Why You Should
Berghaus Deluge Pro 2.0 Review 2026: Worth It?
Introduction
The Berghaus Deluge Pro 2.0 is a GORE-TEX Paclite shell that weighs under 300g and retails at £130. In the UK market, that combination sits in a genuinely rare position: proper waterproof membrane technology at a price that does not require a month of justification. The original Deluge Pro built a loyal following among UK hillwalkers and day hikers, and this 2.0 revision adds pit-zip vents, a recycled face fabric, and a bolder colour palette that has pushed it squarely into festival-season conversations alongside its established outdoor credentials.
The timing is deliberate. UK buyers looking for a lightweight waterproof that earns its place at Glastonbury in June and on a Lakeland ridge in August are a specific and underserved group. Most shells at this price force a choice between packability and breathability. The pit zips on the Deluge Pro 2.0 are Berghaus's answer to that trade-off, and owner feedback confirms they make a measurable difference in warm, humid British summer conditions where a sealed shell becomes unwearable within an hour.
The competitive landscape it enters includes the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 and the Montane Phase XT, both of which are strong jackets. Neither packs as small. The Deluge Pro 2.0 is not trying to be a three-season mountaineering layer; it is a summer-priority shell built for the specific misery of horizontal British rain followed immediately by warm sunshine, and it handles that cycle better than anything else currently available at this price point.
Price
The Berghaus Deluge Pro 2.0 Shell Jacket costs £130 at John Lewis, Berghaus.com, and Cotswold Outdoor.
At that price, it is worth it. GORE-TEX Paclite is not a budget membrane substitute; it is the genuine article, and finding it in a jacket under £150 with functional pit zips and a packable format is not standard. The Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 costs £160 and lacks pit-zip vents. The Montane Phase XT sits at £175 and offers a marginally superior hood but no meaningful breathability advantage for summer use. The Deluge Pro 2.0 costs less than both and outperforms both on the specific metrics that matter in UK summer conditions: packability and active ventilation.
The one pricing irritant is the absence of internal stash pockets, which buyers across verified reviews cite as a cost-cutting measure relative to Berghaus's own higher-priced shells. At £130, a single internal zipped pocket would not have broken the margin. It is a small omission but a noticeable one at a price where competitors are beginning to include them.
Materials and Construction
The Deluge Pro 2.0 is built from GORE-TEX Paclite, a 2.5-layer construction that bonds the GORE-TEX membrane directly to the face fabric with a moisture-wicking jersey backer rather than a separate inner liner. The face fabric is recycled nylon. At under 300g for the jacket, the weight reduction is a direct result of the 2.5-layer construction eliminating the hung liner used in heavier 3-layer shells.
The recycled nylon face fabric performs functionally on par with virgin nylon equivalents in this construction. Owners report no reduction in DWR performance or surface durability versus previous Deluge Pro versions after repeated wash cycles. The GORE-TEX membrane itself carries a lifetime warranty on waterproofing from Gore, which at this price tier represents a significant long-term value point.
Pit-zip construction uses full-length underarm zips with mesh-backed openings. The hardware is YKK throughout on the main zip and pit zips, which is the correct choice at this price; cheaper alternatives use unbranded zip pull mechanisms that degrade in UV and salt conditions. The chest pocket zip, however, lacks a waterproof baffle behind it. Verified purchasers confirm that in sustained downpour, items stored in the chest pocket can dampen. This is a construction shortcut that stands out against the otherwise sound hardware spec.
Wrist cuffs close with Velcro tabs rather than elasticated closures. Velcro allows for a more precise fit adjustment, but buyers with base layers note snagging during removal, which is a recurring friction point across reviews. The extended back hem adds approximately 5cm of coverage relative to standard shell hems, which matters when bending forward on a bike or scramble.
Comfort
Out of the box, the Deluge Pro 2.0 feels light against the skin due to the jersey backer on the GORE-TEX Paclite membrane. Unlike older Paclite versions, which had a characteristically crispy, almost plasticky interior feel, the jersey backer on the 2.0 version sits closer to a soft-shell interior than a traditional waterproof lining. Owners consistently report it is comfortable worn directly over a base layer without a midlayer, which is the primary summer use case.
The pit zips are the jacket's most functional comfort feature. In warm, humid UK summer conditions (the 18–24°C range typical of June festival days or August low-altitude hiking), opening both pit zips dumps trapped heat and moisture without removing the jacket. Owners across hiking and festival reviews confirm the jacket remains wearable through sustained activity in these temperatures with pit zips open, where a sealed shell would force a stop-and-strip routine.
The Velcro cuff closures introduce minor discomfort during repeated dressing and undressing, specifically catching on knit base layers. This is not a comfort issue during wear, only during transitions. The hood, when cinched, sits close to the face and offers good lateral coverage; the short peak, however, leaves the forehead exposed in horizontal rain, which in UK upland conditions is not a theoretical scenario. Buyers consistently report having to angle their heads down or supplement with a cap brim in driving rain.
Fit and Sizing
Size up one from your usual Berghaus size for an active fit with room across the shoulders and chest.
The Deluge Pro 2.0 cuts slim by current UK standards, particularly across the shoulders and upper chest. Buyers with broader builds consistently find the standard size restrictive through the shoulder seam during overhead movement. Buyers in the XS–S range, particularly those with narrower builds, report the standard size fits well without sizing up. For anyone planning to layer a fleece or midlayer underneath, sizing up one is not a suggestion; it is necessary for shoulder freedom based on the consistent pattern across verified purchase reviews.
XS stock is a separate practical concern. Multiple retailers sell out of XS early in the season, with John Lewis and ASOS both running low by late April in previous years. If you are an XS buyer, ordering in March rather than waiting for the festival season is the practical move.
How to Style It
Trail run recovery, post-activity: Wear the Deluge Pro 2.0 in solar yellow over a white long-sleeve technical base layer, with black trail running leggings and low-profile trail trainers. The packable format means it lives in a running vest until needed. The yellow colourway reads as athletic rather than purely utilitarian, which matters when the run ends at a café car park.
Festival day, variable weather: Layer it over a fitted cropped ribbed long-sleeve top in olive or sand, with wide-leg cargo trousers in khaki and chunky lug-sole ankle boots. Tie the jacket at the waist when the rain stops. The solar yellow or poppy red colourways work directly with the maximalist palette that defines UK festival dressing in 2026 without requiring additional statement pieces.
Coastal hike, warm and breezy: Pair the jacket in navy or slate over a lightweight merino quarter-zip in oatmeal, with slim-fit walking trousers in stretch nylon and low waterproof hiking trainers. The extended back hem provides coverage when leaning into a coastal headwind without bunching above the waistband. Keep the pit zips partially open from the start rather than waiting until overheating sets in.
Alternatives
Rab Downpour Plus 2.0, £160 at Cotswold Outdoor and RAB.equipment
A stronger hood with a longer peak that holds up in horizontal rain. The better choice if your primary use is exposed ridgeline hiking rather than summer festivals or low-altitude trails. Costs £30 more and packs larger.
Montane Phase XT Jacket, £175 at Montane.com and Cotswold Outdoor
Slightly superior seam taping and a more structured cuff system. Worth the premium for buyers who will use it year-round in upland conditions. For summer-priority use, the £45 saving from the Deluge Pro 2.0 is not recovered in performance.
Decathlon Forclaz MT900 Waterproof Jacket, £89.99 at Decathlon UK
Uses a proprietary membrane rather than GORE-TEX. The correct choice if budget is the primary constraint and UK hillwalking rather than brand provenance is the goal. Waterproofing holds in moderate rain; it underperforms the Deluge Pro 2.0 in sustained downpour over three or more hours based on owner comparisons across UK hiking forums.
Pros
- GORE-TEX Paclite delivers confirmed all-day waterproofing across festival and hillwalking conditions, with owners reporting no saturation through shoulder seams or hood after eight-plus hours in sustained rain.
- Pit-zip vents allow active temperature regulation in the 18–24°C range where sealed shells become unwearable; owners consistently report extending wear time without stopping to remove the jacket.
- The jacket compresses into its own internal chest pocket and fits inside a small festival bum bag, which no directly competing shell at this price replicates.
- Recycled nylon face fabric carries no functional compromise relative to virgin nylon, and the sustainability credential resonates with the UK buyer profile for this product category.
- Bold 2026 colourways, including solar yellow and poppy red, sit within current maximalist dressing trends without requiring the jacket to work harder as a style piece than it does as a performance layer.
- YKK zips throughout the main closure and pit zips; long-term owners report no zip corrosion or pull degradation after a full UK outdoor season.
Cons
- The hood peak is short and droops in horizontal driving rain, leaving the forehead exposed; this is a functional failure in the specific weather conditions a UK waterproof shell most needs to handle.
- The chest pocket zip lacks a waterproof baffle, meaning internal contents dampen during sustained downpour, which undermines the packable convenience the jacket is built around.
- Velcro wrist cuffs snag consistently on knit base layers during removal, a recurring complaint across verified purchase reviews that an elasticated cuff would have resolved.
- No internal stash pockets at £130, while direct competitors at £10–20 more include at least one internal zipped security pocket; this reads as a cost reduction rather than a weight-saving decision given the overall 300g spec.
- XS sizing sells out at John Lewis, ASOS, and Selfridges early in the season, creating a practical availability problem for the buyers who need it most.
- The shoulders and chest run trim by UK standards; buyers who do not size up find restricted overhead movement, and the need to size up creates a slight excess of fabric through the torso for narrower builds.
Current Price
£130.00
Available at Johnlewis.com
Buy It Now →Price verified as of July 23, 2026. WYS may earn a commission on purchases.
The WYS Verdict
The Berghaus Deluge Pro 2.0 is the most practical lightweight GORE-TEX shell currently available under £150 in the UK for buyers whose primary season is summer. The pit zips are a functional differentiator that competing shells at this price do not offer, and the packable format is genuinely festival-bag sized. The short hood peak and unbaffle chest pocket zip are real flaws, not minor quibbles, and buyers who spend significant time on exposed ridges in horizontal rain should spend the extra £30 on the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 instead. For everyone else, including festival-goers, trail runners, and fair-weather hillwalkers who need a shell that fits in a bum bag and does not overheat them, the Deluge Pro 2.0 at £130 earns its price without reservation.
Score: 7.8 out of 10
Buy it if your primary use is summer hiking, trail running, or UK festival season; size up one from your usual size; and order early if you need XS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Berghaus Deluge Pro 2.0 worth £130?
At £130, it is worth the price for buyers who need a genuine GORE-TEX shell with active ventilation for UK summer conditions. It scores 7.8 out of 10 primarily because the pit-zip vents and packable format deliver performance advantages that no directly competing shell at this price replicates.
How does the Deluge Pro 2.0 fit, and who does it work best for?
Size up one from your usual Berghaus size, particularly if you have broader shoulders or plan to layer a midlayer underneath. Buyers with narrower builds who wear XS–S in standard UK sizing should order early in the season, as XS stock sells out at most major retailers before the summer peak.
Does the GORE-TEX Paclite membrane hold up over repeated use?
Owners report no degradation in DWR performance or seam waterproofing after repeated wash cycles and a full UK outdoor season of use. The main durability concern is not the membrane but the unbaffle chest pocket zip, which allows moisture ingress to stored items in sustained downpour.
What is the best alternative to the Deluge Pro 2.0 if the hood is a dealbreaker?
The Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 at £160 from Cotswold Outdoor offers a longer, stiffer hood peak that holds its shape in horizontal rain. Choose it over the Deluge Pro 2.0 if your use case centres on exposed upland hiking in poor conditions rather than summer festivals or low-altitude trail use.