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I was delighted when Montane offered an opportunity to test their Cetus Lite jacket several months before its official release. Since May it’s been put through its paces, and I’ve been impressed with the performance.

The Cetus Lite is part of Montane’s new Petrichor range. Petrichor is Montane’s name for its own in-house fabric, which has been developed to minimise the fabric’s environmental impact without sacrificing performance. Interestingly, petrichor is the English word for the earthy smell when it rains on dry soil after a period of warm and dry weather. I never even knew there was a word for that but don’t let that put you off.

Montane wanted their Petrichor Fabric to deliver in several key areas - high levels of waterproofing, high breathability, a soft non-crinkly feel, lightweight and no fluorocarbon DWR or PFAS. A tough task but Montane seems to have achieved it.

The hydrostatic head is 20,000mm which is plenty to deliver reliable levels of waterproofing. The jacket beaded well from new, shedding water effectively to maintain breathability. The membrane is thinner than a human hair, allowing an incredibly light and soft fabric. It’s also non-porous, so provides excellent protection from the wind. It might be a very lightweight jacket but on cold windy days it actually feels much more protective than expected.

Breathability is RET <5 which is extremely good. RET is a measure more commonly seen on Gore-Tex jackets, and by using this test it allows the jacket to be compared with Gore-Tex fabrics that people will be more familiar with. This has similar levels of breathability to a Paclite jacket, but with all the benefits of being a 3-layer fabric.

You notice immediately how soft the jacket feels. It’s not noisy or crinkly at all, it doesn’t feel like a typical waterproof shell. The softness makes it incredibly comfortable to wear, you just don’t notice it. This also allows the jacket to be packed really small.

The jacket is a longer cut, making it perfect for hiking and trekking. No annoying drips on your bum if you haven’t put waterproof over trousers on. It’s also generously sized with a straighter cut, so there is plenty of room for adding extra layers underneath when it’s cold.

For hiking I prefer a non-helmet compatible hood, it gives a much better fit without excess fabric. The hood on the Cetus Lite can be closed down to provide excellent protection in wet and windy conditions.

There are no pit zips, but I didn’t actually miss them. The breathability was good enough that it never got uncomfortable inside the jacket even when walking up hill. I found I could leave the jacket on between intermittent showers which was so much easier than a constant on and off.

New environmentally friendly membranes and DWR coatings need more maintenance than people might be used to, the Cetus Lite is no exception to this

Non-fluorocarbon DWRs are not as long-lasting as before or as oleophobic (resistant to oils) so they lose performance more quickly when they get dirty. I found that with regular washes and reproofing it kept beading off water brilliantly but if I left it too long then it did sometimes start to wet out in prolonged rain or showers.

Treat your waterproof shell more like the rest of your clothing, and it will keep delivering superb protection. People regularly wash a mid-layer but don’t wash their waterproof shell for months. Oils and dirt will build up inside and outside the jacket, impacting the ability of the fabric to shed rain and reduce breathability.

Regular washing in a technical wash product from the likes of Grangers or Nikwax will make the world of difference. Combine that with reproofing with a wash in or spray on product every few washes and your jacket will keep looking good and performing well.

The Cetus Lite is an excellent jacket for UK hill walking and trekking year-round. It’s longer cut and non-helmet compatible hood offer superb protection.

Cetus Lite is amazingly light and packable, and the super soft feel of the Petrichor fabric makes it incredibly comfortable to wear.

The Cetus Lite jacket has become a firm favourite and I will grab it off the coat hooks on a regular basis.

Danny Pearson
Dan is a keen distance walker who loves to geek over the latest gear. In the last few years, Dan has completed a couple of TGO Challenge crossings of Scotland (with another planned for 2024), GR221 in Mallorca, Dales High Route and Hadrian’s Wall plus countless other self-planned routes. A keen mountain biker but finds he doesn’t bounce so well these days when the inevitable happens. Read more from Danny Pearson