Guardian Air is an outlier – a hyper-minimal, lightweight, packable jacket built to meet and exceed the conditions of your most extreme expeditions, backed with the gold standard of PFAS-free GORE-TEX ePE protection.
Guardian Air leads with the lightest, most packable fabric you can imagine at just 200g for a women’s medium. Featuring an ultralight 15-denier face fabric that’s PFAS-free and guaranteed to perform with GORE-TEX ePE membrane.
Part of the Guardian collection, it takes flight with a minimalist, ultralight approach to active movement. The CrossPull Hood has set-and-forget adjustment that has to be experienced, or rolls down to become a high-coverage collar secured by the Stowaway Snap. No-snag cuff tabs, soft to the touch and invisible from the front. A deep dump internal chest pocket, amplified with an inner pocket incorporating our StashSystem to attach your everyday carry. And entirely new articulation tuned for movement, better forward reach, and full articulation of the arms, unlocking the freedom to follow your wildest ideas.
Features:
- 360 articulated patterning for free movement
- Versatilefit for layering
- CrossPull Hood with Stowaway Snap
- StashSystem
- Adjustable cuff opening compatible with or without gloves
- One-handed glove-friendly hem pull cords
- Double Headed Slider / Two Way Zip
- Internal storage pocket and dump pocket
Materials:
- GORE-TEX® ePE with 15D Ripstop High-Tenacity 100% Nylon, with a C-Knit recycled backer
- Fabrics are Bluesign and Oeko-Tex 100 certified
- PFC and PFAS free fabric
- Contains recycled material
- Front zip: #3 Watertight Vision
Buyers Guide To Waterproofs
Functional waterproof clothing is not fashion clothing; its price is dictated by the massive amount of science involved in keeping you dry in the pouring rain. It really is clothing as equipment and, as with all specialist equipment, you need to know how it works to get the best out of it.
Firstly, a waterproof garment will have taped seams and a coating or lining that will not allow water to penetrate under pressure. If you are planning on being active in driving rain, using a pack or sitting or kneeling on wet ground, then this is the garment for you. Anything else is water-resistant and will allow water to penetrate under certain conditions.
A jacket that is described as breathable is designed to allow sweat, or water vapour to pass through. Some fabrics are more effective at this than others. To work at their best they rely on a good layering system designed to transfer moisture from your skin to the jacket. Atmospheric conditions will also dictate how well they work; for example: textiles will work more efficiently when there is a large temperature difference between the inside and the outside of your clothing.
There are times when wearing a waterproof is the best choice, but on changeable days when rain is very light, a water-resistant garment may work better as generally speaking, they can transfer moisture more efficiently, they are more breathable. If it is a blustery day you may be better to choose a lightweight windproof garment for maximum comfort, popping your waterproof on only when the rain hits.
Don’t worry if you see your waterproof change to a darker colour and feel a little clammy inside – if you have brought it from us it’s not likely to be leaking! It’s just wetting-out. A simple tumble dry and/or re-proofing will restore your garment to its previous performance.
The best garment for you is the one that fits. It can have a gazillion pockets, the most articulated knee design or the very latest in technical features but if you are out on the hill and it is so big it flaps in the wind and drives you to distraction then it was not a good purchase. These days garments are tailored to fit. We are all different shapes and sizes and garment manufacturers go to a LOT of effort to allow for this. Try your garment on with layers, try the zips while wearing gloves, try it on with a pack but above all chat to us about what you should wear underneath.
Outdoor Gear Chat Podcast
Take a listen to our Outdoor Gear Chat podcast Episodes 47-50, where Cathy and Wayne discuss everything there is to know about waterproof fabrics in 2025....
