Dan - so sometimes you just have to go with gut and make a purchase as there isn't much ownership out there to form a conclusion from reviews. Be prepared however to buy, find it doesn't work for you, and sell.
I did research the SH a little over a year ago, considering instead of a Quito + Torres gilet, or the SH+Windproof (e.g. the Ascent). The SH+Ascent is the same cost but roughly twice the weight of the Quito. So I owned a Quito, it did do ok from a light waterproof, but its also actually exactly true that it raises the temperature, it was cold simply walking out of the house and the time it takes to warm up. I also found myself packing insulation. That's not an issue for a long day out the warming-up bit is a brief issue.
So I waited and tried on the SH in Cunninghams in Ambleside in July. The very first impression is simple warm comfort, try it on, instant heat and soft all over. The next positive is pockets in just right the places, plus a separate "dry" pocket for stuff you don't want to fall out as you use the hand-warming pockets. The hood is warm and actually snug around the head, not the massive thing you have to drawstring back down like most (all?) of the other Paramo range due to the wish to fit helmets (which 99% of hikers never wear). So the overwhelming sense of the SH is warm comfort.
I immediately figured this would fit common winter situations of being stationary, e.g. in your house, where you save a lot of $ by wearing warm clothing, and then stepping outdoors into wet where you take a good 10-15mins to warm up, and my life I don't drive, I bike/walk everywhere (not your typical US dweller) so the fact its got a lot of insulation is a good thing. i.e. I could live in the SH in winter.
It is via home testing very waterproof. It is not wateproof by the strict definition, I made a bucket of it and it took about 9 inches of depth to begin letting water in - that is a lot of water pressure. Under a windproof which blunts rain's velocity I am confident it would be waterproof although clearly it can still suffer P's issue with standing water under shoulder straps (although have an answer to that - see below) .There are two layers of the fleece for the pockets up and and including the shoulders, so twice as much protection where rain traditional works in.
I have walked in it long enough to make it too warm and then vented, the pitzips are massive, and works well with a gilet which leaves the arms exposed.
I can't yet state it as a recommended item, as its not had much of a wild trial, I posted when I bought it I'd not be able to form a conclusion til probably February.
So right now, its a warm comfy waterproof hooded fleece with good pockets and pitzips.
There are items which look good and I've tried and been bad, I don't yet know if this is a keeper or not. I have had keepers in the past based on impulse like the Montane Prism which then got worsened by Montane with the Prism-2.
FYI - I also got the Torres Sleeves on the same principal, of willing to give it a try. That opens up the possibility of not having a windproof layer between fleece and overlayer so more breathability. i.e. SH under Torres and then overlayer with sleeves for a lot of insulation, a lot of breathability, and still waterproof. If you count the number of layers of plastic with Torres+windproof+fleece it can't breath as well surely as a Torres+SH. The sleeves go over the backpack so help with straps compressing rain past the SH.
Dan buying mail-order without trying for size, take the risk, the SH is tighter across chest and shorter than say the Fuera Peak and the Explorer all in medium.
?) and is 514g.
). All I know is it is just right under a windproof in spring and autumn until it is time to don the trusty Paramo for winter. Very rarely have to add anything to that except a heavier baselayer underneath and a Primaloft vest on top for stops.
