We confirmed a shock-cord adjuster, but no source says whether there is a peak or a rear volume adjuster.
- Prices at Amazon and Go Outdoors. Amazon would not load. Go Outdoors listed a “Pack It Jacket” at £35, but the page did not say whether it was the Pack-It III, so we have not included it.
Sources last checked 5 October 2026. Prices and fabric batches change, so check the rating on the listing in front of you before you order.