Stuburt Leaden Lightweight Waterproof Jacket Review

Jeremy Ellwood puts this good-looking, ultra-lightweight jacket to the test on a day when the elements turned against him

A golfer wears the Stuburt Leaden Lightweight Waterproof Jacket
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
Golf Monthly Verdict

If lightness is your over-riding requirement, the unlined Leaden certainly hits the spot. There’s much to like, from the styling to the pocket space to its high waterproof rating. Limited stretch properties mean care must be taken over sizing. If black is not your thing, it’s not for you but, for most, it’s well worth a look at this price point.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Two-year waterproof guarantee adds peace of mind

  • +

    Extremely lightweight to wear and carry in your bag

  • +

    Good pocket space from a variety of pockets

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Fairly loose, non-adjustable wrist cuffs may not appeal to all

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Whether or not you like this jacket will largely come down to any preference between lightweight and simple or slightly bulkier and feature-heavy.

The Leaden, part of Stuburt’s Rain Pro range, sits firmly in the former camp - an extremely light, unlined jacket that weighs very little and can therefore be folded or rolled away to a very compact size for storage.

A close up of the Stuburt Leaden Lightweight Waterproof Jacket front zip

(Image credit: Howard Boylan)

In our opinion, it is a good-looking rain jacket despite its simplicity, with the odd white accent on the zip guard and left-hand pocket lifting it a touch visually.

In terms of performance, it boasts a 10,000mm waterproof rating and 5,000m/g breathability rating, so it keeps water out and lets internally generated moisture escape, with its thinness and lightness no doubt helping on the latter front.

The side pockets offer protected zips and a fleecy upper lining for a little extra hand warmth when required and the front zip guard does a great job of ensuring no water ingress there. There are inner pockets too on both sides, which is a nice touch.

A golfer pulls the toggle of the Stuburt Leaden Lightweight Waterproof Jacket

(Image credit: Howard Boylan)

The elasticated waist adjuster means you can really batten things down there if required, but those who also like a snug fit at the wrists may be a little disappointed as they are only partly elasticated with no adjustment available, so won’t appeal to those who prefer scope for a tighter fit around the wrists.

Unlike some of the best golf waterproofs, the fabric has no stretch properties, so make sure you try a few practice swings wearing it before deciding on what size as it may feel a tad more restricted in the shoulder and upper body area than some, which might require you to size up. This would especially be the case if you’re looking to wear it over a bulkier top or golf jumper, which you may need to do given its thinness.

Henry Ford once famously said customers could have his cars in any colour they wanted as long as it’s black. It’s the same thing with the Leaden jacket, but if you look around most courses on rainy days, that really isn’t going to deter too many golfers.

The pros definitely outweigh the cons here for the money you’re parting with.

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf

Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Kramski HPP 325

Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)