Arc'teryx has been responsible for some of the most recognisable technical outerwear designs of the past few decades, but few are quite as distinctive as the Sidewinder.

First introduced in 2001, the jacket helped establish the Canadian brand's reputation in freeride skiing and snowboarding, largely thanks to an unusual curved front zip that looked unlike anything else on the mountain.

Now, 25 years later, the Sidewinder is making a comeback, complete with updated GORE-TEX construction, a more relaxed silhouette and, thankfully, that unmistakable asymmetric zip.

Even better, Arc'teryx is also releasing a separate archival edition that recreates the original 2001 design, right down to its retro colourways.

A zip that changed everything

When Arc'teryx introduced the jacket in 2001, its curved WaterTight zip represented a significant departure from conventional outerwear construction.

The zip curves around the wearer's neck, moving the closure away from the chin to prevent uncomfortable rubbing.

These days, chin guards are pretty standard on most mountaineering shells, but that doesn't make the Sidewinder's design redundant.

Even though the curved zipper is back, practically everything surrounding it has been updated.

The jacket now features a shorter, more relaxed fit designed to provide greater freedom of movement, alongside a three-layer GORE-TEX ePE construction.

Arc'teryx has used durable 100-denier fabrics throughout, with ripstop reinforcement across the shoulders and sleeves to improve durability in high-wear areas.

Other features include a helmet-compatible StormHood (my favourite), adjustable cuffs, a cinchable waist, multiple pockets and an integrated RECCO reflector to assist search and rescue operations.

At 681g, it's a substantial technical shell designed for demanding mountain conditions rather than lightweight hiking.

The original is making a comeback, too

Perhaps the more exciting announcement for longtime Arc'teryx enthusiasts is the Sidewinder Archive, which arrives in November.

Unlike the contemporary version, which introduces updated proportions and construction, the Archive closely follows the original jacket's fit and design from 2001.

The archival edition uses modern three-layer GORE-TEX PRO ePE, alongside recycled face fabrics, bringing the original design up to contemporary performance standards.

It will also be available in the original Citrus and Chili colourways, which should appeal to collectors and anyone who appreciates the increasingly popular retro outdoor aesthetic.

The decision to release both versions feels particularly timely, given the growing interest in archival technical clothing and the renewed popularity of early-2000s outdoor designs.

The contemporary Sidewinder is part of the brand's Autumn/Winter 2026 collection and is available now at Arc'teryx UK and Arc'teryx US for £750 / $850.

The Sidewinder Archive launches globally in November through Arc'teryx stores, selected retailers and the brand's website. Price TBC.

British adventure brand Shackleton's latest launch takes the company into an entirely new category.

The new Palmer Softshell Hiking Trousers are the company's first-ever technical softshell legwear, and are said to offer the durability and freedom of movement needed for demanding mountain adventures without looking out of place back in civilisation.

According to Shackleton, the idea came directly from customers, who requested versatile hiking trousers through the brand's regular surveys.

Named after Palmer Land, a mountainous region of the Antarctic Peninsula, the Palmer follow Shackleton's established philosophy of creating technical outdoor clothing that doesn't necessarily look like traditional expedition gear.

And judging by the specifications, there's considerably more going on here than the understated appearance might suggest.

Built for movement, whatever the weather

The Palmer trousers use a double-weave softshell fabric made from 88% nylon and 12% spandex, and provide four-way stretch for unrestricted movement when scrambling or tackling steep terrain.

A gusseted crotch and elasticated rear waistband further improve mobility, while adjustable hems, reinforced ankle scuff guards and concealed boot hooks help keep everything in place when the going gets rough.

One particularly interesting detail is the integrated Fidlock magnetic buckle, which should make fastening and adjusting the trousers considerably easier than a traditional belt.

Providing UPF 50+ sun protection, the Palmer trousers have five external pockets, including a thigh pocket with an internal mesh compartment and a concealed loop for securing valuables.

Despite their relatively streamlined appearance, they feature concealed zipped mesh vents on the legs to let you dump excess heat during strenuous activity.

Shackleton quotes a RET breathability rating of 2.23, which is exceptionally low. RET measures a fabric's resistance to water vapour transmission, meaning lower numbers generally indicate better breathability.

The fabric itself is coated with PFC-free C0 durable water-repellent treatment to help shed light rain and moisture.

From summer hikes to winter expeditions

Perhaps the most ambitious claim concerns the trousers' versatility across different temperatures.

Shackleton says the Palmer trousers are comfortable up to 25°C, and that pairing them with suitable thermal base layers could make them usable in conditions as cold as -20°C.

Naturally, comfort at either extreme will depend on activity levels and weather conditions, but the breathable fabric and adjustable ventilation suggest they're meant for year-round use.

At 510g, they're not exactly ultralight, although the additional weight is understandable given the reinforced construction and extensive feature set.

The Palmer Softshell Hiking Trousers are available now at Shackleton for £195 / $295 / €270 / AU$390.

They're currently offered in black only.

Winter jackets can be surprisingly expensive, especially when you want proper insulation and reliable waterproofing. However, you don't necessarily need to spend hundreds of pounds to stay warm and dry when temperatures drop.

Shop all waterproof jackets at Decathlon

Take Decathlon's Quechua NH500 waterproof hiking jacket, for example. At just £39.99, it costs far less than many technical winter coats, yet promises protection against rain, wind and snow, with enough insulation to keep you comfortable in temperatures as low as -10°C.

Even more impressively, the jacket has earned an average customer rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars from more than 12,700 reviews, with thousands of shoppers giving it full marks.

One five-star reviewer describes it as a "Great winter coat, super snug and waterproof", adding that it "got me through the whole winter."

Another customer is equally enthusiastic about its performance in poor weather, writing: "I've used this all through winter without getting cold or wet. No complaints at all."

The NH500 uses synthetic insulation, with 200g/m² of wadding around the body and 150g/m² in the sleeves.

That's a substantial amount of insulation for an affordable jacket, though the -10°C comfort rating will, of course, depend on your activity level and what you're wearing underneath.

Waterproofing comes courtesy of a polyurethane-coated outer fabric rated to withstand a 5,000mm hydrostatic head, with fully taped seams to prevent water from entering through the stitching.

That's not the kind of waterproof rating you'd expect from a premium mountaineering shell, but it should offer enough protection against typical British winter conditions.

Other practical features include an adjustable hood, Velcro cuffs, a drawcord hem and a protective flap behind the main zip to help keep cold air out.

Made with 49% recycled polyester, the jacket also has fleece-lined handwarmer pockets and a secure chest pocket for smaller essentials.

One compromise worth mentioning is the lack of a dedicated ventilation system, which could make it less suitable for strenuous hiking.

The Decathlon Quechua NH500 waterproof hiking jacket is available in five colour options, with prices starting at £39.99. The smoked black / terracotta brown model costs £5 more, still only £44.99.

Each summer, my family and I swap London life for a month in the Swiss mountain resort of Klosters. We usually choose to drive, allowing us to load the car with all the gear we need for our adventures, not least our bikes. With two children's bikes in the roof box and another three on the towbar-mounted rack, we make the 1,000km journey and settle in.

As a keen road cyclist, I've spent years exploring the surrounding mountain passes, but electric bikes have transformed what we're able to do together as a family, opening up a whole new world of adventures.

This summer, my wife and I shared the Moustache Xroad FS 6, using it extensively, often several times a day, for everything from half-mile supermarket dashes to family excursions deep into the mountains.

At times, that meant transporting four of us on a single bike: one adult pedalling, our one-year-old in a rear-mounted child seat and our four- and six-year-olds in a double trailer behind, with picnic supplies squeezed in alongside them.

It's quite a load for one bicycle, and I occasionally wondered whether we were asking too much of it. But the Moustache took it all in its stride, the powerful Bosch motor making remarkably light work of the mountain climbs. By the end of our stay, it had become an indispensable part of our holiday.

Moustache Xroad FS 6 review

Price and availability

French manufacturer Moustache was founded in 2011, with its electric bikes designed and assembled in the Vosges region of eastern France.

The brand’s extensive range spans everything from longtail cargo bikes to sporty road machines, but the Xroad is its do-it-all electric hybrid, designed to be equally at home on the daily commute, country lanes or gravel trails.

There are seven models to choose from: four front-suspension versions, from the entry-level ES to the progressively better-equipped 2, 4 and 6, plus three full-suspension (FS) models, which add a rear shock absorber for greater comfort and control on rougher terrain.

The FS 6 sits at the top, starting at £4,199 with a 600Wh battery, or £4,499 with the larger 800Wh option, compared with £3,499 for the FS 2 and £3,899 for the FS 4. The additional outlay brings Bosch's more powerful Performance Line CX motor, a larger Kiox 500 display and upgraded Magura hydraulic disc brakes.

I borrowed the bike from the excellent team at Fully Charged (https://www.fullycharged.com/moustache-samedi-27-xroad-6-fs-2026/) whose cavernous showroom near London Bridge is a hive of activity. If you’re considering a Moustache, it’s well worth a visit to get hands-on with the different models and work out which best suits your needs.

Another contender is Haibike's ADVENTR 6, which costs £3,699 and offers full suspension and an 800Wh battery, albeit with a less powerful Bosch Performance Line PX motor. The top-spec FS 6 isn't the cheapest option, then, but its extra muscle proved particularly valuable in the mountains.

Design and build quality

At first glance, the Xroad FS 6 has something of a mountain bike about it, with chunky tyres, a substantial aluminium frame and suspension at both ends. Yet its more upright riding position, low step-through design and generous array of practical accessories make it ready for much more than weekend trail riding.

It's a good-looking bike, too, with a smart matt finish and clean frame lines that disguise its considerable bulk.

The step-through frame was an immediate winner with both my wife and me, particularly with a child seat mounted behind the saddle. Swinging a leg over the rear simply wasn't an option, so being able to step through the frame made mounting and dismounting with a child aboard considerably easier.

Another brilliant feature is the dropper seatpost, operated by a thumb lever on the handlebars. Press it and the saddle rises; apply your body weight and another press lowers it again. At 167cm, my wife was comfortably accommodated by our medium-sized test bike, while at 188cm I'm better suited to a large.

Nevertheless, this quick and easy adjustment meant we could swap throughout the day without tools. For our relatively short excursions, it worked perfectly, although I would want the larger frame for several hours in the saddle.

I'd initially feared the full suspension would do little more than add unnecessary weight, but it proved a revelation. With 120mm of travel up front and 115mm at the rear, it might sound excessive for family cycling, but even the riverside gravel trails were peppered with potholes, cattle grids and rocky sections.

The suspension soaked up substantial jolts, particularly on faster descents, making for a noticeably smoother ride than a conventional hardtail. I'm sure my one-year-old appreciated it too, frequently dozing off in the child seat behind me, seemingly oblivious to the bumps beneath us.

We also had Moustache's optional £200 suspended luggage carrier, with MIK HD and QL3 mounting systems for compatible child seats, panniers and other accessories. It's an upgrade I'd wholeheartedly recommend.

Our Thule Yepp 2 Maxi child seat attached easily, and I switched out the standard rear thru-axle with a trailer-compatible version (172mm long with a 1.5mm thread pitch; I purchased this one), allowing us to hitch up a Thule Chariot Cross 2 double trailer. This made for an extraordinarily versatile setup, allowing us to transport all three children or use the trailer for larger supermarket shops.

Elsewhere, mudguards, integrated lights, a sturdy kickstand and built-in frame lock make the Xroad an impressively practical everyday machine.

The only real downside is its weight, at around 27–29kg depending on battery and frame size. Lifting it onto our towbar-mounted bike rack was manageable, but I certainly wouldn't fancy hoisting it onto a roof rack without someone else to help.

Performance and ride quality

Power comes courtesy of Bosch's Performance Line CX motor, rated at up to 120Nm of torque in its current specification. That's significantly more than the 75Nm and 90Nm available from the FS 2 and FS 4 respectively, and a difference I was grateful for with three children in tow and some particularly steep gradients to tackle.

Our regular family excursion followed the river from Klosters to Garfiun, an 18km round trip involving approximately 300m of climbing. Even fully loaded with children, trailer and picnic supplies, the Moustache made wonderfully light work of the ascent.

The assistance feels remarkably natural, building smoothly as you pedal rather than arriving in an abrupt surge. I generally favoured the lower Eco or Tour settings, while my wife preferred a little more help, particularly on the steeper sections.

We only discovered the motor's limits once, after taking a wrong turn beneath the Gotschnabahn gondola towards the main ski area. Suddenly faced with a narrow trail exceeding 15 per cent gradient, it became difficult to maintain sufficient momentum to balance comfortably with the trailer attached. A little extra power would have been welcome, although this was an extreme scenario for any family e-bike.

Elsewhere, the Xroad felt impressively planted. The Schwalbe Smart Sam tyres provided ample traction on loose gravel, while the upgraded Magura brakes delivered reassuring stopping power on long Alpine descents.

Even on smooth tarmac the suspension made its presence felt, quietly absorbing unexpected drain covers and potholes. Unhitch the trailer and remove the child seat, however, and the bike transformed into something altogether more playful, encouraging a spirited blast along the gravel trails.

The Bosch Kiox 500 2.8” colour display was another highlight. Centrally mounted on the handlebars, it's considerably larger and easier to read than the smaller Purion 200 fitted to the lower-spec models, displaying speed, battery status and assistance level, along with useful prompts suggesting when to change gear.

There's additional functionality through Bosch's eBike Flow app, although I never felt the need to explore it. Everything I wanted was already available on the screen.

Battery life and range

The FS 6 is available with a 600Wh Bosch PowerTube battery or a larger 800Wh option, neatly integrated into the frame. Moustache quotes maximum ranges of 135km and 172km respectively under ideal conditions, although real-world results depend heavily on terrain, load and assistance level.

Our Swiss mountain riding provided a demanding test, with long climbs and a bicycle frequently carrying considerably more than a typical solo rider would.

Nevertheless, range was never a concern. A typical outing involved around 40 minutes climbing up the valley followed by a much quicker 20-minute descent, with shorter supermarket runs in between.

We generally charged the bike every other evening, plugging it directly into a socket in our garage without needing to remove the battery.

Rather than relying on the estimated remaining range, which inevitably fluctuated with the terrain, load and assistance level, I simply kept an eye on the battery percentage.

My one small criticism concerned the charging socket cover. Positioned facing upwards beside the motor housing, its flap was rather too easily dislodged, potentially exposing the connection to rain and dirt. It's a minor irritation on an otherwise thoughtfully designed bike, but one that could become troublesome over time.

Verdict

Having spent five weeks with the Moustache Xroad FS 6, I'm convinced it's about as versatile an electric bike as you could hope to own.

A dedicated cargo bike might make more sense for families whose main priority is transporting children, while those who rarely venture beyond tarmac could save money with a simpler Xroad.

But for anyone wanting one bike for everything from everyday errands to ambitious mountain adventures, with children and all their gear in tow, or simply the solo blasts along gravel trails, the FS 6 makes a very compelling case. It's expensive and on the heavy side, yet the freedom it offers makes those compromises surprisingly easy to overlook.

For us, it didn't just make getting around easier. It opened up more of the mountains to the whole family, creating shared experiences and memories that will stay with us long after the summer is over.

Arc'teryx is no stranger to making unusual outdoor gear, but its latest winter footwear might be one of the strangest products the Canadian brand has released in recent memory.

The new Arc'teryx Postour Boot looks like it was designed for Arctic expeditions, although its most interesting feature has surprisingly little to do with surviving extreme conditions.

That's because these oversized, GORE-TEX-lined winter boots have a removable slipper hidden inside, letting you transition from trudging through deep snow to lounging around the chalet without having to change your footwear entirely.

Yes, Arc'teryx has essentially invented a £280 boot that doubles as a pair of slippers, and I can't decide whether it's completely ridiculous or genuinely brilliant. On second thought, it's the latter.

Two shoes for the price of one

To be fair to Arc'teryx, there's considerably more going on here than a gimmicky two-in-one design.

The Postour is a recovery boot that helps your feet recover after long ski days and/or exploring snowy environments.

The outer boot features GORE-TEX Invisible Fit waterproofing, while the tall, flexible collar cinches shut like a climbing chalk bag to keep snow out.

The Vibram Arctic Grip outsole provides plenty of traction on icy surfaces, with an aggressive lug pattern for navigating snow and softer terrain.

Extended rubber reinforcement wraps around the lower section of the boot to protect against abrasion and impacts, while insulation helps keep your feet warm when temperatures drop.

Things get considerably more exciting when indoors.

You simply pull out the insulated inner shoe, which has its own grippy TPU outsole and can be worn on its own.

It's essentially a cosy house slipper that doubles as the inner lining of a fully waterproof winter boot.

The removable design also makes a surprising amount of sense for anyone spending time in mountain huts, ski chalets or winter camps, where switching between outdoor protection and indoor comfort is part of the daily routine.

Ridiculous or revolutionary?

Of course, there's no getting around the Postour's appearance. The internet seems torn between astonishment and revolt over the boots' towering fabric upper, chunky rubber base and minimalist styling.

Many suggest that it looks more like something an astronaut might wear on a particularly cold planet than conventional après-ski footwear.

At 786g per boot, it's hardly lightweight either, though that's less of a concern for footwear designed for warmth and recovery.

And while the idea of paying £280 for boots that turn into slippers might sound extravagant, the combination of GORE-TEX waterproofing, Vibram traction and insulated construction suggests Arc'teryx hasn't compromised on the technical details.

Personally, I love seeing outdoor brands experiment with unconventional designs, especially when there's a practical idea lurking beneath the slightly absurd exterior.

The Postour Boot is available now for £280 in the UK, in men's and women's versions, directly from Arc'teryx.

It might not be the winter footwear everyone needs, but it's certainly one of the more entertaining ways to keep your feet warm this season.

If there's one guy who knows a thing or two about training for the long game, it's physician, bestselling author, and pioneer in functional medicine, Dr Mark Hyman.

The 66-year-old longevity expert and founder and senior adviser of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine says he's fitter than he's ever been in his life. And he's more than happy to share his secrets.

“Your body is actually the single most sophisticated thing you'll ever own," says Hyman, who didn't start strength training until he was 59. "Now I'm 66 and stronger than I was in my 40s," he explains. What's his secret?

Why strength training matters in your 60s

"Muscle is the organ of longevity. It controls your blood sugar, protects your bones, fuels your metabolism, and keeps you independent as you age," explains Hyman. "After 30, we lose muscle every decade unless we fight for it."

He’s not wrong. As we get older, we naturally lose muscle mass and strength, which can affect everything from our balance and mobility to how easily we manage everyday activities.

But here's the good news. It's never too late to start strength training, and our muscles can respond to exercise well into later life.

In fact, Hyman believes you might notice some benefits sooner than you think. "In as little as 10 days, you can start to feel the difference in your energy, sleep and mood," he says.

Of course, building muscle takes time, but it's encouraging to know that even small changes to your routine can move you in the right direction.

The workout

Hyman explains that these six moves will help you stay "strong enough to hike mountains, travel the world, carry your own bags and keep doing things you love for decades to come."

And isn't that what training for longevity should really be about? Not just looking strong, but being strong enough to enjoy life, whatever your age.

His six exercises involve core work, upper-body strength, grip endurance and rotational movement. Here's how to do them.

1. Mountain climbers

"This move combines strength and cardiovascular work," says Hyman. "Exercises that challenge multiple systems at once improve metabolic health, balance and resilience."

Start in a high plank position, with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels.

Keeping your core engaged, drive one knee towards your chest, then return it to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side, alternating legs in a controlled, running-like movement.

No gym? No problem. This move can be done anywhere.

2. Rotational cable press

"Most injuries happen during twisting, reaching, or changing direction," says Hyman. "Training rotation helps maintain real-world movement capacity and protects the spine."

Stand in front of a cable machine with the handle at knee height. Hold the handle, then rotate through your torso as you press your arm forwards and slightly across your body. Return slowly to the starting position before repeating. Switch sides to work both directions.

No gym? Secure a resistance band around a sturdy object and use the band instead.

3. Single-arm rotational cable row

"A strong back supports spinal health, posture and shoulder function," says Hyman. "All of which tend to decline with age."

Set the cable machine around waist height and hold the handle with one hand. Step back to create tension in the cable, keeping your knees slightly bent. Allow your torso to rotate gently towards the machine, then pull the handle towards your ribs as you rotate back. Keep the movement controlled rather than using momentum.

No gym? Secure a resistance band around a sturdy object and use the band instead.

4. Dead hang

"Grip strength is one of the most studied predictors of healthy aging and overall mortality," says Hyman. "Hanging also helps maintain shoulder range of motion."

Grip a pull-up bar with both hands, roughly shoulder-width apart, and allow your body to hang beneath it. Keep your shoulders controlled and your core lightly engaged, avoiding excessive swinging. Hold for as long as you can comfortably maintain your grip and position.

If a full dead hang feels too challenging, keep your feet supported on a box or the floor to reduce the load.

No gym? Find a playground with some monkey bars, or invest in a door frame bar.

5. Lat pulldown

"Strong pulling muscles support posture, shoulder health and the ability to lift and carry objects throughout life," says Hyman.

Sit at a lat pulldown machine with your thighs secured beneath the pads. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and keep your chest lifted. Pull the bar down towards your upper chest, driving your elbows towards your sides. Slowly extend your arms to return to the starting position.

Avoid leaning too far backwards or using momentum to pull the weight down.

No gym? Secure a resistance band around a sturdy object. Making sure the band is securely anchored overhead, pull the handles of the band from above your head down towards your ribs. Control the band on the way up, and back on the way down.

6. Alternating dumbbell chest press

"Resistance training helps preserve muscle and bone, two key factors in preventing frailty," says Hyman.

Lie on a flat bench holding a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms extended above your chest. Keeping one arm steady, lower the opposite dumbbell towards your chest by bending your elbow. Press it back up, then repeat on the other side.

Alternate arms throughout, keeping your feet planted and your torso stable.

No gym? Use heavy water bottles and lie on your back with your knees bent. Or invest in a pair of adjustable dumbbells, which take up very little room and adapt to your progress.

How often should you do the workout?

"Every workout is an investment in my future self," says Hyman. His aim is to perform these moves three to four times a week, alongside walking every day.

If you're new to strength training, start with fewer sessions and build up gradually, allowing your muscles time to recover. Choose a manageable level of resistance, concentrate on your technique and increase the challenge as you become more confident and resilient.

And that's perhaps the biggest takeaway from Hyman's approach. Strength training isn't just about what you can lift today. It's about making sure your body is capable of doing everything you love tomorrow – and for decades to come. It's never too late to start, because, yes, training takes effort – yet “frailty takes everything.”

Strava might still be best known for helping runners and cyclists track their workouts, but the fitness platform has spent the last few years building a fully fledged outdoor navigation app.

(Not to mention all the strength training stuff, but that's another story.)

Its latest update, announced on 22 October, takes that ambition another step forward by introducing smarter route searches, improved offline mapping and community-powered recommendations, with hands-free turn-by-turn navigation also on the horizon.

For hikers, in particular, the changes could make Strava a more compelling alternative to dedicated outdoor apps such as AllTrails and Komoot, especially for those already paying for a Strava subscription.

Finding your next adventure just got easier

One of the biggest improvements puts Strava's LLM to good use by letting you look for routes and points of interest using natural language.

Strava has also expanded its library of recommended routes, while redesigned route cards now provide additional context through photographs and activity data contributed by the platform's community of more than 200 million users.

The idea is to make choosing a route less of a guessing game, particularly when exploring unfamiliar areas.

Further improvements are on the way, too, including community-generated descriptions and tags that highlight interesting features along routes, such as waterfalls and notable trees.

Strava says these insights will be informed by aggregated activity data from its users, potentially making the information more relevant to the routes people actually explore.

No signal? No problem

Perhaps more importantly for outdoor enthusiasts, Strava is improving how its app behaves when mobile reception disappears.

Saved routes will now appear directly on the home screen when offline, and you can start and record activities offline, with your workouts automatically uploaded once connectivity returns.

Strava has confirmed that subscribers will soon be able to access hands-free, turn-by-turn audio navigation when following routes on hikes, walks and runs.

According to the company, you will receive spoken directions telling you when to turn, bringing the experience closer to that offered by dedicated navigation apps.

Strava also plans to introduce improved route discovery through its website.

Strava's outdoor ambitions are becoming impossible to ignore

These updates are the latest in a series of improvements that have gradually transformed Strava's outdoor credentials.

The company acquired specialist outdoor mapping platform FATMAP in 2023, subsequently integrating elements of its advanced terrain visualisation technology into Strava's mapping experience.

Since then, the platform has continued expanding its route planning, trail discovery and navigation capabilities, increasingly catering to hikers and outdoor adventurers alongside its traditional running and cycling audience.

Of course, dedicated hiking apps still have their advantages, and Strava isn't necessarily ready to replace every specialist navigation tool.

Nevertheless, with smarter route discovery, improved offline functionality and spoken navigation on the way, Strava is making an increasingly convincing argument that the app you already use to track your workouts could also help you find your next adventure.

You can sign up for Strava for free.

Samsung could be preparing to launch the successor to the Galaxy Fit 3, which we'd expect to be called the Galaxy Fit 4. That name might be predictable, but the design could be predictable too.

Thanks to a trio of videos that have landed at Android Authority we get to take a look at what's claimed to be the Galaxy Fit 4 in three colours – black, white and light blue.

From the outside, there don't appear to be any changes to the design, and with no official details from Samsung it's difficult to verify exactly what the changes might be to this affordable fitness tracker.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit series is designed for affordability (it's £54 in the UK), providing fitness tracking functions with a compact screen, but costing a lot less than Samsung's Galaxy Watch models. It's lightweight, offers tracking for daily steps and sleep, while also offering assisted GPS – ie., it needs a connected phone for accuracy.

The Galaxy Fit 3 was announced in early 2024, but this isn't a device that Samsung has regularly updated. The Galaxy Fit 2 was announced in 2020, so there's not really a launch pattern to stick to.

That might see the Galaxy Fit 4 appearing in 2027 – and the only pattern in this family of devices is that most of them have been announced in February. The eagle-eyed will notice that the screen shows the date of 25 January. Some manufacturers put the launch date on their official images – but again, not always.

Previously, leaks have identified a device with the model number SM-R391, with BLE support, but that's about all.

That leaves us with very little information about what to expect from the Samsung Galaxy Fit 4. It's a device that doesn't fit into the current screen-less tracker trend, potentially aiming to offer a slim and light device with a screen for a lower price.

This is a device that Samsung's likely to launch without too much fanfare, so expect it to just appear rather than get stage time at an upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.

Barefoot footwear has come a long way from its running-focused origins, with minimalist shoes increasingly finding their way into everyday wardrobes and outdoor adventures.

Vivobarefoot is taking that evolution a step further through a collaboration with Japanese outdoor collective Moonlight Gear.

From Asphalt to Powder explores the unlikely connection between street skating and snowsurfing, with a minimalist suede sneaker for urban adventures and a waterproof, insulated boot for colder conditions.

Although the two shoes couldn't look more different, both follow Vivobarefoot's familiar approach to footwear, prioritising flexibility and natural foot movement.

A little Japanese outdoor magic

Moonlight Gear (MLG) may not be widely recognisable outside Japan, but the outdoor retailer and collective has developed a following through its experimental approach to lightweight equipment and adventure.

The new collaboration follows that philosophy closely, which sees MLG's community building skateboards and snowsurf boards by hand before taking them onto the streets and into Japan's snow-covered mountains.

And while the two shoes might sound like a weird mix, it's worth remembering that both activities rely on balance, precision and an intimate understanding of the surface beneath your feet.

(Even if one involves concrete and the other untouched snow.)

It's an interesting way to position barefoot footwear beyond its usual association with running and natural walking, particularly as minimalist shoes continue to find audiences in fashion and outdoor circles.

Two shoes, two very different personalities

The more understated of the two models is the Gobi Sneaker Skate MLG, a low-profile skate-inspired shoe featuring a Wild Hide suede upper and a natural-rubber outsole.

Its wide, foot-shaped design and flexible construction let the foot move naturally, while the thin sole provides ground feedback that could appeal to skateboarders looking for better board feel.

The shoes feature a cork insole for moisture management and a repair tab to help extend their lifespan.

The black suede upper and contrasting gum sole give the Gobi a classic skate shoe look, which might make it more appealing for people who aren't necessarily looking for something that screams barefoot footwear.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Tracker Pioneer WP, a tall, insulated waterproof boot with a distinctly technical appearance.

Designed for cold and wet conditions, it features a flexible barefoot construction, a high-traction outsole and a bungee-lacing system for quick adjustments.

The generously padded upper and wraparound lacing give it an almost futuristic appearance, although its underlying design philosophy remains firmly rooted in Vivobarefoot's minimalist approach.

For the Moonlight Gear team, the Tracker Pioneer WP serves as a companion for snowsurfing adventures, including hiking into the mountains with their handmade boards in search of fresh powder.

The Gobi Sneaker Skate MLG is available in men's and women's versions for £150 / $170 / €160, while the Tracker Pioneer WP costs £200 / $270 / €220 and comes in Dark Shadow, Eclipse and Mole colour options.

AU price and availability TBC.

Few endurance athletes have pushed the limits of human performance quite like Kilian Jornet, whose extraordinary mountain-running exploits have made him a legend in the outdoor world.

While his training methods are undoubtedly more demanding than those of the average runner, one piece of recovery technology has apparently remained constant throughout much of his career.

That technology comes from Compex, which has announced its new Ultimate EMS range alongside a renewed partnership with Jornet, who has used the brand's electrical muscle stimulation devices since 2006.

The new generation introduces wireless stimulation pods, smartphone-based controls and upgraded muscle-scanning technology, all designed to make EMS easier to incorporate into training and recovery routines.

A smarter way to stimulate your muscles

Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, uses electrical impulses delivered through electrodes placed on the skin to trigger muscle contractions.

The technology is commonly associated with physiotherapy and rehabilitation, though athletes also use it for muscle activation, strength conditioning and recovery.

Compex has been developing EMS devices for decades, but the new Ultimate range marks a shift towards a more connected, portable experience.

The biggest change is the app-driven interface, which allows users to control their sessions from an iOS or Android smartphone.

The app offers structured training plans, as well as personalised goals and guidance on electrode placement.

Compex says its expandable catalogue of programmes covers everything from strength and endurance to massage and recovery.

The company has upgraded its Muscle Intelligence technology to MI 2.0, which the company claims delivers faster, more accurate muscle scanning and more responsive automatic intensity adjustments.

The wireless pods now use magnetic electrode connections for quicker setup, while a 15-minute charge provides enough power for a recovery session. Battery life is rated at up to five hours.

Good enough for one of the world's greatest endurance athletes?

Jornet's relationship with Compex stretches back almost two decades, having first used one of the company's devices following an injury in 2006.

Since then, he says EMS has become part of his wider approach to rehabilitation, strength training and recovery.

"The first time I used a Compex was after an injury in 2006, and since then it has been part of my routine in many different situations," Jornet explains.

"What I find particularly valuable is its ability to help activate muscles and support neuromuscular function without adding unnecessary mechanical load."

Of course, EMS isn't a shortcut to improved fitness, and the evidence supporting its various applications differs depending on the intended outcome.

It's best considered a supplementary tool rather than a replacement for conventional training and recovery practices.

Nevertheless, the new Ultimate range looks like a significant usability upgrade for athletes who already incorporate muscle stimulation into their routines.

The Compex Ultimate will cost £850 in the UK, with the official launch currently expected around mid-November 2026. The exact release date has yet to be confirmed.

Victorinox has been on something of a limited-edition roll lately, and its latest release might also be one of its cutest designs this year.

The Synergy Winter Magic Limited Edition 2026 transforms the Swiss manufacturer's practical nine-function pocket knife into a miniature winter wonderland, complete with a starry night sky, snow-covered house and a tiny silver key.

Limited to just 15,000 pieces worldwide, the seasonal release is clearly positioned as a collector's item, though it still offers plenty of everyday functionality beneath its festive exterior to entice EDC fans, too.

A winter wonderland in your pocket

The most striking feature is undoubtedly the knife's blue Alox aluminium scales, which feature an intricate illustration inspired by the stillness of a winter night.

Look closely, and you'll spot a little house surrounded by snow, a trail of footprints leading towards its front door and a wisp of smoke rising from the chimney into the star-filled sky.

It's a charming departure from Victorinox's typically understated designs, and the attention to detail extends to the detachable key-shaped charm hanging from the knife's key ring.

The hypoallergenic charm represents the key to the house depicted on the handle and can even be worn separately as a piece of jewellery.

Victorinox has also created a matching presentation box featuring the same wintry artwork, making the whole package feel more like a collectable than an ordinary everyday carry accessory.

Nine tools, one magical package

The Winter Magic is based on Victorinox's relatively new Synergy platform.

It features nine functions, including a large blade, box opener, bottle opener, 3mm and 7mm screwdrivers, wire stripper, nail file, nail cleaner and key ring.

The Synergy has a more contemporary silhouette, with a longer, slimmer profile and textured aluminium scales.

Measuring 93mm long, 23mm wide and 12mm thick, the limited edition weighs 79g, making it compact enough to carry in a pocket or everyday bag.

Interestingly, the company has opted for solid decorative scales instead of the cut-out design found on the standard Synergy, which gives this version a cleaner appearance.

The knife is manufactured in Switzerland, as you'd expect from Victorinox, and retains the practical versatility that has made the brand's pocket tools so popular.

The Victorinox Synergy Winter Magic Limited Edition 2026 is available now at Victorinox UK, Victorinox US and Victorinox EU, priced at £75 / $85 / €75. AU price and availability TBC.

With production capped at 15,000 pieces worldwide and a comparatively affordable price point, it could make a particularly appealing Christmas gift for Swiss Army Knife enthusiasts (provided you can resist keeping it for yourself).

Retro-inspired outdoor clothing is having something of a moment, with brands increasingly looking to their archives for inspiration.

Now, Swedish outdoor specialist Fjällräven is joining the party with a 3-piece capsule that looks delightfully vintage in all the right ways.

The Expedition Block Collection reimagines the brand's classic Expedition Down Lite Jacket with bold colour-blocked designs inspired by nature.

It brings a distinctly vintage aesthetic to a silhouette that can trace its roots back more than five decades.

Even though I have no qualms with how the brand's modern pieces look, the new range is a welcome departure from the more understated colours traditionally associated with Fjällräven.

On top of that, it's nice to see another major outdoor brand embracing its heritage as retro-inspired clothing continues to grow in popularity.

A 1970s classic gets a colourful update

The original Expedition Down Jacket was introduced in 1974, designed by Fjällräven founder Åke Nordin to provide serious insulation in the harsh Scandinavian winter.

More than 50 years later, its oversized profile, substantial hood and distinctive horizontal baffles remain instantly recognisable.

Fjällräven has focused on colour, introducing contrasting panels and unexpected combinations that recall the style of outdoor clothing catalogues from the 1970s or 1980s.

"For the Expedition Series, which has such history, colour blocking feels like a fresh approach," explains Fjällräven designer Samuel Stadell.

According to Stadell, the design team initially explored around 30 colourways before narrowing the collection down to five, with the final combinations drawing inspiration from natural landscapes.

Old-school looks, modern insulation

The Expedition Down Lite Jacket is a less bulky interpretation of the original Expedition Down Jacket designed for cold-weather adventures.

It uses down insulation arranged in sewn-through channels, with synthetic padding around the shoulders to help resist moisture and wear in areas particularly exposed to the elements.

The jacket also features an adjustable hood and hem, a two-way front zip, as well as three internal pockets.

The collection includes men's and women's versions of the jacket, alongside the limited-edition 1960 Leather Logo Hat, a two-layer lambswool beanie finished with a leather Fjällräven logo.

The Expedition Block collection launches today, 23 October 2026, and is available at Fjällräven UK and Fjällräven EU.

Both the men's and women's Expedition Down Lite Color Blocked Jackets are £550 / €550, while the 1960 Leather Logo Hat costs £60 / €64.95. US and AU prices and availability TBC.

Oura has spent the last few years steadily transforming its smart ring from a sleep and recovery tracker into a more rounded health and fitness wearable.

Its latest update continues that evolution by introducing two features to help you understand not just how much you exercise, but how those workouts affect your cardiovascular fitness.

The new Cardio Effort and updated VO₂ max features bring more sophisticated exercise analysis to the Oura app, including personalised weekly training-load assessments and automatic cardiovascular fitness estimates based on GPS-enabled workouts.

Training harder isn't always training smarter

Cardio Effort measures the cardiovascular demands of individual workouts and accumulates those scores into a weekly total.

The feature considers both exercise duration and intensity; a short, demanding workout can contribute as much effort as a longer, low-intensity session.

The system uses Training Impulse (TRIMP), an established exercise physiology framework that estimates the internal cardiovascular load associated with exercise.

Individual workout scores contribute towards five weekly effort categories: Light, Fair, Maintaining, Building and Reaching.

These ranges are personalised using your recent activity patterns to help you understand whether your current exercise routine is sufficient to maintain fitness, potentially improve it or place unusually high demands on your body.

It's not quite the same as Garmin's comprehensive Training Status or Training Readiness systems, but it represents another step towards connecting Oura's established recovery insights with the activities that influence them.

No more walking tests

The second upgrade concerns VO₂ max, one of the most widely used indicators of cardiovascular fitness.

Previously available through Oura's Cardio Capacity feature, the metric traditionally required users to complete a dedicated six-minute walking test to generate an estimate.

(In my experience, it was wildly unreliable.)

The updated system removes that requirement by automatically estimating VO₂ max from qualifying GPS-enabled workouts.

After five eligible activities, you receive an initial estimate, expressed in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min).

The Oura app then assigns a fitness category from Low to Peak, and displays historical trends, highlighting any changes.

You can also manually record VO₂ max results from lab testing or other devices, but these measurements won't influence Oura's own estimate or fitness rating.

Cardio Effort will be available on Oura Ring Gen 3 and newer models, while the updated VO₂ Max experience is launching through Oura Labs for the same generations.

Oura has not yet provided a specific wider rollout date for the VO₂ Max feature.

There's something slightly unsettling about watching a perfectly good outdoor jacket being subjected to the kind of weather most people would actively try to avoid, especially when you're standing comfortably indoors while the garment gets absolutely drenched.

Yet that's precisely what I found myself doing during a recent visit to GORE-TEX's facilities in Putzbrunn, near Munich, where the company was celebrating 50 years of its waterproof fabrics and offering a rare glimpse into the processes behind one of the outdoor industry's most recognisable technologies.

Having tested countless waterproof jackets over the years, I was keen to understand why products bearing the famous black diamond logo often cost more, especially when competing waterproof technologies promise similar levels of protection for considerably less money.

After spending time around machines designed to simulate rain, wind, abrasion and years of wear, I came away with a different appreciation for GORE-TEX.

Turns out, the brand’s involvement in the development of waterproof clothing extends well beyond supplying the membrane that sits between layers of fabric.

Making it rain

Most outdoor enthusiasts will be familiar with the basic principle behind the iconic GORE-TEX membrane. It’s designed to prevent liquid water from passing through while allowing water vapour generated by your body to escape.

It's an ingenious concept, but understanding how the membrane works doesn't necessarily explain how a jacket will perform when the weather turns unpleasant.

When you factor in seams, zips, pockets and other construction details that can compromise an otherwise perfectly waterproof material, you realise how complicated it is to design a waterproof shell.

That's where GORE-TEX's testing facilities come into play, with dedicated equipment that subjects fabrics and finished garments to controlled rainfall, wind and other environmental conditions to expose potential weaknesses before products reach consumers.

During the visit, we were shown the company's rain-testing facilities, where garments can be assessed under simulated weather conditions.

For example, the infamous Rain Tower lets GORE-TEX test how a complete garment behaves when exposed to water, while also helping to determine whether the design provides the level of protection expected of a product carrying the company's branding.

Watching the tests, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the mannequin inside the tower, with rain coming in its direction from every angle. After the wet-weather protocol, we went into the tower to see if the GORE-TEX jacket and trousers kept moisture off the mannequin’s base layers.

As expected, there wasn’t as much as a drop of water inside the shell. However, the more we learned about the testing process, and as I was beginning to appreciate, the membrane alone doesn't explain those differences.

Waterproof doesn't necessarily mean comfortable

Another part of the tour showed how GORE-TEX evaluates material performance beyond its ability to keep rain out, including tests that measure resistance to water pressure, wind penetration and moisture vapour movement.

One demonstration involved hydrostatic pressure, which measures how much pressure a material can withstand before water begins to penetrate it. We were told that GORE-TEX laminates must meet a minimum waterproofness requirement equivalent to a 28-metre (28,000 mm) column of water.

That's an impressive figure, although hydrostatic head is only one measure of performance, and a jacket with an exceptionally high waterproof rating won't necessarily be more comfortable or better suited to your needs than one with a lower figure.

Wind resistance is another consideration, and not surprisingly, GORE-TEX has a machine that tests its apparel’s ability to protect its wearers from the gust. One lucky participant got to try it, and even though the demonstration wasn’t as spectacular as the Rain Tower, it showed just how broad the in-house research process is.

Manufacturers must balance keeping external moisture out and allowing internal moisture vapour to escape, something that becomes particularly noticeable when hiking uphill or running.

GORE-TEX uses different testing methods to evaluate these characteristics and determine whether materials suit their intended applications, recognising that the ideal fabric for a lightweight running jacket isn't necessarily the same as the one you'd want for a mountaineering shell designed to withstand years of demanding use.

The machines that try to destroy your jacket

While keeping water out when a jacket is brand new is obviously important, maintaining that performance after months or years of regular use presents an entirely different challenge, which is where some of the more elaborate testing equipment comes into its own.

We saw machines designed to repeatedly rub, flex and stress materials, replicating the sort of punishment outdoor clothing endures in everyday use, from backpack straps rubbing against a jacket's shoulders to fabric subjected to repeated movement.

GORE-TEX likes to go the extra mile when it comes to destroying its products. For example, the company added little bumps to the surface of the panel on which the fabric sits to imitate the uneven surface jackets and trousers might rub against in real-world scenarios.

This puts more pressure on the fabric, as it focuses the stress in more concentrated areas. It might sound cruel, but this approach helps assess how materials cope with prolonged friction, while other tests examine how laminates and their individual components respond to mechanical stress.

The same principle applies to footwear, where testing becomes even more elaborate due to the constant flexing, pressure and movement that shoes and boots experience during walking.

We were shown machines that repeatedly bend footwear to simulate extended use, alongside equipment designed to identify potential water ingress, including one particularly memorable setup that involved testing footwear with water inside it and using centrifugal force to reveal weaknesses.

It's the sort of behind-the-scenes testing most customers will never encounter, yet it demonstrates why producing reliable waterproof footwear involves considerably more than simply incorporating a membrane into an existing shoe design.

GORE-TEX doesn't just make the fabric

Perhaps the biggest revelation of the visit wasn't any individual machine, but how deeply GORE-TEX remains involved in the development and manufacturing of products that carry its name.

I always thought of the company as a material supplier, with outdoor brands designing their own jackets, selecting a suitable GORE-TEX fabric and incorporating it into the finished garment.

In reality, the relationship is considerably more involved, with GORE-TEX working alongside manufacturing partners and establishing requirements that extend beyond the membrane itself to include construction methods, production processes and testing.

These requirements aren't necessarily identical across every product category, either, because a lightweight lifestyle jacket, a technical mountaineering shell and a waterproof hiking boot are designed for different environments and must withstand different forms of wear.

Alongside laboratory testing, the company also conducts field trials to understand how products behave outside controlled environments.

During the visit, we heard about testing programmes involving substantial numbers of garments being used in demanding conditions, allowing the company to assess how different materials and construction techniques perform over time.

These processes create a quality-control system that goes beyond simply supplying a roll of waterproof fabric, even if much of that work remains invisible to the person browsing jackets in an outdoor retailer.

So, does that justify the price?

After touring the facilities, I have a better understanding of why GORE-TEX products can be expensive, though the answer is more complicated than simply pointing to the cost of developing and manufacturing a waterproof membrane.

The familiar branding represents a broader system of material development, laboratory testing, manufacturing requirements and quality assurance, all of which require investment and contribute to the performance expectations associated with GORE-TEX products.

That doesn't mean every jacket bearing the logo is automatically worth its asking price, of course, because factors such as fit, comfort, features and suitability for your intended activities remain just as important when deciding which waterproof shell to buy.

Nor does it mean competing waterproof technologies can't perform extremely well, or that GORE-TEX is the only company investing in rigorous testing and product development.

Nevertheless, the visit changed how I think about the famous black diamond logo, particularly when comparing jackets that appear relatively similar on paper but occupy very different price brackets.

It's easy to focus on waterproof ratings, fabric construction and other technical specifications when shopping for outdoor clothing, but having seen what happens behind the scenes, I'd argue that the less visible aspects of product development deserve just as much consideration.

After all, keeping you dry during the first downpour is one thing, but ensuring that a jacket continues to perform after repeated use, washing and exposure to the elements is a considerably more demanding proposition – one that GORE-TEX clearly takes very seriously.

Leatherman's range of multitools can regularly be found on wishlists, especially during sales periods and the holiday season. After all, there are plenty of them – at different price points – and they can run into the £100s.

If you're looking for an alternative, however, there are plenty of those too, with more popping up all the while. One of them is the Blackjaw, which is currently undergoing a pre-order round on Kickstarter, and it looks to be something of a rival to the Leatherman Wave+ at a fraction of the price.

Admittedly, there are fewer tools on the Blackjaw – it is an 11-in-1 rather than offer the 18 of the Wave+ – but all the essentials are there, and you can currently secure yours from just ¥14,200 (around £68 / $89). There was a launch early bird offer, which started at £53 / $69, but considering only 50 were available at this price, they've already been snagged.

The Blackjaw gives you pairs of long nose and standard pliers, a wire cutter, knife, wire-stripping blade, double-sided saw, Philips head and flat screwdrivers, can and bottle openers, and a carabiner clip.

It weighs 220g and the handles are built from aluminium. Stainless steel has been employed for the tools, such as the blades and screwdrivers.

It measures 107mm, so can be stored in a pocket, while the carabiner clip enables you to hang it off a bag or belt, too.

According to the Japanese designer – Tsuchioto Works – the black finish has been chosen for "what it hides after six months, not for how it looks on day one". It will mark up over time, but the darker hue hides the scratches and dents more.

You get a carry case with the Blackjaw too, although do take into account shipping which will be different depending on where you're ordering from.

Shipping is expected to start next March.

Garmin’s Fenix line has become increasingly lifestyle-focused over the years, but luckily, the brand has always kept its outdoor prowess intact. The latest Fenix 9 Pro is probably the smartest-looking rugged wearable I tested in years, even though it doesn’t really add much in terms of smart functionality. Still, if you’re looking for the best outdoor watch right now, I must admit, this is the one to beat.

Garmin Fenix 9 Pro review

Price and availability

The Fenix 9 Pro was announced in August 2026 and is available now at Garmin UK, Garmin US, Garmin EU and Garmin AU, with prices from £950 / $1,100 / €1,100 / AU$ 1,749. It comes in three sizes (43mm, 47mm and 51mm) and optional inReach connectivity. The Fenix 9 Pro Solar version adds solar charging but replaces the AMOLED with a Memory-in-Pixel screen.

Specs and build quality

The Fenix 9 Pro is Garmin's smartest-looking Fenix to date. Its titanium bezel and case give it a more premium appearance, and the new “nano-moulded” construction makes it noticeably slimmer than the Fenix 8 Pro (13.8mm versus 16mm).

Interestingly, the 47mm model weighs slightly more than the standard Fenix 9 (56g versus 53g, case only), matching the Fenix 8 Pro despite its slimmer profile.

The 1.4-inch AMOLED display retains the same 454 x 454 resolution as its predecessors, but brightness now reaches an impressive 3,000 nits, up from 2,000 nits on the Fenix 9.

Storage has also doubled from the Fenix 8 Pro's 32GB to 64GB, matching the standard Fenix 9, while the built-in LED torch now offers white, red and green illumination.

You also get a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, leakproof inductive buttons, a 10 ATM water-resistance rating and Garmin's familiar five-button layout.

Performance

In terms of performance, the Fenix 9 Pro feels remarkably similar to the Fenix 8 Pro. That's hardly surprising, given that Garmin has retained its excellent Elevate Gen 5 heart rate sensor and multi-band GPS technology.

I tracked runs, bike rides and walks during testing, and accuracy was consistently excellent. The biggest test came during the Eden Half Marathon, where the recorded route followed the event's winding forest trails and dirt paths almost perfectly.

The smartwatch measured 21.76km, slightly longer than the official half-marathon distance, although some variation is to be expected on a partially off-road course.

Garmin also claims up to 30% faster map panning thanks to increased RAM and an updated mapping engine. It's a welcome improvement, but ultimately an incremental one that does little to change the overall user experience. Mapping was already excellent on previous Fenix models.

Sleep tracking remains as comprehensive as ever, while Garmin's training and recovery insights continue to be among the best available.

One notable software addition is Garmin Epic, which combines activities and biometric data into a single, shareable adventure. It's a fun concept, particularly for multi-day expeditions and group adventures, though I've only tested it on my own activities.

Battery life was impressive. Starting at 83%, the watch lasted almost 11 days before dropping to 6%, despite regular GPS workouts, continuous wear, overnight sleep tracking and a software update. Charging from 6% to 100% took just over 90 minutes.

I didn't retest the Fenix 9 Pro's inReach satellite connectivity, having already experienced the technology on the Fenix 8 Pro. It's potentially invaluable for remote adventures where mobile coverage is unavailable, but the additional subscription cost makes it harder to justify for everyday users.

Verdict

The Garmin Fenix 9 Pro is arguably the best outdoor watch you can buy right now, combining premium construction, outstanding tracking accuracy and comprehensive training features. However, its titanium case and faster mapping are ultimately incremental upgrades over the Fenix 8 Pro.

Depending on your preferences, I'd find it hard to recommend upgrading even from the Fenix 6 Pro, unless you're particularly keen on an AMOLED display. That said, it's a brilliantly capable wearable with just about every smart, health, fitness and outdoor feature under the sun. You just have to be willing to pay the price.

Victorinox has unveiled a new limited-edition version of its iconic Huntsman Swiss Army Knife to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

The Huntsman Year of the Goat 2027 trades the usual understated appearance for a vibrant red finish decorated with intricate golden artwork, including a beautifully illustrated goat surrounded by traditional cloud motifs.

It's a fitting tribute to the upcoming Year of the Goat, which begins on 6 February 2027, but there's more to this special edition than its eye-catching appearance.

Victorinox is producing just 8,888 individually numbered examples worldwide, a figure that appears to have been chosen for a very particular reason.

In Chinese culture, the number eight is associated with wealth, prosperity and good fortune, making it an especially appropriate choice for a Lunar New Year collectible.

And, as we'll get to later, the Swiss brand hasn't stopped there.

A familiar favourite with a golden twist

The Huntsman is a classic Swiss-made multitool that offers 16 functions, including large and small blades, scissors, a wood saw, a corkscrew, can and bottle openers, screwdrivers and a multipurpose hook.

There are also smaller essentials, such as tweezers, a toothpick and a SIM card pin.

Measuring 91mm long and weighing 99g, the limited edition retains the compact dimensions that have helped make the Huntsman such a popular choice for everyday carry enthusiasts.

The biggest difference is the exterior, which features red Cellidor scales adorned with exclusive Year of the Goat artwork.

Each knife arrives in a specially designed red-and-gold presentation box, complete with a certificate and its individual edition number, reinforcing its appeal as a collector's item rather than simply another pocket tool.

The brand released a similarly limited Huntsman Year of the Horse for 2026, featuring a galloping horse and symbolic motifs associated with good luck and success.

The Huntsman Year of the Goat 2027 is available now at Victorinox UK for £88, continuing the lucky-number theme with a price that seems almost too deliberate to be a coincidence.

Sadly, the pocket knife doesn't cost $88 in the US; the retail price over the pond is $99 at Victorinox US. It's €88 in Europe, though, through Victorinox EU. AU price and availability TBC.

With only 8,888 individually numbered pieces being produced worldwide, collectors hoping to add this golden goat to their collection may want to act sooner rather than later.

YETI has spent years building a reputation for making some of the toughest coolers, drinkware and outdoor accessories money can buy.

Now, the American brand is taking that same approach to technical outdoor clothing.

The company has unveiled its first dedicated performance apparel collection, featuring waterproof jackets, insulated outerwear, merino wool midlayers and technical fleece.

The brand has sold T-shirts, hoodies, caps and other lifestyle merchandise for years.

However, this latest launch represents a significant departure from those products, putting YETI in direct competition with established outdoor brands such as Arc'teryx, Patagonia and The North Face.

And judging by the specifications, YETI isn't approaching the category half-heartedly.

From coolers to technical outerwear

The collection currently includes five products, with the Tilloo Rain Jacket, athree-layer waterproof shell, among the most exciting models.

YETI claims the jacket offers an impressive 40,000mm hydrostatic head rating, 45,000g/m²/24h breathability, and a RET rating of 4.67.

Those are some big numbers, even compared with established premium waterproof jackets, although laboratory specifications don't always translate to real-world performance. Still!

For colder conditions, there's the Tensleep Hooded Hybrid Down Jacket, which combines RDS-certified ExpeDRY down with traceable European Lavalan wool insulation.

The collection also includes the Hueco Merino 310 Full-Zip and Caprock Merino 250 Quarter-Zip, both of which use Nuyarn technology, and the Sansaba Fleece Full-Zip.

A new chapter for YETI

YETI has a long history of acquiring brands across different categories and using their know-how to launch its own products.

In 2024, the company acquired premium backpack manufacturer Mystery Ranch, subsequently incorporating its expertise into YETI's own outdoor equipment range.

In 2025, YETI also acquired the designs, patents and tooling of shaker bottle specialist Helimix for $38 million, using the technology to launch its own Yonder Shaker Bottle later that year.

There's no indication that YETI has acquired an established clothing manufacturer for this latest launch, but the collection demonstrates the company's ambition to become a more comprehensive outdoor brand.

It's also promising a longer-term commitment to apparel, confirming that additional styles, categories and seasonal collections are already planned.

The Performance Apparel collection is available now at YETI US, with prices from $180 for the Sansaba Fleece Full-Zip to $400 for the Tensleep Hooded Hybrid Down Jacket.

The Tilloo Rain Jacket costs $350, while the Caprock Merino 250 Quarter-Zip and Hueco Merino 310 Full-Zip are priced at $200 and $280, respectively.

For now, the collection is exclusive to the US, but it'll likely arrive in other regions in the coming months.

Finding a genuinely waterproof jacket that doesn't cost a fortune can be surprisingly difficult, especially when you want something that looks equally at home on a rainy commute as it does on a weekend walk.

Shop all Helly Hansen deals on Amazon

Fortunately, Amazon has reduced the price of the Helly Hansen Dubliner Jacket to £74.90, down from £95.75, saving you 22% on one of the Norwegian outdoor brand's most versatile waterproof shells.

The Dubliner uses a two-layer construction with a durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment and fully sealed seams to prevent rain from getting inside.

It has a quick-drying lining, adjustable cuffs and a hood that packs neatly into the collar. It's not an insulated winter jacket, so it's best to layer it with a fleece when it's cold.

Customer feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with the waterproof jacket currently holding a 4.5-star rating from more than 4,500 Amazon reviews.

One particularly enthusiastic buyer described how the Dubliner kept them completely dry during a torrential downpour in the Amazon rainforest, even protecting the camera equipment they had tucked underneath.

Another customer, who previously worked outdoors for the RNLI, praised the jacket's durability and waterproofing, calling it a "brilliant jacket all-round".

There are a few things worth considering before ordering. Helly Hansen itself warns that the Dubliner runs small and recommends sizing up by one or two sizes depending on your preferred fit.

Several Amazon customers echo that advice, particularly if you're planning to wear insulating layers underneath.

It might not be the lowest ever price for the Dubliner, but it's still a competitive price for a fully waterproof Helly Hansen jacket, especially one with such consistently positive customer feedback.

For anyone looking for a versatile rain jacket that can handle everything from the school run to a soggy weekend walk, the Dubliner is well worth considering.

The Brooks Cascadia is synonymous with trail running, as it is the world’s longest-running trail shoe franchise. With the first iteration released more than 20 years ago and designed with trail-running royalty Scott Jurek, the shoe has undergone multiple iterations to meet the growing demand for fast-paced adventures over rough terrain.

I was a bit late to the game – my first foray into the Cascadia experience was last year's Brooks Cascadia 19, which I wore in Chamonix while covering the UTMB finals. But I loved it so much I’ve been wearing it off and on since then.

Sometimes, it can be hard to see why a brand releases an update, but in the Brooks Cascadia 20, it’s clear the goal is to make a shoe that better meets the demands of the trail. To that end, just a few key changes amount to significant upgrades.

The Seattle brand has finally traded its TrailTack Green outsole, which was pretty reliable on a variety of surfaces, for Vibram Megagrip, widely considered the best outsole for trail.

The brand has transitioned to the new DNA Loft v3 foam, which is lighter and more abundant than ever, while the dramatically reimagined upper creates a snugger, zero-slip experience on the trail.

Is it enough to make the leap from my beloved 19? I’ve recently run 50k in them over four trail adventures to find out, and this is my honest opinion.

Brooks Cascadia 20 review

Price and availability

The Brooks Cascadia 20 is available in men’s and women’s sizing with five different colourways for each to choose from. After the bright splash of the canary yellow 19s, the brand has gone for more muted tones, though men’s colours are a little bolder.

I tested the white/blue/black colourway, which is the brightest for women, a little bit too much like toothpaste for my taste, and stains very easily on muddy days. I’d recommend trying a darker colourway like Peppercorn or Grey, and you can browse directly on the brand’s website, where the shoes are priced at an MSRP of £140.

That is really quite a reasonable price tag for a legacy shoe from a big brand. It’s never been the most technical shoe out there, but it’s highly versatile, one that you could wear on gravel days, a bit of road and even some muddier trails. It’s the same price as the Hoka Speedgoat 6, another jack-of-all-trades trail shoe that you can wear for hiking as well as running.

Design and materials

The big story in the design of the Cascadia 20 is the transition to a Vibram outsole, with confidence-inspiring lugs that have proven themselves on many a great trail shoe in recent years. The chevron lugs have tiny teeth that really increase grip, and though there is some foam on display, the coverage is quite good.

Even though last year’s Cascadia 19 introduced DNA LOFT v3 foam, the 20’s midsole has been upgraded with the DNA Flash v2. This foam is stiffer and feels similarly bouncy to the Loft v3. Once again, the stack height steadily creeps up, this time to nearly 38mm under the heel, while Brooks has kept the 6mm heel-to-toe drop that was introduced last year.

While the Cascadia 19’s upper was criticised for being a little too warm and thick, this one is thinner by comparison, with bigger ventilation holes in the outer mesh, though it's still a fabric construction. There’s a decent amount of reinforcement around the heel and toe without being too rugged.

What’s more pronounced is the huge change in the shoe’s profile. The 20 is distinctly narrower, has shaved a good amount of real estate off the toe box and is built to deliver a better lockdown fit. The tongue isn’t fully gusseted but stays in place, and there’s a big heel pull tab and lace garage for convenience.

You might think all of these updates result in a lighter shoe, but it weighs in at exactly the same weight as the 19s: 235 grams per shoe for a women’s UK 4.

Performance and comfort

When I first wore the 19s, I remember being a bit worried that they weren’t high-volume enough for my high arches, but after one run, they broke in nicely. With the 20s, I had the same fear about the fit, and even after 50k, they haven’t loosened up as much as I would like.

The result is that even after several long runs in these, I can feel a little pressure on the top of my foot. Overall, the design is noticeably narrower and shallower than the previous shoe, and Brooks has trimmed a sizeable chunk off the toe box. At about the 10k mark, I start to get hot spots on my toes.

The upside of this new design, however, is that the shoes do offer a better lockdown fit, with no slippage at all on the inside of the shoe. I’d still like my foot to sit deeper in the shoe, but I can’t really fault the fit around my heel.

The upper fabric construction isn’t as thick as the 19, which probably makes the shoe a little less sweaty, but it isn’t thin enough to cut down on protection.

I’ve had plenty of opportunity to test these shoes out in muddy and slick conditions and, unsurprisingly, they’re a great match for Scottish trails in autumn. I’ve been running a lot on a long, quiet trail that doesn’t see much footfall and is very overgrown in parts. It takes me across mud, wet leaves and grass, and I’ve had no problem keeping my footing.

The lugs aren’t too aggressive, so they might struggle on really muddy slopes, but for gravel and rolling hills I’m confident in their abilities. The lug design does seem to pick up a lot of mud, which hasn’t impacted their traction but does mean I need to be careful to take these off before entering my house.

I’ve got them completely soaked on several occasions running in the rain and through wet grass. They drain well, but they do take several days to dry out, even stuffed with newspaper.

The new midsole is really quite plush and very stiff, so it doesn’t give me any trail feedback whatsoever. But the upside of that is that, when I have to run sections of tarmac, the shoes don’t feel heavy. Overall, I’d say they feel similarly springy to the 19s, but personally I prefer a little more flex in the sole.

Verdict

It’s hard to deny that the Cascadia 20 has some significant design upgrades: it’s lighter, grippier, and has a more secure fit than its predecessor. However, this model is a good lesson in the value of trying shoes on before you buy, as the updated design doesn’t work for my foot shape as well as the Cascadia 19, which I’ll probably continue wearing. For other runners, this shoe will be the upgrade they’ve been waiting for.

You might be more familiar with established brands such as Petzl and Silva, but German brand Ledlenser has been at the forefront of portable lighting for 25 years. It’s made enough of an impression that multi-tool maestro Leatherman acquired a majority stake in the company back in 2011.

Ledlenser was among the pioneers of LED head torches, while its Advanced Focus System helped push portable lighting towards more versatile, hands-free designs. What it hasn’t done is go all-in on the featherlight, bounce-free head torches favoured by trail runners racing through the night. Instead, it’s built a reputation for robust, substantial hardware – and the HF7R Signature is no exception.

A little research revealed that “HF” stands for “Headlamps – Front”, which, thankfully, means there’s no separate battery pack to contend with at the back of your head. Ledlenser describes the HF range as comprising “compact, lightweight head torches”, although that’s relative to the company’s H series, which is aimed at tradespeople such as construction workers and electricians.

I’m no tradesperson, but as the days shorten and more of my adventures spill into darkness, I’ve been putting the HF7R Signature RGB Rechargeable head torch through its paces on evening walks in the woods. Here’s how it fares when the sun goes down.

Ledlenser HF7R Signature RGB Rechargeable Head Torch review

Price and availability

The Ledlenser HF7R Signature is available in black and camouflage for £149.95 directly from Ledlenser. A standard version is also available for £119.95, with a slightly lower maximum output of 1,200 lumens.

That puts it in premium territory. It’s only a little cheaper than the more technologically ambitious HF8R Signature, which pairs with an app for hands-free operation, and around £40 more than the Petzl Swift RL, which we named Best Overall in our guide to the best head torches.

If you simply want a light for rummaging around in the boot of your car at a campsite, that’s a hefty investment. But it’s broadly in line with what you’d expect to pay for Ledlenser’s more advanced lighting technology.

Design and materials

The HF7R features three LEDs delivering spot, mid-range and flood beams, housed in a recycled aluminium casing that can be tilted manually. The unit attaches to an adjustable, stretchy dual strap that runs over the top of your head for additional support.

At 40mm deep, the torch sits noticeably proud of your forehead, and its 144g weight (including the battery) makes it considerably more substantial than many hiking head torches. The overhead strap helps distribute that weight, though there’s no disguising the bulk.

Where the HF7R really distinguishes itself is its choice of lighting modes. Alongside standard white light, it offers red illumination to help preserve night vision, green light for foggy conditions and hunting, and blue light for blood tracking.

Ledlenser’s Adaptive Light Beam automatically adjusts brightness and focus to suit your surroundings. If you prefer to take control yourself, the Digital Advanced Focus System lets you adjust the beam using a rotating dial.

There’s plenty of power available when you need it. The maximum output reaches 1,300 lumens, with a beam range of up to 210 metres, making it viable for scrambling in technical terrain. Standard Power delivers 600 lumens, while Low Power drops to 20 lumens and a beam range of 40 metres – more than enough for finding your way around a campsite in the middle of the night.

The HF7R is designed to withstand drops of up to 1.5 metres and carries an IP67 rating for dust protection and resistance to immersion in water. It comes with a protective case to help prevent accidental damage when it’s stowed in your pack.

Operation and performance

The HF7R is listed as “straightforward to use,” but I found I had to refer to the instruction manual (which seems to show a series of identical images) to get started, partly because mine had arrived uncharged.

After a bit of fiddling around, it ended up being as simple as a short press of the button on top to turn it on, following which it toggles through the three different bulbs before the Adaptive Beam Mode settles on the correct brightness and focus settings for the current conditions.

Once it’s on my head, I can press the button again to toggle through Low, Mid and Standard settings, but really I never need to intervene because Adaptive Beam does it for me. On evening hikes, the Standard Power mode absolutely blasts away the night, and I can really see the difference between this and my trusty Petzl.

I use red light as much as possible when I’m out at night to help preserve my night vision, which activates via a two-second hold from off. Once I’m in that mode, I can short-press it again to rotate through green light, which offers better night vision, and blue light, which I’ve never had on a head torch before.

This is essentially for hunters doing blood tracking, and it occurs to me that it could be really useful for paramedics searching for veins. It makes me feel like I’m examining a crime scene, which adds excitement to a nocturnal jaunt.

Sometimes rotating the dial changes the beam; other times it doesn’t, and I'm not clear on why (I also expected this to rotate through red, green and blue modes, but it doesn’t).

As for wearability, it’s more comfortable than I feared given the weight and bulk. The overhead design really helps offset the weight, but compared to most camping and hiking head torches, it is really quite heavy, and I wouldn’t want to wear it for very long. But for campsite duties, it’s brilliant in every sense of the word.

Finally, it has a Transport Lock setting which is activated by pressing and holding the button for five seconds and means it doesn’t accidentally switch on in your backpack: useful, but since it comes with a carrying case, this hasn’t proven necessary.

Battery

There are no AAA batteries rolling around in my pack with the HF7T. This head torch is charged with a standard USB-C cable (provided), and upon turning it on, green lights on one side show how much battery remains, which I think is a fantastic feature.

Mine arrived uncharged, and it took a couple of hours to fully charge, which is pretty slow, and I’d be worried about it burning through a whole battery pack if I were trying to recharge it on a long-distance trek. That said, it’s got a solid battery life, so perhaps I’ll never need to worry about that.

Continuous use in Standard Power gets you about three hours, which is fairly standard, and at 600 lumens is adequate for alpinism and mountain rescue. Turn it down to Mid, and you’ll get up to eight hours, and at Low, a whopping 60 hours. If you’re likely to be out all night, the HF8R has a better battery life.

Verdict

The Ledlenser HF7R Signature ticks plenty of boxes: it’s powerful, versatile, robust and more comfortable to wear than its size initially suggests. Its bright beam is a clear step up from cheaper head torches, while the choice of coloured lights gives it capabilities that many general-purpose models lack.

But those extra features won’t be essential for everyone. Unless you’re hunting, tracking, working in specialist environments or regularly tackling challenging terrain after dark, you may find yourself paying for functions you rarely use.

The overhead strap helps balance its substantial front unit, but I’d still think twice before wearing it for hours on end. It feels better suited to shorter outings, campsite tasks and situations where power and versatility matter more than minimal weight.

The HF7R Signature is also a significant investment for the average camper or hiker. The technology helps justify the price, but there are more affordable options if all you need is reliable illumination on the trail.

For outdoor enthusiasts who value serious brightness, specialist lighting modes and a robust build, the HF7R Signature is a compelling option. For everyone else, it’s probably a luxury rather than an essential – or a very good gift for someone preparing for a grand adventure.

Strava just launched an update introducing coach-designed strength workouts that users can follow and record directly in the app.

Rolling out to subscribers over the next few weeks, the new experience combines guided exercise demonstrations with live set-and-rep tracking.

Strava says the new strength workout series was developed by experienced coaches and includes animated demonstrations of individual exercises.

You can tap into each movement to access instructions on proper form, helpful technique tips and information about the muscles being targeted.

A more hands-on approach to strength training

During a session, you can track your sets and reps in real time, with everything automatically saved to your Strava Workout Log once the workout is complete.

The app's muscle map also updates to visualise which muscle groups have been worked.

It's an interesting addition, particularly for runners and cyclists who incorporate resistance training into their routines but might not want to use a separate strength-training app.

Strava says strength training has become one of its fastest-growing activity categories, reflecting a broader shift towards combining endurance exercise with resistance training.

The company is also introducing additional guided running workouts as part of the update, further expanding its library of structured training sessions.

More strength training features are coming

Perhaps even more interesting than the features launching now is what Strava has planned for the coming months.

The company says it's developing a feature that will allow you to upload strength workouts simply by taking a screenshot of a training plan or notes app containing your sets and reps.

A build-your-own workout tool is also in development, potentially making Strava a more compelling alternative to dedicated strength-training platforms.

Strava is also working on additional partner integrations to automatically bring strength-training data into the platform, regardless of where users record their sessions.

The new guided strength workouts will roll out to Strava subscribers over the next few weeks, while free users will be able to try a sample workout.

Additional workout series are expected before the end of 2026.

You can sign up for Strava for free.

Suunto has unveiled its latest performance running watch, the Race 3S, bringing some substantial hardware improvements and an entirely new coaching experience to its popular Race series.

Despite its relatively compact 46mm case, the new watch promises up to 45 hours of battery life with dual-band GPS enabled, representing a whopping 40% improvement over the previous Race S.

Not bad for a watch that weighs just 56g with its silicone strap (or 38g without).

The lightweight construction includes a titanium bezel and sapphire crystal lens, giving the watch some welcome durability credentials without adding unnecessary bulk.

More power, better tracking

The Race 3S features a new 1.32-inch LTPS Hybrid AMOLED display with a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels and a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits, which is more than three times as bright as the display on the Race S.

The watch is powered by the new Apollo 510 processor and has an upgraded optical heart rate sensor with six LEDs and four photodetectors, positioned behind curved sensor glass.

Suunto claims the updated hardware improves tracking accuracy during activities, including in challenging conditions involving sweat, cold temperatures and arm movement.

The Race 3S offers free worldwide offline maps, now featuring contour lines and place names, alongside improved satellite positioning in challenging environments such as forests and canyons.

Runners also get Climb Guidance, which provides real-time information about upcoming ascents and descents, helping them manage their effort over demanding routes.

A forthcoming Race Planner feature will take things further by generating personalised pacing strategies based on the route, weather conditions and individual race goals.

However, this functionality won't be available immediately and is expected to arrive through a future software update.

Suunto gets an AI coach

Launching alongside the Race 3S is Suunto AI Coach, a conversational coaching assistant integrated into the Suunto smartphone app.

The new assistant is said to let users ask questions about their performance and receive personalised recommendations based on their data.

It can explain training trends, generate charts and visualisations, and even create structured workouts, training plans and running routes.

These can subsequently be saved in the Suunto app, with compatible workouts and routes synced directly to the watch.

It's an interesting development for Suunto, particularly as sports watch manufacturers increasingly focus on helping users understand their training data rather than simply collecting more of it.

Race 3S buyers who activate their watches before 31 December 2026 will receive three months of Suunto AI Coach access free of charge.

Elsewhere, the watch offers more than 100 sports modes, 64GB of onboard storage and up to 12 days of battery life in daily use.

Offline music playback is also planned, though it will arrive later in a post-launch software update.

The Suunto Race 3S launches in Europe today, 15 October 2026, priced at £435 / €499, with North American availability following on 29 October for $599. Find out more at Suunto.

If you've been living under a rock, you might have missed the trend of brands like Arc'teryx and Goldwin blurring the boundaries between high-performance mountain equipment and contemporary fashion.

Swedish outdoor specialist Klättermusen is taking that approach in an interesting new direction with The Signal, its first dedicated freeride collection.

Designed primarily for backcountry skiing and snowboarding, the range introduces roomier silhouettes, innovative fabric technologies and a distinctly futuristic aesthetic that wouldn't look out of place in a science-fiction film.

And while the technical features are clearly intended for demanding mountain environments, there's plenty here to appeal to anyone who appreciates well-designed outerwear.

Technical innovation meets futuristic styling

Famous for its nature-inspired apparel, Klättermusen has spent more than 50 years developing mountaineering equipment.

However, The Signal marks the first time the brand has created a collection specifically for freeride skiing and snowboarding.

Unlike traditional mountaineering clothing, which prioritises efficiency during sustained movement, freeride equipment needs to accommodate everything from strenuous climbs to high-speed descents.

To address these demands, Klättermusen has introduced more generous silhouettes that allow additional layers underneath while improving ventilation and freedom of movement.

Leading the collection is the Meile insulated shell system, which combines Klättermusen's proprietary Cutan waterproof technology with its Oculus Forte fabric.

The lightweight two-layer construction provides weather protection without the stiffness sometimes associated with technical waterproof garments, while Thermore Ecodown synthetic insulation delivers warmth.

(As a side note, Thermore seems to be the new Polartec, as seemingly everyone, including Patagonia, now uses the brand's insulation.)

Both the outer fabric and insulation are made from 100% post-consumer recycled polyester, with a fluorocarbon-free water-repellent treatment providing additional protection.

"One of the central design challenges was creating more structure and protective air space without losing the comfort, quietness and freedom of movement we are known for," explains Isabelle Liahaugen, Klättermusen's Head of Design & Development.

Beyond the mountains

While the Meile system is the collection's technical centrepiece, several other pieces demonstrate how Klättermusen's approach could appeal beyond the slopes.

The Brage 2.0 Jacket and Salopette offer a non-insulated alternative, using a three-layer version of Cutan technology alongside reinforced panels, ventilation and integrated RECCO reflectors.

The Gimle Hoodie is made using the brand's lofted Wuru Light fabric and combines 61% recycled polyester, 30% wool and 9% polyamide for warmth, breathability and quick-drying performance.

The relaxed silhouette also makes it particularly suitable for layering.

Completing the collection is the Gyme Backpack, available in 25- and 35-litre versions, featuring recycled polyamide construction and dedicated compartments for technical equipment.

Developed with input from mountain guides and testers in Northern Norway, The Signal demonstrates that serious outdoor performance and contemporary styling don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Klättermusen's The Signal collection launches today, 15 October 2026. For more information, visit Klättermusen.

Keeping warm during outdoor activities is usually a relatively straightforward affair.

You put on a fleece jacket and a waterproof shell, and you're good to go.

However, staying warm without overheating when you're constantly switching between high-intensity activities and rest is more complicated.

Polartec set out to solve this problem when it originally developed its Alpha insulation for military personnel operating in demanding environments.

Now, more than a decade later, the American textile specialist has introduced the next generation of Polartec Alpha.

It promises improved durability, greater design flexibility and the same exceptional breathability that made the original material popular among outdoor enthusiasts.

And some big names are already getting involved, including Patagonia, Goldwin and Purple Mountain Observatory.

From military technology to everyday outerwear

Unlike traditional synthetic insulation, which generally prioritises trapping heat, Polartec Alpha uses an open construction that allows air to circulate through the material.

This helps excess heat and moisture escape during strenuous activities, reducing the need to constantly remove and replace layers as your intensity changes.

It's particularly useful for activities such as hiking, trail running and cycling, where conditions and exertion levels can fluctuate considerably.

The original Alpha was designed primarily as an insulating layer sandwiched between other fabrics, but outdoor brands have increasingly started using the material in more exposed applications.

To address this, Polartec has developed a new patent-pending construction that improves the fabric's structural integrity, making it more resistant to snagging and shedding.

Crucially, the company claims these improvements don't compromise the material's lightweight warmth, breathability, compressibility or ability to regulate temperature.

The updated Alpha is also available in a broader selection of weights, textures and constructions, giving designers more freedom to create everything from technical outdoor clothing to lifestyle pieces.

According to Polartec, the development took more than four years of collaboration, prototyping and testing with performance apparel brands.

A new generation of technical fleece

One of the first examples of the technology is the Polartec Alpha Wool Hoodie from Purple Mountain Observatory.

The striking green hoodie combines the latest Alpha Wool construction with a blend of 54% recycled polyester, 40% wool and 6% nylon.

The wool adds natural temperature-regulating properties, while the synthetic fibres help manage moisture and maintain the material's lightweight performance.

Weighing 300g, the hoodie features a relaxed fit, elasticated cuffs, an adjustable-coverage hood opening and integrated thumb loops.

It's also a good example of how technical insulation is increasingly becoming a visible part of outdoor fashion rather than being tucked away.

Purple Mountain Observatory certainly isn't alone. Polartec says more than 11 brands are preparing products featuring the updated insulation, including Ornot, Senchi Designs, Farpointe and Goldwin.

Patagonia is also preparing an exclusive style using the new material, scheduled to arrive in November 2026.

The Polartec Alpha Wool Hoodie is available now at Purple Mountain Observatory for £220 / $345 / €266 / AU$425.

Portable power stations are becoming increasingly popular among campers, outdoor enthusiasts and anyone looking for a reliable source of backup electricity at home.

However, making them powerful and compact has been a problem manufacturers have struggled to solve.

Jackery thinks it has found a solution with its new Explorer Plus v2 series, which includes two models that are significantly smaller and lighter than their predecessors.

First unveiled at IFA 2026, the Explorer 1000 Plus v2 and Explorer 2000 Plus v2 are now making their way to the UK, bringing improved portability, expandable battery capacity and a clever feature that could prove invaluable during a power cut.

More power, less bulk

The biggest improvement is the redesigned construction, which uses Jackery's new Cell-to-Body (CTB) architecture to integrate the battery more efficiently into the chassis.

The result is a substantial reduction in size and weight without compromising battery capacity or power output.

The smaller Explorer 1000 Plus v2 has a 1,024Wh battery and delivers up to 1,800W of AC output, and at just 10.8 kg, it's 26% lighter and 44% smaller than its predecessor.

The larger Explorer 2000 Plus v2, despite packing a 2,048Wh battery and delivering 2,400W of AC output, is an impressive 60% smaller and 33% lighter than the previous generation.

It weighs 18.8kg, which is still substantial, but considerably more manageable for anyone regularly moving their power station between their home, car and campsite.

Both models also support expandable battery capacity using Jackery's Battery Pack 2000 units.

The Explorer 1000 Plus v2 can be expanded to approximately 11kWh, while the Explorer 2000 Plus v2 supports up to 12kWh.

Solar charging is also supported, with the smaller model accepting up to 400W of solar input and the larger version accommodating up to 800W.

A clever upgrade for home emergencies

While the reduced dimensions are certainly the headline improvement, there's another feature that makes the new Explorer Plus v2 series interesting.

Both models feature a 10ms uninterruptible power supply (UPS) function, which allows the stations to provide near-seamless backup power to connected devices when mains power fails.

Jackery has also equipped both power stations with lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, which are rated to retain 70% of their original capacity after up to 6,000 charging cycles.

To put this in perspective, it would take 16 years and five months of daily discharge and recharge before the battery reaches 70% of its original capacity, according to Jackery's specifications.

That's an impressive longevity claim and should make the new models appealing to anyone planning to use their power station regularly.

The Explorer 2000 Plus v2 also features three AC outlets, two USB-C ports, a USB-A port and a 12V output, allowing users to power several devices simultaneously.

The Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus v2 and Explorer 2000 Plus v2 are available now in the UK, with introductory discounts running until 3 November.

The smaller Explorer 1000 Plus v2 launches at £599, reduced from its £749 RRP, while the Explorer 2000 Plus v2 costs £949, down from £1,249.

Jackery is also offering bundles with an additional Battery Pack 2000 for £1,248 and £1,598, respectively. The expansion battery costs £849 when purchased separately.

American outdoor brand YETI has just expanded its LoadOut GoBox collection with three new wheeled gear cases that look like something you'd take on an expedition to the end of the world.

Available in three sizes, 28, 68 and 88 litres, the new GoBox cases combine the rugged construction of YETI's existing storage boxes with the convenience of wheeled luggage.

And while they're clearly designed for people who take their outdoor adventures seriously, it's hard to miss that YETI has Pelican in its crosshairs with the new range.

A new challenger to Pelican?

Pelican has dominated the rugged protective case market for decades, with its Protector and Air collections becoming favourites among photographers, filmmakers and professionals transporting expensive equipment.

YETI's new wheeled GoBoxes offer a remarkably similar proposition, right down to the waterproof construction, pressure-equalisation valves and customisable interiors.

The cases use what YETI calls its Defender material, a rugged outer shell designed to withstand serious impacts, alongside puncture-resistant NeverFlat wheels and a retractable aluminium Periscope handle.

More importantly, all three models meet IP65 and IP67 standards, meaning they're completely dustproof, resistant to water jets and capable of surviving temporary immersion in water up to one metre deep for 30 minutes.

There's even a pressure-relief valve that automatically balances internal air pressure without compromising the waterproof seal, which should come in handy when travelling between different altitudes.

More than just a tough suitcase

Perhaps the cleverest feature is the modular storage system, which allows users to customise the interior depending on what they're carrying.

Optional accessories include YETI's Pack Attic lid organiser, MOLLE panels and Gear Cubes, alongside the particularly interesting KOR Protective Inserts.

These use vacuum-form technology to mould themselves around equipment, creating a snug fit for delicate items such as cameras, lenses and other electronics without requiring traditional foam cutouts.

The smallest GoBox 28 offers approximately 29 litres of storage and weighs 6.1kg empty.

It's also designed to meet the carry-on luggage requirements of most airlines, making it an intriguing alternative to conventional cabin luggage.

The larger GoBox 68 and 88 offer approximately 68 and 88 litres respectively, and are both intended for checked luggage.

The 68's elongated shape also makes it suitable for transporting tripods and other awkwardly shaped equipment.

Of course, all this protection comes at a cost, both financially and in terms of weight, and the interior organisers are sold separately.

The new YETI LoadOut GoBox Wheeled Gear Cases are available at YETI US, with the GoBox 28 priced at $350 and the larger 68 and 88 models both costing $450. UK, EU, and AU pricing and availability TBC.

Garmin has unveiled the third generation of its MARQ collection, introducing six ultra-premium smartwatches that combine luxury materials with some of the company's most advanced wearable technology.

The new collection includes the MARQ Adventurer, Athlete, Aviator, Commander, Diver and Golfer, each designed around a different activity or lifestyle.

While the MARQ family has always represented the more luxurious end of Garmin's smartwatch portfolio, the latest generation introduces several significant upgrades, including satellite connectivity, larger AMOLED displays and improved navigation.

Perhaps the biggest addition is built-in inReach connectivity, which brings satellite and LTE communication capabilities to the MARQ collection.

The feature was introduced on the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and allows you to send text and voice messages, share location information and access weather forecasts using satellite or LTE connectivity, depending on the feature.

You can also trigger an SOS message to Garmin's 24/7 Response coordination centre in an emergency.

Luxury meets adventure technology

All six watches feature Grade-5 titanium construction, sapphire crystal lenses and ceramic bezels with distinctive designs.

Garmin has also increased the display size to 1.4 inches, making this the largest AMOLED screen ever fitted on a MARQ.

The borderless display is complemented by exclusive watch faces inspired by traditional timepieces, including World Timer, Panda and Flieger designs.

Other upgrades include worldwide preloaded TopoActive maps, address search, a built-in LED flashlight and a speaker and microphone for voice commands and connected smartphone features.

Garmin added ECG functionality, which is now available alongside health features such as sleep, stress, HRV and recovery tracking.

Six watches, six different personalities

Each MARQ model has a distinct identity, with dedicated features and materials to match its intended use.

The MARQ Adventurer combines an Italian leather strap with advanced navigation tools, including Preloaded ClimbPro, which provides information about upcoming climbs without requiring a preplanned route.

The MARQ Athlete focuses on performance and offers advanced endurance metrics and running economy measurements.

As you'd expect, the Aviator adds aviation weather information, flight mapping and UTC time tracking.

For more specialised applications, the MARQ Commander includes tactical features such as stealth mode, night-vision compatibility and an Applied Ballistics solver.

Perhaps the most interesting addition is the MARQ Diver, a new model designed for scuba diving, freediving and snorkelling down to 40 metres.

It also includes marine features such as autopilot control and tack assist, making it useful above and below the water.

Finally, the MARQ Golfer offers more than 43,000 preloaded golf courses, Virtual Caddie functionality and green contour data, with some features requiring a Garmin Golf membership.

Despite the extensive technology, Garmin claims all six models can deliver up to 18 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.

The third-generation Garmin MARQ collection will be available from 5 November 2026, with prices starting at £2,200 / $2,700 / €2,750 / AU$4,250.

Visit Garmin UK, Garmin US, Garmin EU and Garmin AU for more information on the collection.

Most people associate Hollywood product placement with luxury watches, expensive cars and the occasional pair of designer sunglasses.

But one American toolmaker appears to be having a particularly good year on the silver screen, and its product of choice is considerably more practical.

Earlier this year, eagle-eyed fans spotted Ryan Gosling using a Leatherman Surge in Project Hail Mary, where his character, Ryland Grace, relies on the heavy-duty multi-tool to help him survive in space.

Now, the same model has made another appearance, this time in Matchbox: The Movie, the new Apple TV action-adventure starring John Cena and Jessica Biel.

And unlike some blink-and-you'll-miss-it product placements, the Leatherman gets its own moment in the spotlight.

Never leave home without your Leatherman

Released on 9 October, Matchbox: The Movie follows a group of childhood friends who find themselves caught up in an international adventure after their former leader, played by John Cena, returns home.

One of those friends is Crosby, played by Sam Richardson, who has a particular fondness for his trusty multi-tool.

During an early scene, Crosby proudly produces his Leatherman, declaring, "Never leave home without my trusty Leatherman."

It's a surprisingly prominent moment for a tool that most people probably wouldn't recognise by name, and it isn't the only time Crosby's Leatherman features in the film.

What's particularly interesting is that this follows the Surge's appearance in Project Hail Mary, where it plays a considerably more important role in keeping its protagonist alive.

In that film, Gosling's character uses the tool during several crucial sequences aboard his spacecraft, including situations where having a reliable blade close at hand makes all the difference.

The Surge is an interesting choice for a space adventure, particularly given its substantial size and weight, but it seems Hollywood has developed a taste for Leatherman's more heavy-duty offerings.

Why the Surge?

The Surge isn't Leatherman's lightest or most sophisticated multi-tool.

In fact, it's one of the brand's biggest and most robust models, designed primarily for demanding jobs.

It packs 21 tools, including large pliers, replaceable wire cutters, two knife blades, spring-action scissors, screwdrivers and an interchangeable saw-and-file system.

Four of its tools are accessible from the outside, meaning you don't have to unfold the entire thing whenever you need to use a blade or scissors.

It's built around a substantial stainless steel frame, well suited to situations where durability and leverage matter more than portability.

Its substantial, recognisable silhouette might explain why Hollywood likes featuring the Surge so much these days.

From characters repairing something in space or finding themselves in the middle of an international conspiracy, the Surge certainly looks the part.

Of course, two major film appearances don't necessarily make it Hollywood's most popular multi-tool, but it's an amusing coincidence that the same model has found its way into two very different productions in the space (pun intended) of a few months.

And while the Matchbox movie is by no means as sophisticated as Project Hail Mary (even though I admit that beauty is in the eye of the beholder), Leatherman must be rather pleased with its newfound Hollywood career.

The Surge is available now at Leatherman US, Leatherman UK, Leatherman EU and Leatherman AU for the recommended price of $160 / £160 / €179 / AU$360.

Matchbox: The Movie is streaming now on Apple TV.

Portable power stations have become increasingly useful for camping trips, campervan adventures and keeping essential appliances running during power cuts. However, finding one that offers enough capacity to power more demanding devices without costing a small fortune isn't always easy.

Shop all Bluetti deals on Amazon

That's why the latest Amazon deal on the BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 caught my attention. The compact power station combines a substantial 1,024Wh battery with 1,800W of continuous output, and it's currently available for less than £400.

According to price-tracking data, the latest discount has brought the Elite 100 V2 down to its lowest recorded Amazon price in the past 54 days. It's also a considerable reduction from the £799 price shown in late September.

One particularly useful feature is the ability to recharge the battery in approximately 70 minutes using mains power. There's also support for solar charging.

Better still, the Elite 100 V2 has earned an average customer rating of 4.4 out of five stars on Amazon, based on 312 reviews.

One verified buyer describes it as "Small, compact, lightweight and powerful!", adding that it offers excellent value compared to building a similar system themselves.

Another customer reports successfully using the power station to run a camping fridge, a television, an Xbox, a small hairdryer, a toaster and even power tools.

Campervan owners appear particularly impressed. One reviewer explains that the Elite 100 V2 powers their fridge and diesel heater during off-grid weekends, describing it as a reliable alternative to a traditional campervan electrical setup.

For anyone looking for a capable portable power station with enough output to handle more than just phones and laptops, the BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 looks like excellent value at its current price.

Google has launched the Fitbit Edge, its latest tracker that slots in between the Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch. As such, it has a compact design like a fitness band, but incorporates a display to make it a little more useful.

It looks as though it's the spiritual successor to the Fitbit Charge 6, sitting very much in the same space, but showing plenty of influence from Google's design input.

That sees a 1.34-inch display nestled into a body that's just 11.58mm thick with a weight of 17.7g (without the band). Google says that the display is 46% bigger than previous Fitbit trackers and although it's not explicitly stated, it's fair to assume that's comparing it to the Fitbit Charge 6.

That's not the only comparison that Google makes: on Google's own blog post it makes a point of saying that the Fitbit Edge is 45% lighter than the Apple Watch Series 12, highlighting that's it's great for wear all day and night with the advantage of offering seven days from a single charge.

These types of devices appeal to those who want to wear them all the time, tracking everyday stats like steps, including the hardware and display for workouts, while also being discreet enough to sleep in without being uncomfortable.

The sensors on the back are designed to collect a full range of metrics, not just heart rate, but more advanced features like blood pressure trends and insulin resistance are also tracked. That's on top of sleep quality, temperature and heart rate variability, able to tell you how well rested and recovered you are so you can plan your day.

In addition to an optical heart rate sensor, the Fitbit Edge will measure oxygen saturation as well as supporting an ECG app. Google Health Coach is supported, cycle tracking, AFib detection, cardio load, readiness and 40+ exercise modes are available right from your wrist.

There's water resistance up to 50m as well as IP68 certification, so you don't have to worry about it getting wet, while there are a full range of designs too.

The Fitbit Edge will come in four body colours – Matte Black Aluminium, Satin Silver Aluminium, Satin Pyrite Aluminium and Champagne Gold – and there are a selection of band colours and designs, including a Stephen Curry Special Edition.

The display is OLED, there's GPS built-in for real-time workout tracking, and you get 64GB of storage to track your data.

The Fitbit Edge is now available for pre-order, priced from $179.99 in the US or £159.99 in the UK. It will be on shelves from 27 October.

Autumn is one of my favourite times of year to head outdoors. The trails are quieter, the scenery looks spectacular in its seasonal colours, and there's something wonderfully refreshing about spending a few hours outside when the weather isn't playing ball.

Of course, there's a difference between enjoying a brisk autumn walk and spending several miserable hours getting soaked to the bone.

Having spent years testing hiking boots, waterproof jackets, trail running shoes and all manner of outdoor equipment, I've learned that the right gear can make a big difference.

And I'm not just talking about expensive GORE-TEX jackets. A decent base layer or comfortable socks can be just as important as your outer shell, particularly when you're moving between different environments or dealing with unpredictable British weather.

With that in mind, I've pulled together some of the most interesting wet-weather essentials in 2026, including products from Patagonia, Montbell, HOKA, Snow Peak and Shackleton.

Some are designed to keep the rain out, others help regulate temperature or manage moisture, and a few simply make spending time outdoors more enjoyable when the days get shorter.

Finding the perfect jacket for autumn and winter isn't always straightforward. You need something waterproof enough to withstand the inevitable downpours, but also warm enough to keep you comfortable when temperatures drop.

Shop all jacket deals at Cotswold Outdoor

The North Face has a clever solution in the form of its Quest Triclimate 3-in-1 Jacket, which looks like a fairly conventional waterproof jacket from the outside but hides a useful feature underneath.

The Quest Triclimate's clever trick is its removable inner fleece, which can be detached from the waterproof outer shell and worn separately. This means you effectively get three jackets for the price of one, making the £165 asking price feel even more reasonable.

Wear the outer shell when it's raining but relatively mild, throw on the fleece when you need a little extra warmth, or combine the two when the weather turns particularly unpleasant. The outer jacket uses The North Face's DryVent waterproof technology, designed to keep rain out while allowing moisture vapour to escape.

It's a particularly practical arrangement for Britain's unpredictable weather, especially if you'd rather not invest in several different jackets for different conditions. The adjustable hood, cuffs and multiple pockets also make it a useful option for everything from commuting to weekend hikes.

The Quest Triclimate has already impressed one customer who put it through its paces on holiday in Norway. In a verified five-star review, the buyer praised the waterproof outer's performance, describing it as "lightweight and easy to dry".

They were equally impressed with the removable fleece, which they said kept them very warm despite its lightweight construction. The reviewer also highlighted the generous pocket space and ease of detaching the inner layer, ultimately rating the jacket's value for money as exceptional.

Patagonia has been making some of the best outdoor clothing for decades, but I've always had a particular soft spot for its older designs.

The bold colours, contrasting panels, oversized logos and slightly eccentric aesthetic of its early mountain gear have a charm that's difficult to replicate.

(Just watch Vertical Limit on Netflix – sooooooo good.)

That's why I'm particularly excited about the brand's new Mountain Minded collection, which celebrates Patagonia's snow sports heritage dating back to the early 1980s.

Patagonia has taken inspiration from its early designs and applied it to a selection of contemporary outdoor essentials, including fleeces, insulated jackets, technical base layers, T-shirts and accessories.

Back to where it all began

According to Patagonia, the collection celebrates the period when the company was developing some of its first dedicated snow sports clothing.

The idea was to capture the spirit of an era when skiing, mountaineering and backcountry exploration were less about performance metrics and more about getting out into the mountains.

"The mountains are a state of mind," the brand explains, describing the collection as a celebration of its early 1980s snow styles, complete with throwback labels, vintage colours and heritage designs.

In an accompanying behind-the-scenes video, Patagonia's design team explains how it revisited the company's archives to find inspiration.

Mitch Bloom, who works on graphics and art direction, says the team examined historical trims and labels, including those associated with Chouinard, the climbing equipment company founded by Patagonia creator Yvon Chouinard.

The designers also drew inspiration from some of the brand's more obscure products, including the Mountain Lounger and vintage telemark skis.

The latter inspired the striped graphics that appear throughout the collection, while the updated heritage branding gives even relatively simple pieces a distinctly retro feel.

Old-school looks, modern outdoor gear

One of my favourite pieces is the Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T Pullover, which combines a muted two-tone fleece design with contrasting purple trim and an old-school Patagonia chest label.

The Men's Retro Pile Pullover is another highlight, offering a more understated take on the vintage aesthetic with its fluffy fleece construction and relaxed silhouette.

The Capilene base layers offer modern technical performance with some decidedly old-school patterns.

The best thing about the collection is that it feels recognisably retro without looking like fancy dress, and most of the pieces should work just as well around town as they do on a mountain getaway.

It's also refreshing to see the brand having some fun with its extensive design history.

The Patagonia Mountain Minded collection is available now through the brand's official website. Prices vary depending on the product.

In the US, the Lightweight Synchilla Snap-T Pullover costs $149, the Men's Retro Pile Pullover is $159, and the Women's Insulated Snowfarer Jacket is $369. Accessories start at $39 for the Kids' Logo Beanie, while the Black Hole Duffel 70L costs $209.

Availability and pricing may vary between regions, with some pieces and colourways potentially exclusive to certain markets.

I like a good multitool. There's something satisfying about having a pocket-sized collection of useful tools ready for those moments when you need to cut, tighten, open or fix something.

At first glance, Mossy Oak's 27-in-1 multitool looks like a fairly conventional pair of pliers. Fold it out, though, and you've got 27 different functions packed into the handles.

The pliers sit at the centre of the design, with the handles hiding most of the other tools. There's a wood saw, knife, wire cutters, bottle opener, can opener, several screwdrivers and a file, among other tools.

The idea is that instead of carrying a toolbox around, you've got a small collection of the most useful bits of one in your pocket.

The tool measures around 4.1 inches when folded, so it's small enough to carry in a pocket, backpack or camping kit. It comes with a nylon pouch, too, if you'd rather keep it attached to a belt or tucked away with your other gear.

The 27 functions include needle-nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, a wood saw, knife, bottle opener, can opener, ruler, file, screwdrivers and several other small tools.

There's also a set of hex wrenches built into the handles, which adds another layer of usefulness if you're fixing something on the go.

The Mossy Oak 27-in-1 is currently available for around $25, which works out at roughly £19. That's not bad for 27 tools in one compact package, assuming you actually find yourself using more than the pliers.

Fjällräven has unveiled a new expedition-ready down jacket designed to keep people warm – and alive – in some of the harshest environments on Earth (a.k.a. the mountains).

Best known for its iconic Kånken backpacks and rugged outdoor clothing, the Swedish outdoor specialist's Bergtagen collection takes a more technical approach to outdoor adventures.

The latest addition to the range, the Bergtagen Topp Down Jacket, combines high-loft goose down with strategically placed synthetic insulation to deliver warmth where it's needed most.

It's a clever approach that addresses some of the traditional weaknesses of down insulation, particularly its tendency to lose effectiveness when compressed or exposed to moisture.

The best of both worlds

The company says the Bergtagen Topp Down Jacket uses premium 800-fill-power down, which provides an impressive warmth-to-weight ratio without requiring excessive bulk.

The jacket also uses box-wall construction, a technique typically found in high-end expedition clothing and sleeping bags.

Unlike conventional stitched-through baffles, which can create cold spots along the seams, box-wall construction separates the down chambers using internal fabric walls.

This allows the insulation to maintain its loft more consistently, helping to trap warm air throughout the jacket.

However, Fjällräven hasn't relied exclusively on down. The Bergtagen Topp also incorporates PrimaLoft synthetic insulation around the neck and shoulders, where backpack straps and moisture can compromise the performance of traditional down.

Synthetic insulation generally retains warmth better when damp and can withstand repeated compression more effectively than down.

By combining the two materials, Fjällräven aims to deliver the warmth and packability of natural down alongside the resilience of synthetic insulation in high-stress areas.

Built to last

Beyond its insulation, the Bergtagen Topp Down Jacket features a recycled polyamide shell designed to resist wind and moisture.

It's worth noting that this isn't a waterproof jacket, so you'll still want a protective shell, such as the Bergtagen shell that uses GORE-TEX ePE technology, if you're expecting prolonged rain or wet snow.

The outer fabric is reinforced in areas most likely to experience abrasion to help the jacket withstand contact with climbing equipment, backpacks and rough terrain.

Fjällräven has also designed these high-wear areas with repairability in mind, an increasingly important consideration for technical outdoor clothing that can cost several hundred pounds.

The overall design prioritises functionality over fashion, with a protective hood and an expedition-focused silhouette intended to accommodate additional layers underneath.

Despite its substantial insulation, the jacket is designed to remain packable, making it suitable for carrying in a backpack until temperatures drop or you stop moving.

The Fjällräven Bergtagen Topp Down Jacket is available now in men's and women's versions, priced at £625 in the UK, €700 in Europe and £750 in the US. AU price and availability TBC.

Coros has spent the past few years building a reputation as the brand that gives Garmin watch fans something a little cheaper to chew on. But while the big rival tends to load its wearables with the latest smarts such as lifestyle features, app stores and contactless payments, Coros takes a different approach.

This company is all about doing the sporty stuff really well and not worrying too much about everything else. The Pace series in particular has become a favourite among runners and triathletes who care more about accurate GPS, long battery life, and lightweight builds than their Spotify playlists – and so far it’s worked.

The Pace 4 Pro is the latest addition to that lineup, sitting above last year's Coros Pace 4.

What Coros has managed to cram into this thing is pretty remarkable: you get a bigger, brighter AMOLED display than anything the firm’s done before, a titanium bezel with sapphire glass, full offline maps with turn-by-turn navigation, an ECG sensor, a built-in speaker and a quoted 60 hours of GPS battery life. All of that in a case that weighs just 43g.

On paper, it reads like a watch that should cost considerably more than its RRP. But does real-life performance live up to what this running watch says on its spec sheet? I've been wearing the Pace 4 Pro for the past few weeks across runs, gym sessions and daily life to see whether the brand has pulled it off. Here's what I think.

Coros Pace 4 Pro review

Price and availability

The Coros Pace 4 Pro launched in September 2026 and is available to buy now in black with a nylon strap or white with a nylon or silicone strap, directly from Coros and various online retailers, for £389 / $449 / AU$779.

That's quite the step up from the standard Pace 4, which starts at £229 / $249 / AU$430, and puts it into some fresh territory against rivals.

The obvious comparison anyone will make first is with Garmin, and on price alone, the Pace 4 Pro definitely has the edge.

The Garmin Forerunner 970, which is arguably its closest rival in terms of features, costs a wallet-busting £629 / $749 / AU$1,399, making the Pace 4 Pro nearly half the price.

The also AMOLED Garmin Forerunner 265, meanwhile, sits at around £379 / $449 / AU$799, which is almost the same price but comes with fewer premium materials and noticeably shorter battery life.

Design and build

The Pace 4 Pro makes a strong first impression right out of the box. The packaging is pretty elevated compared to what you’d usually find for a mid-range sports watch, and it feels like Coros has taken real care to ensure it has that premium edge, which sets the tone nicely for what's inside.

The watch itself is slim at 11.8mm thick with an impressive 47.6mm case and titanium bezel, all of which give it a subtle high-end feel that the standard Pace 4's polymer case doesn't.

The sapphire crystal covering the display should also keep scratches at bay far better than mineral glass, which is reassuring if you're planning to wear it for trail runs and outdoor workouts where knocks are almost guaranteed.

In the hand, the Pace 4 Pro is ridiculously light. At 43g with the nylon strap, you could almost forget you're wearing it, which is great news for running and sleeping.

Although I must say, the polymer case body, while perfectly sturdy, feels a bit plasticky and almost toy-like at first, which is an odd contrast with the titanium and sapphire sitting right next to it. It doesn't feel cheap exactly, but it also doesn't feel as premium as those materials might suggest on paper.

The good news is that once it's on the wrist and the display lights up, that concern fades pretty quickly. The screen certainly does a lot of heavy lifting in the overall design and build.

Speaking of the screen, it’s a 1.47-inch AMOLED panel, making it Coros' biggest ever. It runs at 466 x 466 resolution with a peak brightness of 3,500 nits during activities, meaning it’s super vibrant and sharp.

I had zero trouble reading it outdoors in direct sunlight, which is exactly what you need from something you’ll be glancing at mid-run. There's an always-on display option too, which looks clean and doesn't drain the battery as aggressively as you might expect.

One design detail that really impressed me – and I’ve probably not said this about a watch before – was the charger. Instead of packing yet another proprietary cable, Coros has designed a small key fob-style adapter that magnetically clips to the back of the watch and then accepts any standard USB-C cable.

It's genius, and a nice touch that makes you wonder why every gadget brand isn't doing it. Who knows, maybe they will be once they see this?

Performance and features

Getting the Pace 4 Pro up and running is about as painless as it gets. All you need to do is download the Coros app, pair it via Bluetooth, and you're going from box to wrist in about ten minutes. The app is well-designed and super slick, connecting without any drama to ensure a super-smooth setup.

On the wrist, the watch is snappy and responsive. Swiping between widgets, scrolling through menus and launching workouts all feel fluid, with no lag, probably thanks to the extra RAM that Coros has packed in compared to the standard Pace 4.

You really feel this when you're loading and panning around the offline maps, for example, as they render almost instantly.

As you’d expect from Coros, the Pace 4 Pro’s fitness and training features are very detailed, boasting dual-band GPS that locks on quickly and tracks routes accurately, as well as a multi-channel optical heart rate sensor that feels reliable during steady runs and gym sessions.

You also get SpO2, ECG, altitude, ambient temperature, and the full suite of training metrics that serious runners want, such as VO2 Max, training load, recovery tracking, race predictions, pace planning and interval workouts.

However, the offline maps are probably the watch’s most impressive feature. With 32GB of onboard storage, you can download detailed topographic and landscape maps with street and trail names, points of interest and proper turn-by-turn navigation, which is ideal for trail runners and hikers.

The maps load quickly, scroll smoothly, and the larger display makes them far more readable than on smaller-screened watches where you're doing a lot of squinting.

Battery life is where the Pace 4 Pro really excels. Coros quotes up to 60 hours of GPS tracking with all satellite systems active, or 46 hours with the always-on display running during activities.

For daily use, you're looking at up to 21 days with raise-to-wake, or around seven with always-on enabled. In my testing, with regular notifications, a few GPS workouts per week and raise-to-wake, I got about two weeks between charges, which (with this display) is pretty impressive.

Where the Pace 4 Pro falls short is in the smartwatch department. You won’t find an app store, music storage for offline listening, or contactless payments, and notification handling is pretty basic.

If you want a watch that doubles as a proper day-to-day smart companion alongside a serious training tool, Garmin and Apple still have the edge there.

But, as Coros fans will know, the brand has always been upfront about prioritising sport over smarts, and the Pace 4 Pro only continues that philosophy.

Verdict

The Coros Pace 4 Pro has to be the best watch Coros has made. The display is stunning, the battery life puts most AMOLED competitors to shame, and the combination of offline maps, accurate GPS tracking, deep training features and a build that weighs next to nothing makes it a seriously compelling package for runners and endurance athletes alike.

The plastic body won't feel premium to everyone, and at its price point, the Pace 4 Pro has moved well beyond Coros’ budget roots and into a space where Garmin’s offerings start to become serious considerations.

Smartwatch and lifestyle features are pretty lacking, too; if you depend on contactless payments, offline music or a proper app store on your wrist, this probably isn't the watch for you.

But if your priority is a lightweight, long-lasting sports watch with a brilliant screen, accurate tracking and offline mapping at a price that undercuts the Garmin equivalent by a couple of hundred quid, the Pace 4 Pro delivers all of that and then some.

Patagonia has teamed up with Italian insulation specialist Thermore for its latest launch, the Heyes Peak 3-in-1 Parka.

Unlike some of the outdoor brand's more technical garments, the new casual insulated jacket is designed for everyday wear and not demanding mountain adventures.

It combines a weather-resistant outer shell (essentially, a waterproof jacket) made from recycled fishing nets with a removable insulated layer constructed from recycled plastic bottles.

Probably because of its more approachable nature, the Heyes Peak Parka is set to be one of the brand's most interesting pieces for this season, especially as we look ahead to the unpredictable autumn and winter months.

Two jackets are better than one

The Heyes Peak 3-in-1 Parka's outer uses Patagonia's NetPlus recycled nylon ripstop fabric, made from discarded fishing nets collected to help reduce plastic pollution in the oceans.

Inside, you'll find Thermore EVOdown, a synthetic insulation designed to mimic the softness and loft of traditional down without using animal-derived materials.

Thermore might not be as instantly recognisable as outdoor titans GORE-TEX or PrimaLoft, but the family-run Italian company has been developing technical insulation for decades.

I've covered its technology before, including the Trailberg jacket that turns plastic waste into winter insulation.

Thermore's EVOdown technology uses 100% recycled polyester fibres and is designed to provide lightweight warmth with a soft, down-like feel.

The 3-in-1 design isn't a revolutionary concept, but the combination of recycled materials and modular construction makes the Heyes Peak particularly appealing as an everyday winter jacket.

And unlike some of Patagonia's more technical outerwear, the collection has a relatively understated look that should work just as well on the commute as on a weekend walk.

Built for the everyday adventures

Despite its casual styling, there's some serious outdoor technology involved with the Heyes Peak 3-in-1 Parka.

The outer jacket features Patagonia's waterproof H2No Performance Standard construction, including a two-layer shell, an adjustable hood and a storm flap.

Interestingly, the outer shell uses recycled polyester sourced from coastal communities at risk of plastic pollution, and the removable inner jacket uses NetPlus fishing-net material.

The parka also uses durable water-repellent treatments made without intentionally added PFAS.

At 1,020g, it's not particularly lightweight (let's not forget it's a 3-in-1 garment, though), but that's arguably less important for a jacket intended for commuting, travelling and everyday winter adventures.

The Heyes Peak 3-in-1 Parka is available in men's and women's versions, priced at £480 in the UK, €500 in Europe and $569 in the US. AU price and availability TBC.

You can read more about the collaboration at Thermore.

Gravel bikes have a habit of getting expensive very quickly, which makes the Boardman ADV 8.9 feel refreshingly sensible. For £1,200, you get an aluminium frame, full-carbon fork, Shimano GRX drivetrain, hydraulic disc brakes and chunky 40mm Goodyear tyres, wrapped up in a package that feels far more polished than the price suggests.

After spending time with the ADV 8.9 on tarmac and gravel, I found a bike that's nimble, confidence-inspiring and genuinely enjoyable to ride. It's not especially light or fast uphill, and there are a few rough edges, but as an affordable do-it-all gravel bike, it's difficult to argue with the value.

Boardman ADV 8.9 review

Price and availability

The Boardman ADV 8.9 (SKU: 240667) has an RRP of £1,200 in the UK and is available in black or orange, with both colours using the same specification. Sizes run from S to XL, and Boardman sells the bike through Halfords.

Boardman doesn't appear to officially sell this version of the ADV 8.9 in the US or Australia. Based on the UK RRP and current exchange rates, £1,200 works out at approximately $1,590 / €1,400 / AU$2,270, although these are direct conversions rather than local RRPs. The exception is Ireland, where Halfords officially lists the bike at €1,440.

Boardman's broader ADV family does offer cheaper and more expensive alternatives, including the £850 ADV 8.6 and £950 ADV 8.8. A separately listed ADV 8.9 Carbon also exists, but that's a different £1,750 carbon-framed bike and not another version of the model reviewed here.

Setup

Setting up the Boardman ADV 8.9 was refreshingly straightforward, largely because most of the work had already been done before it arrived. The bike came almost fully assembled; the wheels, drivetrain and controls were already in place, so there was none of the usual wrestling I usually have to do, especially with e-bikes.

My main jobs were fitting the pedals and straightening the handlebar. Helpfully, the pedals were colour-coded with tape, making it immediately obvious which belonged on each side, and getting the bars into position took only a few minutes with an Allen key.

The box also included the usual reflectors, documentation and basic accessories, along with a Halfords assembly checklist showing the bike had been inspected and set up before dispatch.

After giving the chain a quick spray of lubricant, that was essentially it. From opening the box to having the ADV 8.9 ready to ride was a pleasantly fuss-free process.

Design and build quality

The Boardman ADV 8.9 makes a strong first impression with its understated finish, slim tubes and relatively clean cable routing, which give it a much more expensive appearance than you might expect from a £1,200 gravel bike.

It has a butted 6061 aluminium frame with smooth(ish) welds and a full-carbon fork that helps disguise the fact that it isn’t a carbon bike, especially in the all-black colourway I tested.

It might just be that I’ve been testing road bikes for way too long, but the ADV 8.9 feels remarkably light and nimble when you pick it up and move it around. At a claimed 10.9kg, it isn't exceptionally light by modern gravel-bike standards, but importantly, it doesn't feel like a heavy budget bike.

As for components, the Shimano GRX RX400 drivetrain sits towards the more affordable end of the company's gravel-specific range, but getting a 2x10 GRX setup with proper hydraulic disc brakes at this price is still a very respectable specification.

Most importantly, it isn't bargain-bin equipment dressed up to look premium. GRX is designed specifically for off-road drop-bar riding, and the RX400 brakes and shifters are exactly the sort of components I'd hope to see on a good £1,000–£1,500 gravel bike.

The 46/30T Prowheel crankset and bottom bracket are more budget-focused than the Shimano parts that surround them, and the KMC X10 chain and Shimano HG50 11–36T cassette, while dependable, certainly aren’t exciting.

The own-brand alloy wheels fall into the budget category, although being tubeless-ready is a significant plus at this price. However, I'm particularly fond of the 40mm Goodyear Connector tyres. They are proper tubeless-ready gravel models with a tightly packed centre tread for rolling efficiency and more pronounced shoulder knobs for grip.

They also suit the character of the ADV nicely and give the bike a chunky, purposeful look without pretending that it’s a mountain bike with drop bars.

The handlebar initially struck me as quite narrow, although that's partly a matter of what you're used to. My large frame has a 42cm bar fitted with a 16-degree flare, which isn't unusually narrow for a modern gravel bike. If anything, it's towards the road-inspired end of the gravel spectrum, with the flare adding extra leverage when riding in the drops.

One slightly unusual detail is the chunky 31.6 mm-diameter, 350 mm-long seatpost. After spending so much time testing e-bikes with frustratingly short posts, I actually had the opposite problem here and needed to drop it considerably.

The larger diameter is less compliant than the skinny 27.2mm posts commonly seen on endurance and gravel bikes, but it also leaves the ADV compatible with a wide range of mountain-bike-style dropper posts should you want to upgrade it later.

Performance

The Boardman ADV 8.9 isn't going to make you forget you're riding a relatively affordable aluminium gravel bike, but once I got it out on the road and onto loose surfaces, I was impressed by just how capable it felt.

The ADV 8.9 feels surprisingly nimble and responsive, changing direction quickly without becoming twitchy or unpredictable. On gravel, it was particularly enjoyable to throw around, and the 40mm Goodyear Connector tyres provided plenty of reassurance when the surface became loose.

Those tyres are a good match for the bike's intended purpose, offering noticeably more grip than a conventional road tyre and helping take some of the sting out of rougher surfaces.

There's a trade-off, though. Once I returned to smoother tarmac, particularly on climbs, the combination of wider rubber and the bike's overall weight made the ADV 8.9 feel a little sluggish.

It's not painfully slow, and on flatter roads it rolls along perfectly happily, but there isn't the same eager acceleration or effortless climbing ability you'd get from a lighter, racier gravel bike. Considering the price, that's hardly surprising.

The Shimano GRX drivetrain performed well during most of my testing. Gear changes were generally smooth, predictable and quick enough, and the 2x setup gives the ADV 8.9 a useful spread of ratios for switching between roads, climbs and gravel.

I did, however, encounter the same issue reported by other reviewers. Some drivetrain rub was evident in the most extreme gear combinations, and even though it wasn't enough to spoil the ride, the effect was certainly noticeable. If you avoid aggressive cross-chaining, that largely solves the problem, but it's worth knowing about.

I'd still take this drivetrain over a cheaper mechanical setup. Hydraulic braking and GRX shifting help the ADV 8.9 feel much more accomplished than its price might suggest.

The riding position is reasonably aggressive for an adventure bike. That contributes to the bike's responsive character, but over a roughly 40km ride I found myself having to tilt my head upwards more than I'd like, eventually resulting in some neck discomfort.

Fit is obviously very personal, and a different stem position or bike setup could alleviate this considerably. Still, riders who prefer a more upright endurance position may want to pay particular attention during a test ride.

There was plenty of room for adjustment at the other end. I could achieve full leg extension without needing to run the seatpost anywhere near its maximum height, which made finding a comfortable pedalling position refreshingly straightforward.

Pedal clearance caught me by surprise. When leaning into a particularly tight turn, I managed to clip a pedal against the edge of the road. Pedal strikes aren't unheard of on gravel bikes, especially when pedalling through corners, and it only happened once during my testing, but the bottom of the pedal does feel relatively close to the ground.

The ADV 8.9 also picked up cosmetic marks more readily than I'd expected. I really like the understated monochrome grey finish, but the paint on my test bike proved fairly susceptible to scuffs and small chips.

That's unlikely to matter much to riders who see gravel bikes as tools, although I'd be cautious when attaching a D-lock or squeezing the bike past walls or other obstacles.

Verdict

The Boardman ADV 8.9 isn't perfect, but at £1,200, it represents exceptional value for money.

The aluminium frame and 40mm gravel tyres mean the bike can feel a little heavy-footed on paved climbs, and I encountered some drivetrain rub at the extremes of the gearing. I'd also keep an eye on pedal clearance and protect that handsome grey paintwork if you want it to stay pristine.

Yet these feel like relatively minor complaints when you consider what you're getting. The ADV 8.9 feels nimble, changes direction beautifully, has loads of grip on loose surfaces and comes equipped with proper Shimano GRX components, hydraulic disc brakes and a full-carbon fork.

More expensive gravel bikes will be lighter, faster and more refined, but I'm not convinced most casual gravel riders actually need them. For anyone wanting an affordable first gravel bike, a capable all-rounder or something equally happy tackling towpaths, country lanes and weekend adventures, the Boardman ADV 8.9 is incredibly easy to recommend.

Boardman Bikes’ name isn’t just a coincidence. The company was co-founded by Olympic medalist and yellow jersey wearer Chris Boardman in 2007, though it’s now owned by Halfords.

The MTX-E 8.9 is a hybrid electric bike rather than something you’re going to ride in a time trial, with a mid-drive motor and a lot of Shimano bits and pieces attached to it.

With its front suspension fork, thick downtube and sloping geometry, there's a definite hint of the e-mountain bike about it, but it’s better suited to lighter off-road adventures as well as commuting and just getting around town efficiently.

Boardman MTX-E 8.9 review

Price and availability

The Boardman MTX-E 8.9 is available from Halfords. There is also an MTX 8.9 without the E, which is a much cheaper acoustic bike that often turns up in searches due to its similar name and is priced much more cheaply.

At £2,200, the Boardman MTX-E 8.9 is more expensive than the Fiido Nomads Pro, which also has more torque, and there's a cheaper Boardman MTX-E 8.8, too, with less torque than either and a less premium spec sheet.

Design and build quality

It would be easy to look at the Boardman MTX-E 8.9 and see similarities to Trek’s Marlin+ 8 or the Haibike Alltrack. It’s neither of those bikes, being more of a city hybrid with a sporty costume on.

The angle of the top tube is rather rakish, and you’ll need to jack the saddle up a bit if you’re tall (you’ll need the large 54cm frame option if you’re over 5ft 9in), which can make it look a bit spindly at the back end, but otherwise it looks like a solid bike.

This is underlined by two design features: the first being that, despite being described as a unisex bike on the Halfords website, it has a top tube. The angle means it’s easy to get on and off, and such divisions of bikes by gender belong in the 19th century, but it lacks the pure convenience of a step-through universal frame.

The top tube passes the saddle post with a slight downward kink, and the straight-line style of something like the Fiido Nomads Pro looks more modern, but it’s certainly not an unattractive bike.

The second thing that makes the MTX-E 8.9 recognisably stand out as an e-bike is that thick downtube, in which the battery nestles. As a mid-motor design, it’s chunky all the way to the pedals while the rest of the frame is thinner.

The battery is a removable Shimano 36v design with a capacity of 504Wh, and there's an easily accessible charging point at the bottom of the seat tube.

Such a large battery can take a while to charge, and you should put aside most of the day to get it from empty to full again. While there are mounting points for mudguards and a rack, neither is provided as standard, and the model delivered to me doesn’t have a kickstand either.

As the flagship model of Boardman’s MTX-E series, you get the Shimano EP6 motor here, with the maximum legal 250W output, as well as 85Nm of torque.

The torque level of a motor determines how fast it can accelerate from a standstill and how well it goes uphill. Motors with 60Nm aren’t uncommon in leisure and commuting bikes, so the extra turning force here makes the MTX-E 8.9 a better choice for slightly rougher, hillier terrain.

It’s not a completely off-road bike, however, as evidenced by the tyres. They’re 50mm-wide Goodyear Connectors, a tubeless gravel tyre that’s nonetheless good on all sorts of surfaces.

They position the MTX-E 8.9 as an all-round bike that’ll be good on the farm tracks and towpaths that make up so much out-of-town cycling infrastructure as well as paved roads on the journey to the office.

The saddle and handlebars could be better, being a little thin on padding for longer rides. They’re not actually bad, but the handlebar grips in particular, with a thin soft layer over something harder, can become tiring when you’re putting in the miles.

Performance

There are three levels of power assist on offer from the MTX-E 8.9, and the boost from the mid-mounted motor is transferred to the back wheel through an 11-speed Shimano CUES groupset controlled from a lever under your right hand.

It’s fairly smooth-shifting; CUES uses Shimano’s Linkglide tech to avoid the classic jerks between cogs (though this isn’t completely successful, you’ll still feel and hear gear changes) and should be more durable too, though as it’s only been around a few years this hasn’t completely been proven yet.

Much of the time you’ll be content to leave the power setting in the middle and let the gears take care of evening out your pedalling, and there's a noticeable difference between levels 2 and 3.

Turn it up full, and the bike moves forward urgently as the torque sensor registers the pedals beginning to turn, making hill starts from stationary a possibility and bringing up the max assist speed surprisingly quickly, after which it can feel like pedalling through glue in contrast.

It’s also quite noisy when putting out full power, which at least has the benefit that pedestrians will hear you coming. The difference between the extremes of the cassette is also quite large, meaning you’ll be able to tackle some pretty steep hills, even if you’ll be going pretty slowly by the time you reach the top.

It’s all controlled through a small but effective LCD on the left of the handlebars. It won’t switch on while it’s charging, which makes it easy to avoid the classic mistake of riding away with a cable attached.

While I’ve certainly seen larger screens on e-bikes the information is clear, with the remaining battery charge easy enough to discern even if the remaining range is shown as a very small number.

Joining it on the left is what looks exactly like another gear lever, but which instead controls the dropper post for the saddle. Press it while riding, as first-time riders coming from a mountain bike might, and you’ll suddenly find yourself a lot lower down and with your knees splayed out, which is suboptimal to say the least.

Stopping is handled by Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, with a 160mm rotor at the back and 180mm at the front. If you got out of the habit of using your front brake during the side-pull era, this might be enough to get you pulling it again, as it’s very effective and using both will slow you well even on a downward gradient.

Also, at the front of the bike is an air-sprung Suntour suspension fork, nothing special but enough to make rougher surfaces less irritating with its 100mm of travel. You can switch it off if you’re going to be on-road, but there's very little reason to unless maxing out the range is your primary concern.

With the 504Wh battery full of juice Halfords claims a 60-mile endurance, and while that’s going to depend on the size of the rider as well as the nature of the paths you’re riding on and the ambient temperature, the remaining charge indicator drops noticeably more slowly than on something like a Brompton Electric.

On one hilly ride the range decreased from 37 to 20 after about 12 rather than 17 miles having used the highest boost level for some of the ascents.

Verdict

An e-bike with a mid-mounted motor is worth the extra investment over a rear-hub model, and one with a greater amount of torque is too. The Boardman MTX-E 8.9 is a fun bike to ride, its motor making things like climbing hills without getting off and pushing possible. With its sporty look, grippy tyres and effective brakes, it’s an excellent ride for dirt paths, byways and looser surfaces too.

While the experience of online shopping is undeniably fuss free and convenient, some products are better suited to being tried and tested using the old-fashioned approach of getting off one’s butt and visiting a proper shop.

That’s certainly the case when it comes to bicycles – both analogue and electric – which ideally need to be seen in the flesh and tried and tested to make sure the bike of your dreams isn’t one that turns out to be a lemon.

The sad thing is that many independent bicycle stores have struggled to compete against online retail, even though physical bricks-and-mortar shops offer something that websites don’t – namely expert advice, fitting, servicing and hands-on experience.

Despite the current downward trend in high street shopping, we thankfully still have the likes of Halfords, Evans, Leisure Lakes Bikes and Cycle King keeping high street bike-shopping alive, which leads me to the Carrera Subway-E 2 I’m reviewing today, an impressively-specced electric bike from the house of Halfords.

Here are my thoughts.

Carrera Subway-E 2 hybrid e-bike review

Price and availability

The Carrera Subway-E 2 is currently available in three frame sizes – S, M and L – from Halfords, priced at a reasonable £1,299. Halfords offers home delivery and reserve & collect, although store availability can vary so phone to check first. This bike is also eligible for Cycle2Work, which can greatly reduce the cost for eligible customers.

Specs at a glance

• Frame: Aluminium
• Fork: High-tensile steel
• Frame sizes: S,M,L
• Motor: BAFANG G020 rear hub, 250W
• Gear shifter: Shimano SL-U4000 RapidFire Plus, 9-speed
• Rear derailleur: Shimano 9-speed CUES
• Power assistance modes: Eco, Tour, Sport, Sport+, Boost
• Torque: 45 Nm
• Battery: BAFANG 378Wh, 10.5Ah, downtube integrated and removable
• Range: 25 - 40 miles (64 km)
• Sensor: Torque sensor
• Brakes: Tektro HD-M275 hydraulic disc
• Wheels: 27.5”
• Tyres: Kenda, 27.5”x1.95”
• Display: BAFANG TFT
• Waterproofness: Water resistant
• Weight: 21.4 kgs (with battery)
• Max rider weight: 120 kgs
• Frame warranty: Lifetime
• Battery warranty: 2 years

Set up

Sadly there aren’t as many bike shops in the UK as there used to be so chapeau to Halfords for continuing to sell and service bicycles alongside the company’s huge raft of motoring products. The fact that many UK towns have a Halfords on the high street means that anyone nearby can pop in and peruse the company’s wide range of bicycles, from kiddy cycles, hybrids, MTBs and gravel racers to e-bikes in every shape and form, and at a wide range of different price points.

Halfords not only sells bicycles – along with loads of spares and accessories – it also services them on the premises, and that means anyone can waltz in, choose a bike, have it assembled and set up for a modest fee of just £15, and then ride home on it, or pop it in the car. That, I gather, is how many prospective purchasers go about it.

However, since Halfords also has massive online presence, you can also have your chosen bike posted to you unbuilt with the front wheel unattached or, for a small fee of £35, pre-assembled with both wheels attached and set up by a technician just the way you’ll like it.

If ordering online and having the bike sent to you unbuilt, you will likely need to fit the handlebars to the headset (don’t worry, the brake and gear cables are pre-attached), attach the front wheel, saddle and pedals, and possibly make some fine adjustments to the rear gear derailleur. This is how I would always order a bicycle, but then I love assembling them because I’m a bike nerd and have fettled away on over 60 bikes in my lifetime.

For the purposes of this review, Halfords sent me the Carrera Subway-E 2 almost fully built with both wheels in place in a bike box big enough to sleep in.

All I had to do was loosen the four Allen bolts on the robust headset (don’t forget to buy an Allen key), swivel the handlebar, re-tighten the bolts and fit the pedals. Both wheels were already attached and the derailleur seemingly set up because the gears were smooth right out of the box. An assembly checklist was also supplied by whoever built it for me. That’s darn good service, if you ask me.

Design and build quality

Available in three sizes, the new Carrera Subway-E 2 falls under Halfords’ electric hybrid category though at first glance on the website page – and in real life – its steeply-sloping and acutely-angled frame and chunky gravel tyres give it the looks of 26-inch wheeled hardtail mountain bike, only without any front suspension. It looks pretty cool, too, in all that silvery livery.

However, there’s no mistaking the size of the Subway's much larger 27.5-inch wheels which are the new standard for most modern hybrid bikes. This model is also fitted with slightly knobbly 27.5” x 1.95” Kenda tyres which are fatter than the hybrid norm and better suited to both tarmac and gravel use.

Funnily enough, I was drawn to this particular hybrid model because the geometry of its steeply-raked top tube is very similar to that of my vintage Kona Cinder Cone mountain bike from 1995. Like most bikes back then, the Cinder Cone was cast entirely from chromoly steel and this not only helped the entire bike attain a svelte weight of just 10 kilos (22lbs in old cycling money) after being tricked out with lighter components, but the thin steel tubing gave it attractive curb appeal.

Aluminium framed bikes were already around much earlier but by the mid 1990s aluminium took over from steel and bikes suddenly started to look bloated with wide, squared tubing to give the frame extra strength. Bike purists like me were understandably miffed by it all but, hey, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

I guess this is a roundabout way for me to describe the most obvious difference between my old Kona and this new hybrid gravel-ready bike from the house of Halfords. Although one is a vintage analogue mountain bike with 26” wheels and the other an electric hybrid with 27.5” wheels there is, unsurprisingly, a massive weight difference between the two.

Where the Kona’s weight out of the box was nearer 11 kgs (25lbs), the Carrera weighs in at a whopping 21.4 kilos (a shade over 47lbs) with battery. I have the build of a stick insect and had no issues hoisting my Kona over my shoulder when scrambling over a stile but I can’t even lift this heavyweight higher than my knees, and that means that most owners – bar those built like brick outhouses – will have a lot of trouble hauling it up a flight of stairs unaided.

I must stress that it’s not uncommon for e-bikes in this low-to-mid price bracket to weigh this much because aluminium e-bikes generally use thicker and larger-diameter tubing than traditional analogue bikes to handle the extra stress of all the weighty electrics. Add the weight of the battery and motor – in this case an integrated downtube battery weighing 2.3 kgs and a BAFANG G020 motor adding another 3.3 kgs – and you can see why electric bikes generally weigh a small ton, unless you’re prepared to stretch the budget to buy something like the Fiido Air (£1,636), which purportedly weighs a comparatively featherweight 13.75 kgs (30.3 lbs).

I should also add that weight isn’t anywhere near as much of a factor when it comes to actually riding the Carrera Subway-E 2 because its 250W BAFANG motor provides all the power and torque (45Nm ) you need to get to the top of modestly steep hills with very little physical input. Mind, as with any e-bike, the opposite is true when the battery runs out of juice mid journey.

Right, that’s the Carrera Subway-E 2’s important weight info out of the way, so let’s start at the front of the bike and work our way to the rear, starting with the handlebar which has a slight rise and measures a substantial 29 inches (74mm) in width.

This level of width is quite normal for hybrids and mountain bikes these days because it makes the bike feel more stable, responsive and confidence inspiring, especially when going down steep hills and over rougher terrain. I personally much prefer a narrower bar, partly because it makes any bike easier to handle when negotiating traffic and storing at home, and partly because I find them to be more comfortable in general. But each to their own.

The bars are connected to a short and extremely robust 3-inch (7cm) stem that further helps with agility and responsiveness, though the frame geometry and handlebar configuration definitely encourage an over-the-handlebar ride posture rather than the usual upright riding position normally associated with hybrid bikes. I like it that way but many fair-weather riders may not.

The Tektro HD-M275 all-weather hydraulic brakes, meanwhile, bring everything to a halt in seconds and I especially like the spongy feel of the brake levers, which helps a great deal when feathering the brakes to shave off speed.

The Subway-E 2’s BAFANG computer display is one of the clearest I’ve seen and one of the brightest when you boost the backlight. As per usual, the screen displays all riding data such as battery level, current speed, max speed and average speed along with trip and odometer information, making it easy to keep tabs on your rides, past and present.

The up and down buttons also let you quickly cycle through the bike’s five pedal assistance modes – Eco, Tour, Sport, Sport+ and Boost. For everyday commuting and knocking about, this model’s display does a perfect job without unnecessary complexity.

While we’re at the front, a quick shout out to the smooth Shimano SL-U4000 RapidFire Plus 9-speed shifter, paired with Shimano’s CUES RD-U4000 GS 9-speed rear derailleur. This is a great gear combo for the bike’s price band though, as to be expected, owners may need to make some fine barrel adjustments to the derailleur for smoother shifts across all nine rear sprockets.

The chunky downtube accommodates the bike’s clip-in BAFANG 378Wh, 10.5Ah battery and it’s extremely well integrated with no unsightly cabling to the rear hub motor. There’s a small rubber button near the base of the battery but this is mostly for awakening the battery if it’s been in storage.

There’s also a very dim single blue LED in the same area and this basically flashes when the battery is being charged off the bike. I personally would have preferred a five-bar battery level indicator on it so I can see the state of the charge at a glance without having to turn on the handlebar display controller.

The Subway’s battery is paired with BAFANG’s G020 rear 250W hub motor. This portly beast belts out up to 45Nm of torque which is acceptable for a city bike in this price range but less than half the oomph of the Fiido Nomads Pro, which sports a claimed 100Nm of torque. Like all decent e-bikes, this one also comes with a torque sensor and it feels very smooth in operation, kicking in early so you don’t need to exert too much pressure on the pedals to get it to activate.

The Carrera Subway E 2.0 does not include Bluetooth functionality or any kind of app integration, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing because it keeps it nice and simple. There are no GPS tracking security measures on this bike either so bear that in mind if you’re locking it up outside while you’re at work and buy yourself something like the Halfords Advanced Rock Solid D-Lock which is angle grinder proof.

If you have no choice of locking it when popping quickly into a shop, whack the gear shifter to the highest gear and select 0 assistance on the display or remove the battery entirely (it comes with a couple of keys). That way a thief will have to spend precious time fiddling about while trying to make a break for it on a bike that feels like it’s riding through treacle.

Performance and ride quality

While this bike has considerable heft – which you will most likely notice when wheeling it around, manoeuvring it into a bike rack and especially when climbing stairs – I think it delivers a reassuringly composed ride, with excellent stability that makes it feel particularly easy to control in busy towns and cities. The saddle, too, was comfortable for me though some riders may find it a bit too firm and narrow. Still, it can always be very easily changed.

Rather than feeling twitchy or nervous like some folding e-bikes, the Subway’s large, chubby tyres give it a planted feel that inspires confidence, especially when riding over uneven surfaces, navigating traffic or carrying a little more speed through bends. The steering is smooth and predictable, too, with a natural response that makes direction changes effortless without feeling overly sensitive.

On my test climb which averaged a gradient of around 10%, the Subway-E 2 proved extremely capable of maintaining a useful level of assistance, especially when I switched it to Boost mode for the steepest section.

Granted, the bike’s 250W BAFANG rear-mounted motor won’t transform a challenging hill into a completely effortless experience, but with the combination of the extra assistance modes – specifically Sport+ and Boost – and the 9-speed gears, I was given more that enough hill-climbing assistance to keep up the momentum without feeling any fatigue in the legs. Mind, had the hill been longer it might have been a different story.

The Shimano drivetrain deserves special mention because the shifts have been really polished on all my test rides, with no delayed changes and missed cogs. This was especially noticeable on a section of road comprised of varying gradients where I had to keep flitting from one gear to another.

Carrera states a number of different ranges depending on the PAS mode it’s in. With around 70% of juice left in the battery, I flicked through every assistance mode on the display and checked the remaining range for each and here are the results: Economy – 42 miles; Tour – 29 miles; Sport – 22 miles; Sport+ – 16 miles; and Boost – 15 miles.

My guess is that you would easily attain more than Carrera’s stated maximum of 40 miles range if in Economy mode on flat city streets, around 30 miles if switching between Economy, Tour and Sport, and maybe 20 miles if riding in a modestly hilly area. That’s not too shabby in my opinion.

Verdict

The Carrera Subway-E 2 is a highly capable MTB-style hybrid e-bike that delivers a comfortable, confidence-inspiring ride, making it well suited to commuting and off-piste gravel travel. Moreover, the bike’s BAFANG motor and battery combo provide extremely useful pedal assistance without making the bike feel overly complicated. However, its 21kgs of heft requires the physique of an Olympic weightlifter to carry it.

Few jackets have made the leap from mountain expeditions to streetwear quite as successfully as The North Face's Nuptse.

Originally introduced in 1992, the distinctive puffer has become one of the most recognisable pieces of outerwear in the world, embraced by everyone from mountaineers to hip-hop royalty.

And although its signature boxy silhouette has remained largely unchanged for more than three decades, The North Face isn't afraid to experiment with the formula.

The latest example is the new Pertex Nuptse Reversible Jacket, which combines the familiar design with upgraded technical materials and a clever two-in-one construction.

Part of the brand's Autumn/Winter 2026 Ever Icons collection, the jacket celebrates The North Face's 60th anniversary by giving one of its most famous designs a fresh twist.

Two sides to every story

The biggest selling point of the new Pertex Nuptse is, unsurprisingly, its reversible construction.

One side features the familiar quilted baffles that have defined the Nuptse since the early 1990s, while the other has a smoother, matte finish that gives the jacket a more understated appearance.

The Pertex Nuptse uses 700-fill recycled goose down to provide warmth without excessive bulk, paired with Pertex Quantum fabric.

The latter is a lightweight, tightly woven material designed to improve insulation efficiency and prevent down from escaping through the fabric.

The North Face also highlights the jacket's water-repellent exterior, providing some protection against damp conditions.

(It's not a waterproof jacket, though.)

An icon that keeps evolving

The reversible Nuptse arrives alongside the new Summit Nuptse, which takes a more technical approach to updating the classic design.

The Summit version features 800-fill ProDown insulation, abrasion-resistant Spectra materials and an insulated hood, making it better suited to demanding mountain environments.

The Pertex version, meanwhile, leans into the Nuptse's considerable cultural influence.

It's a fitting direction for a jacket that became a favourite among New York's hip-hop community in the 1990s, appearing on artists including The Notorious B.I.G. and Redman before becoming a fixture of modern streetwear.

And for those who prefer the original, the classic 1996 Retro Nuptse remains part of the collection.

The North Face Pertex Nuptse Reversible Jacket is available in men's and women's versions, priced at £325 in the UK, $430 in the US and €360 in Europe. AU pricing has yet to be confirmed.

Want to age better, improve your strength, gain lean muscle and improve your body composition? Strength training is your best friend.

In fact, you've probably heard plenty about the importance of maintaining muscle as you age, but there's a good reason for it. From around the age of 30, we gradually begin to lose muscle mass and strength, and this can become more noticeable as the decades go by.

The concern isn't simply how your muscles look, either. Losing muscle can mean losing strength, balance, power and the physical reserve that helps you continue doing everything from carrying the shopping to climbing stairs to playing sport and staying steady on your feet.

To help combat this, we asked Phil Evans, Chartered Physiotherapist, founder of Urban Body and author of Built to Last After 50, for the 10 strength exercises he'd recommend after 50.

Why strength training matters after 50

Getting older doesn't automatically mean becoming weaker.

“Think of your muscles as your body's suspension system,” says Evans. “Strong muscles help support your joints, absorb and control load and give you more physical capacity for whatever you want to keep doing.”

More importantly, your muscles are still capable of responding to resistance training as you get older.

“Your body continues responding to mechanical stress and nutrition well into later life,” says Evans. “And the good news is that muscle responds to training as we get older. You can get stronger.”

How often should you strength train after 50?

You don't need to train every day. According to Evans, two to three strength sessions a week is plenty for most people over 50.

“What matters is giving your muscles enough of a challenge to make them adapt, then giving them time to recover,” he explains.

The workout provides the stimulus, while recovery gives your body time to rebuild. What you do during those sessions matters too. For example, if you've been squatting with the same 10kg weight for the past six months, your body has very little reason to change.

Instead, Evans recommends gradually asking a little more of your muscles as you get stronger. That could mean adding weight, completing a few more reps, increasing your range of motion or progressing to a harder variation.

And there's no need to destroy yourself in the process.

“Being sore for three days isn't proof you've had a good workout,” says Evans. “Two or three good sessions, done consistently and gradually progressed, will get you far further than going all-out for a few weeks and giving up.”

Ready to get started? Here are Evans' top 10 exercises for building a stronger body after 50.

10 exercises to bulletproof your body after 50

1. Sit-to-stand or squat

Sit on the front edge of a sturdy chair with your feet under your knees. Stand without using your hands, then lower yourself slowly back down.

Why: This builds strength through the legs and hips while training one of the fundamental movements we use every day. You can then add weight as you get stronger.

2. Step-ups

Using the bottom stair or a low, stable step, place one foot fully on top, push through that leg to step up, then lower yourself slowly.

Why: Step-ups strengthen each leg individually and build the functional strength you need for climbing stairs, tackling hills, hiking and sport. Increase the step height or add weight to make them harder.

3. Hip hinge or deadlift

Push your hips backwards, then use your hips and legs to drive yourself back to standing.

Why: This movement gets your glutes, hamstrings and back muscles working together and builds the strength you need for picking things up, whether that's a weight in the gym or something heavy at home.

4. Press-ups

Why: Press-ups build strength through your chest, shoulders and arms and can be adapted to almost any fitness level.

If the floor is too challenging, start with your hands against a wall or on a sturdy chair, then gradually lower the height as you get stronger.

5. Rows

Using a resistance band or a pair of dumbbells, pull your elbows backwards towards your body.

Why: Rows strengthen your upper back and arms, developing pulling strength while working the muscles that help support good posture.

6. Overhead press

Hold your dumbbells at shoulder height, press them overhead, then lower slowly with control.

Why: Overhead strength comes in handy whenever you're putting something on a high shelf, lifting luggage or tackling jobs around the house or garden.

7. Farmer's carry

Pick up something reasonably heavy in each hand and walk. Dumbbells work well - and kettlebells too.

Why: This simple exercise trains your grip, core, shoulders and legs simultaneously, making it one of the most functional strength exercises on the list.

8. Calf raises

Stand near a wall or chair for support, slowly rise onto your toes, then lower your heels with control.

Why: Your calves help propel you forward when you walk, run and climb hills. Progress to single-leg calf raises or add resistance when bodyweight becomes too easy.

9. Split squat

Stand with one foot in front of the other and lower yourself by bending both knees before pushing back up. Alternatively, you can step backwards into a reverse lunge.

Why: Both variations strengthen the hips and thighs one leg at a time, helping with everything from balance to climbing stairs and even getting up from the floor.

10. Glute bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Push through your feet, lift your hips and squeeze your glutes before lowering slowly.

Why: Strong glutes help with walking, running, getting in and out from a chair, lifting and generally generating power through the hips. Add resistance or even squeeze a pillow in between your thighs to progress the move.

How to add these exercises to your routine

Before you start feeling overwhelmed by all 10 exercises, don't panic. “The key is not to think you need to do all the exercises every time you train,” says Evans

“For a simple session, choose a lower-body movement such as a squat or step-up, an upper-body push and pull, like the row, a hip exercise such as a deadlift or bridge, and a carry. You can rotate through the other exercises across the week.”

Strength isn't the entire picture after 50, either. Evans recommends continuing to work on balance and mobility, particularly maintaining good movement through the upper back, hips and ankles.

And perhaps the most important thing is remembering what you're actually training for.

“It's not just another personal best in the gym,” says Evans. “It's being able to play sport, walk up a mountain, spend a day in the garden, do the DIY, carry your own luggage and keep saying yes to the things you enjoy.”

Or, to put it another way: “Train for the life you want to live, not just the body you want to look at.”

If you've been waiting for Amazon's Prime Day sale to finally build out that home gym, one of NordicTrack's most accessible treadmills just got considerably more tempting.

Shop all NordicTrack deals on Amazon

The NordicTrack T Series 5 is down to £499 at Amazon, compared with the £599 RRP shown on the retailer's listing. That's a £100 saving on a fully fledged treadmill from one of the biggest names in connected home fitness.

It's not quite an unprecedented price for the machine, but £499 is right at the bottom end of what Amazon has charged over the past year. Most recently, it had climbed back to around £600, making the Prime-exclusive offer well worth considering.

It's proving popular with owners, too, with Amazon reviewers describing it as a "solid, high-quality treadmill", while another said, "Love it!" One buyer simply remarked, "Wow, this exceeded my expectations."

The T Series 5 sits towards the affordable end of NordicTrack's current treadmill range, but it's a considerable step up from the basic walking pads that dominate the cheaper end of Amazon.

There's a 140 x 46cm cushioned running surface, and the treadmill tops out at 16km/h (10mph). That's fast enough for everything from walking and easy jogging to reasonably brisk running sessions. The deck uses cushioning designed to reduce impact.

You also get powered incline up to 10%, which adds some much-needed variety if endless flat treadmill miles aren't your idea of fun. A small LCD shows your essential workout metrics, and there's a device shelf for your phone or tablet.

Connect your device via Bluetooth to use iFIT, which offers thousands of trainer-led workouts (subscription required). Compatible workouts can automatically control the treadmill's speed and incline, which is nice at this price point.

At £499 for Prime members, it's a particularly attractive option for anyone looking to keep their running going as the weather deteriorates over autumn and winter.

BEAMS has been celebrating its 50th anniversary by collaborating with seemingly... everyone.

The Japanese retailer has already dipped into the archives of some seriously big names as part of its anniversary celebrations.

These include Arc'teryx, Timex, and more, and now it's turned its attention to American outdoor institution REI Co-op.

The BEAMS x REI Co-op Expedition Parka is a gloriously oversized down jacket based on an REI design dating all the way back to 1986.

It comes complete with enormous baffles, huge patch pockets and a blue-and-orange colour scheme that makes absolutely no attempt to disguise its '80s origins.

The Expedition Parka is also not the first meeting between BEAMS and REI.

Both were involved in 2025's three-way collaboration with On, with REI's archive again inspiring the collection.

However, the parka is probably my new favourite, thanks to its ability to mix classic design with modern materials and manufacturing processes.

A storied design, retold

According to REI, the teams went well beyond simply examining the original Expedition Parka by looking through the American retailer's Living Archive in Seattle.

Also, additional vintage Expedition Parkas were sourced and taken apart so the designers could study details, such as loft, proportions, hand feel and hardware.

The resulting jacket preserves much of that old-school character, right down to the retro REI mountain logo embroidered onto the chest.

BEAMS branding appears across the hood, and there's a rather lovely internal label describing the project as “A storied design, retold.”

Underneath all that nostalgia, however, is a thoroughly modern outdoor jacket.

The shell uses WINDSTOPPER by GORE-TEX Labs, paired with 650-fill-power down insulation.

There's also a durable water-repellent finish made without intentionally added PFAS, recycled materials and construction in a Fair Trade Certified factory.

Heritage outdoor gear has become increasingly influential in contemporary fashion, and few companies understand the intersection between vintage Americana and Japanese streetwear quite as well as BEAMS.

Its 50th anniversary projects have repeatedly leaned into that history, including the recent BEAMS x Arc'teryx collection that revisited the Canadian brand's 1998 Theta AR Jacket.

Only 500 BEAMS x REI Co-op Expedition Parkas have been produced. The jacket launches on 6 October for $599, online at REI Co-op and in selected stores.

Garmin has launched the Enduro 4, and although its latest ultra-endurance smartwatch looks remarkably similar to its predecessor, it offers some substantial upgrades.

The new model gets 50% more RAM, twice the storage, and an upgraded mapping engine that the brand says delivers 30% faster map panning.

The Garmin watch also gets new training features aimed at trail runners and endurance athletes.

Faster maps (and more room for them)

In addition to the extra RAM, Garmin says the Enduro 4's updated map engine delivers a smoother, more intuitive experience when using its built-in routable maps.

The new perspective view provides more detail both up close and farther ahead to help runners and hikers anticipate what's coming next.

Storage has doubled from 32GB to 64GB, providing considerably more room for onboard maps, music and other data.

The Enduro 4 also introduces grade-adjusted pace-based workout targets to the series.

Grade-adjusted rolling pace performs a similar trick in real time, and new stamina zones show how your remaining stamina is affecting an activity.

A stamina curve can also show how your endurance changes over time based on your fitness and training history.

There are more than 100 activity profiles, and Garmin has expanded support for a couple of increasingly popular activities.

Indoor rowing now includes additional metrics, including VO2 max and power curve, and rucking lets you change your recorded pack weight during an activity and set targets such as calories burned.

If it ain't broke...

The Enduro 4 looks very similar to its predecessor and uses a 51mm case with a titanium bezel, a fibre-reinforced polymer body, and a scratch-resistant Power Sapphire lens.

There's also the familiar integrated LED flashlight with white and red modes, plus 10 ATM water resistance.

The ComfortFit Fabric Band is designed to wick moisture during extended wear and now incorporates Garmin's QuickFit system, with the complete watch weighing just 66g.

Interestingly, Garmin hasn't increased the already bonkers headline battery figures.

The Enduro 4 still offers up to 90 days of smartwatch use with solar charging or as much as 320 hours of activity tracking in its extended battery mode under Garmin's specified solar conditions.

The Garmin Enduro 4 is available now for £800 / €900 / $900 / AU$1,449 at Garmin UK, Garmin EU, Garmin US and Garmin AU.

Portable power stations aren't cheap, especially once you move beyond the smaller models designed primarily for charging phones and laptops, which is why this deal on one of my favourite EcoFlow models is worth a look.

Shop all EcoFlow deals on Amazon

The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus has dropped to £549 at Amazon, down from its £699 RRP, saving you £150 or 21%. It's also £50 cheaper than EcoFlow's current £599 direct price. The £549 offer is a Prime-exclusive deal, so you'll need an Amazon Prime membership to get the lowest price.

I reviewed the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Plus for T3, and there's a lot to like about it. It's surprisingly compact given the power on offer, yet its 1,800W output means it can handle considerably more demanding appliances than smaller portable batteries.

Its 1,024 Wh LFP battery is robust, with EcoFlow claiming 4,000 cycles before falling to 80% of its original capacity. To put it in perspective, it would take nearly 11 years af chargin and draining the DELTA 3 Plus every day to get to the point!

There are 11 outputs in total, including four AC sockets and a pair of powerful 140W USB-C ports, so there's plenty of capacity to power several devices simultaneously.

Hook the power station up to the mains, and EcoFlow says it'll go from empty to full in just 56 minutes. It can also accept up to 1,000W of solar input, making it a particularly capable option for off-grid use.

EcoFlow rates it at under 30dB when operating below 600W, which is particularly useful if you're keeping it indoors as a backup power source.

You don't need to spend £500 on a high-end Garmin to get many of the training tools that make the company's watches so popular with runners.

Shop all Garmin deals on Amazon

Case in point, the Garmin Forerunner 70 has just dropped to £168.82 at Amazon, down from its £219.99 RRP. That's a saving of just over £51, or 23%, on one of Garmin's most accessible AMOLED running watches.

More importantly, this appears to be a genuine record low. Amazon price history shows the Forerunner 70 previously bottoming out at around £177–£178 in September, before climbing back above £200. Today's deal takes another £9 or so off that previous low.

The Forerunner 70 sits towards the affordable end of the Garmin watch family tree, but that doesn't mean it's dumb. Oh no.

It's built around a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen and includes built-in GPS, wrist-based heart rate monitoring and more than 80 activity profiles.

It'll track the fundamentals you'd expect, including pace, distance and heart rate, but it also gives runners access to considerably more sophisticated training data.

That includes Garmin Coach adaptive training plans, daily suggested workouts, recovery time and HRV Status, bringing features once associated with much more expensive sports watches within reach of newer runners.

Battery life is another major advantage over conventional smartwatches. Garmin quotes up to 13 days in smartwatch mode, so you're not committing yourself to charging it every night just because you want an AMOLED screen.

That's why the Forerunner 70 makes so much sense as a first serious running watch. It's approachable enough for someone training for their first 5K, but there's enough training data under the bonnet to remain useful as your running becomes more ambitious.

Autumn has well and truly arrived, and Amazon has just slashed the price of a proper Berghaus waterproof jacket to its lowest level yet.

Shop all waterproof jacket deals on Amazon

The Berghaus RG Alpha 2.0 Waterproof Shell Jacket is currently available for £64.56 on Amazon, which is less than half the £140 price Berghaus charges for the same black jacket.

That's a saving of more than £75, or around 54%. Better still, the jacket's Amazon price history suggests this is as cheap as it gets.

The black version hasn't previously fallen below £76 over the past three months, making today's £64.56 offer its lowest Amazon price during that period.

The RG Alpha 2.0 isn't one of Berghaus' expensive technical waterproof shells, and that's arguably what makes this deal interesting.

It's designed as a lightweight everyday waterproof that can handle everything from rainy commutes and dog walks to weekends spent on the trail.

Berghaus uses its own Hydroshell waterproof technology, designed to keep rain out without turning the jacket into an excessively hot and clammy outer layer.

The design is pleasingly straightforward, with an adjustable hood, full-length front zip, zipped pockets, and adjustable cuffs, all in the understated styling that Berghaus does particularly well.

It's also currently sitting at an impressive 4.6 out of five stars from more than 450 Amazon ratings, suggesting it's proved popular beyond the spec sheet. One person even finished their review saying, "I love Berghaus."

At less than £65, that's a compelling proposition from an established British outdoor brand – particularly when more technical waterproof shells can easily push past £200.

As ever with Amazon clothing deals, prices can vary depending on your chosen colour and size, and the £64.56 offer is exclusive to Prime members.

Powered exoskeletons might still sound like something you’d expect to see in a science-fiction film, but Hypershell is making a convincing case that the technology belongs in the outdoors right now.

Designed to add powered assistance to walking, hiking and other active pursuits, the New Hypershell X range essentially gives your legs a little extra help when you’re moving. The idea isn’t to do the walking for you, but to make long days, steep climbs and demanding terrain feel more manageable.

What does a powered exoskeleton actually do?

All models in the Hypershell X range are powered by the brand’s HyperIntuition system, which recognises how you’re moving and adjusts the level of assistance accordingly. The company says – and TÜV Rheinland, global leader in independent technical testing, has verified it – that the system can respond in as little as 0.31 seconds and synchronise with your gait as terrain and pace change.

The system is also designed for the stop-start nature of real-world outdoor use, regardless of the surface or steepness of the terrain you’re tackling. Hypershell says its testing has shown reductions in muscle load of up to 42.7%, along with lower average heart rate and oxygen consumption in certain test scenarios.

As ever, real-world performance figures will vary depending on the wearer, terrain and activity, but Hypershell’s numbers are a good indication of the level of assistance you get from wearing an exoskeleton out in the wild.

Three versions for very different adventures

The Hypershell X Pro S is the most accessible all-rounder of the three discounted models.

With up to 800W of output and a claimed single-charge range of 17.5km, it’s aimed at everyday outdoor activity, lighter hiking, walking and commuting. If you’re intrigued by the technology but don’t necessarily need huge range, this is the most straightforward entry point.

For longer outings, the Hypershell X Max S increases peak output to 1000W and extends the claimed range to 30km.

That makes it the more obvious choice for longer hikes, trail outings and days when you expect to cover significantly more ground. Hypershell Max S sits in the sweet spot for users who want more range without stepping up to its most extreme configuration.

Then there’s the Hypershell X Ultra S, which takes things considerably further.

It retains the 1000W peak output, but pairs it with a dual-battery setup capable of delivering a claimed 60km total range and can withstand more extreme temperatures (-20° to 60° C versus -10° to 60° C for Pro S and Max S). It’s designed for demanding, long-duration use where maximum endurance is the priority.

Designed to disappear into the background

As fascinating as the technology behind the Hypershell X range is, comfort matters just as much for something designed to be worn for hours at a time.

Hypershell has equipped the units with a soft-pack suspension system, a three-zone waist pad, lower-back support and honeycomb anti-slip silicone intended to keep everything stable while you move.

The best wearable technology is the kind you stop thinking about once you’re using it. And while any old powered exoskeleton can offer impressive specifications on paper, if it doesn’t feel natural enough to wear on a long walk or day out, you’ll stop using it eventually.

The New Hypershell X range is designed with that in mind, and combines powered assistance with a wearable setup meant to move with the body rather than get in its way.

A more approachable way to try exoskeleton tech

Exoskeletons have historically felt like specialist equipment, but products such as the New Hypershell X Series are pushing the category towards mainstream outdoor use.

Head to the Hypershell website to find out more.