Four seasons in one day.
In short: the best transitional jacket for women depends on rain, wind and how much you move. A softshell suits active days. A trench coat suits town. A quilted jacket or light down jacket suits dry, chilly days. A rain jacket keeps you dry but adds little warmth. No between-seasons jacket is warm on a cold morning when you stand still. That is where heat you can add comes in.
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This comparison is by Gløde. We sell heated clothing and no ordinary jackets. We compare jacket types on general properties and name no brands. It is not a test and we did not try the products.
The seven types compared
| Type | Warmth | Rain | Wind | Weight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Softshell | Low to medium | Light showers | Good | Light | Walking, cycling, active days |
| Quilted jacket | Medium | Light showers at most | Fair | Light | Dry, cool days; under a coat later |
| Trench coat | Low | Showers, depending on the fabric | Good | Medium | Town, office, smart outfits |
| Light down jacket | Medium to high | Poor: down loses warmth when wet | Fair to good | Very light | Cold, dry mornings; travel |
| Fleece jacket | Low to medium | Poor | Poor | Light | Still, dry days; as a mid layer |
| Rain jacket | Low | Very good | Very good | Light | Wet days, over a warm layer |
| Light parka | Medium | Good, depending on the fabric | Good | Medium to heavy | One jacket for most days |
What makes a good between-seasons jacket?
A wide temperature range
Spring and autumn swing from 5 °C at eight in the morning to 16 °C at three. A transitional jacket has to cover that range. Not sure what the thermometer asks for? Use our jacket guide by temperature.
Rain and wind
Water-repellent sheds a shower. Waterproof holds out for hours. Wind matters as much: a thin windproof jacket often feels warmer than a thick fleece that lets the wind through.
Room for layers
A between-seasons jacket lives on what you wear underneath. Choose a fit that takes a jumper or a thin vest without pulling at the shoulders.
Weight and pack size
By the afternoon the jacket is often in your bag or over your arm. Light and packable is worth more than it sounds.
Type by type
Softshell
Stretchy, windproof and breathable. A softshell handles a shower and suits walking and cycling. It is not for steady rain, and it has little insulation of its own.
Quilted jacket
Light padding in a thin shell. Warm enough for a dry day around 10 °C and easy to wear under a coat in winter. Wind gets through the stitching, and rain soaks in after a while.
Trench coat
The classic for town. Long, windproof and smart over a blazer. Warmth is the weak point: a trench is a shell, so the layer underneath does the work.
Light down jacket
The most warmth for the least weight, and it packs small. Down loses much of its warmth when wet, so it is a jacket for dry cold. When you walk briskly it soon gets too warm.
Fleece jacket
Soft and comfortable on a still day. On its own it is no outer layer: wind goes straight through, and rain does too. Under a rain jacket it works well.
Rain jacket
The driest choice by far. A rain jacket is a shell with little or no insulation, so plan the warmth underneath. Some fabrics breathe poorly, and you get damp from the inside.
Light parka
Longer, with a hood and a light lining. The all-rounder if you want one jacket from March to May and from September to November. It is the heaviest of the seven and bulky to carry.
Which jacket for which day?
- Commute by bike: a softshell, or a rain jacket on wet days.
- Office and town: a trench coat over a blazer or a jumper.
- Dog walk at seven: a light parka or a quilted jacket.
- City trip: a light down jacket that packs small, with a rain jacket in your bag.
- Touchline or terrace: any of them, with a warm layer underneath.
The cold-morning problem
Every jacket in this list is made for mild weather. At 4 °C at the bus stop, a trench coat or a softshell is simply thin. You can buy a winter coat. Or you can keep the jacket you like and add heat. Gløde has two ways to do that.
Øney: make your own jacket heated
The Øney is a universal heating insert. It attaches inside your own jacket with adhesive Velcro strips, without sewing, in about a minute. Eight strips are supplied, enough for two garments, so the insert can move from your trench to your parka. It warms chest, belly and back on three heat levels up to 50 °C, and front and back are set separately. A power bank in your jacket pocket supplies the power. How long it runs depends on your power bank and the level. Leave a little room: a very fitted jacket has little space for an insert. More in make your own jacket heated.
Høgge²: a heated vest underneath
The Høgge² is a heated vest for women with five zones: two on the belly, two on the back and one at the neck. It has three heat levels, warms up within seconds and is water-repellent. Under a trench coat or a rain jacket it is the warm layer that those shells lack. On a vest, the small power bank gives about 3–6 hours of warmth and the large one about 6–12 hours.
An honest limit: heat does not turn a thin jacket into a winter coat. In real frost and wind, a shell still lets the cold in. For that, see our warmest winter jacket comparison and what to look for when buying a winter coat.
What Gløde offers
See the Øney in the heated back warmer collection and all heated vests for women.
Frequently asked questions
What is a transitional jacket?
A transitional jacket, or between-seasons jacket, is a light jacket for spring and autumn. It is warmer than a summer jacket and lighter than a winter coat. Softshells, quilted jackets, trench coats, light down jackets and light parkas are the common types.
What is the best transitional jacket for women?
It depends on your day. A softshell for active days, a trench coat for town, a quilted or light down jacket for dry and chilly days, a rain jacket for wet days. If you want one jacket for most days, a light parka covers the widest range.
Which jacket is right for 10 degrees?
At around 10 °C, a quilted jacket, a softshell or a trench coat over a jumper is enough when you walk. When you stand or sit still, add a warm layer underneath.
Is a trench coat warm enough for spring?
On a mild day, yes. A trench coat blocks wind and sheds a shower, but it has no insulation. On a cold morning the warmth has to come from the layer underneath.
Can I wear a transitional jacket in winter?
On mild winter days, with warm layers underneath. A heated vest under the jacket, or a heating insert inside it, adds warmth you can turn up. In real frost and wind, a winter coat is the better choice.
Can I make my own jacket heated?
Yes. The Gløde Øney is a heating insert that attaches inside your own jacket with adhesive Velcro strips, without sewing. A power bank in your pocket supplies the power, and you choose from three heat levels.
All our heated clothing comparisons →
Gløde — warm the person, not the room.
