I buy way more hiking gear than I ought to. I’m also not averse to investing in really decent gear if you get what you pay for.
In years upon years of hiking, I’ve spent heavily on brands and found it wasn’t worth it, but equally have bought from lower end/budget brands and had gear that’s outperformed all my expectations.
So with that in mind, this post looks at what I think are the best hiking brands available to buy in the UK (non exhaustive of course, I’ve not used them all).
So let’s dive in.
Best Hiking Brands Available to buy in the UK
I’m not going to talk about the worst brands I’ve used. Let’s keep this one upbeat.
But here is a summary of the best hiking brands I’ve ever used with some more info following.
| Brand | Products I’ve used | My rating out of 10 | What I Love | What Could be Better |
| Kyloe in the Wild | At least 8 pairs of their sunglasses | 10 | Not even kidding you when I say since I bought my first pair of sunglasses from this independent Scottish brand that I’ve never worn another brand consistently for hiking. Great quality, they don’t fall off your face, durable when dropped (whether on rocks or into water) and they’re superb value | Absolutely nothing. Actually, would love it if they also still sold the headbands/buffs they used to sell when they were known as Hygge (you get them with sunglasses orders now) cos I miss being able to buy those so much |
| Mammut | 3 x mid layers, 2 x baselayers, 2 x waterproofs | 9 | The quality of the products is second to none for me when it comes to hiking gear. The waterproofs quite literally repel water, the mid layers are lightweight but keep the cold off and everything looks great and lasts ages | This is a pricey brand relative to others I’ve used before |
| Osprey | 2 x Sirrus women’s rucksacks (24 litre and 36 litre) | 9 | These bags LAST! Mine take some real hammering. I hike a lot and always have one of these with me. Compartments a plenty, in built rain covers, a great fit for the female body with adjustable sternum straps (so important for me). Comfortable and incredibly durable. Mine have been dropped, scraped across rock faces and all sorts and they’re still going strong 4+ years on | Again, these is a pretty expensive hiking brand compared to others, so not overly budget friendly |
| Inov-8 | Roclite Pro Goretex hiking boots, Merino t shirt, long sleeve t shirt | 9 | The waterproof hiking boots I have from Inov-8 are the best hiking boots I’ve worn for both waterproofing and grip. | Again, not the most cost effective hiking gear brand if you’re budget conscious or just don’t hike regularly enough to warrant a big investment |
| Rab | A synthetic insulated jacket, a waterproof, pair of hiking pants and a t shirt | 8 | I love the look and feel of lots of Rab hiking kit and actually, there are plenty of decent deals to be had from third party retailers making Rab a more accessibly priced brand than others in this list | Although longer lasting than many brands I’ve used, I didn’t find the items as durable as from the likes of Mammut with similar usage |
| Montane | A down jacket, pair of winter hiking pants and a pair of summer hiking pants | 8 | Love that Mammut has such bright and noisy colours in most of their clothing. Quality of the insulated jacket I have in particular is fantastic. They’re realy strong on pack light type kit! | Sizing on this runs a bit small. I find if I buy a 12 in another brand, I want a 14 here (which will be a touch too big but 12 feels a touch too small). I wish sizing was more in line with other brands |
| The North Face | A hiking bag, hiking t shirts, Futurelight Vectiv walking shoes and several fleeces | 8 | I know it’s not the most important thing for an outdoor brand, but the look of their hiking gear is awesome. Some of the best looking hiking kit around. Quality generally great too! | Let’s be honest. Some of the kit feels more like fashion kit than mountain kit these days and I think shopping from a brand that is almost both things can be confusing. Some of the North Face kit wouldn’t be suitable for the kind of hiking I want to do so I think hikers just have to shop a little more carefully than with out and out hiking/mountain brands |
| Mountain Equipment | A midlayer, winter gloves, several hats and headbands, technical tees | 8 | Love the colours! My midlayer is bright pink and I’m here for it! The quality of the hiking kit I own from this brand is up there with Mammut for me. | I find it harder to buy the right size in Mountain Equipment kit than other brands. Quality is amazing, but sizing always feels “different” Again, not hugely budget friendly |
| Mountain Warehouse | 3 x pairs of hiking pants, 2 x waterproofs, 1 x insulated jacket for winter and several hiking t shirts | 8 | The price. Hard to beat. And despite owning several pairs of “premium” hiking brand hiking pants, I often choose specifically to wear Mountain Warehouse pants over those. For the pants in particular, I’m a big fan | I don’t believe any of my Mountain Warehouse products have been the same quality as |
Now, let’s go through them in a bit of detail.
Do bear in mind:
- “Best” hiking brand is subjective just like the worst is. Plenty of people disagreed on my less-than-favourable conclusion about Merrell!
- My opinions can change (and I’ll update posts if they do). I used to love Merrell and if I ended up finding that it had gotten loads better again I would absolutely change my view. These opinions are based on the gear I own
- I don’t care about third party reviews. My own experience is what determines whether I buy again from a brand. So “best” here is based only on items I have used from these hiking brands. I really don’t like it when people pass opinions on brands they’ve not used just based on what they’ve heard or read somewhere
- This is not an exhaustive list. It will expand over time. But I’m not including brands I don’t have a positive experience with and I am only including brands whose products I am actually using – otherwise it’s pointless isn’t it!
- I’ll get to writing individual product and brand reviews for as much of this kit as possible. Takes some time and I’m making some progress, but lots still to do
Ok, let’s get into the details.
Kyloe in the Wild
Not going to lie. When I was compiling this list, this one almost slipped my mind. I was so busy thinking about waterproofs, hiking pants and boots that I nearly forgot the one thing I take with me on every single hike I go on – a pair of Kyloe sunglasses.
Literally half the photos of me hiking on this site include me wearing them:
Obsessed much?
Although not strictly a hiking brand (they market at runners, watersports enthusiasts and generally anyone who likes to spend a lot of time active outdoors) this is a must have piece of kit for me all year round.
It’s a lovely independent brand and they have so many different really cool designs.
Let me tell you what I love:
- The always-on BOGOF means basically you get an individual pair for typically less than £35. Don’t want 2 pairs? Go halves with a mate. But also, you do want 2 pairs. Or maybe 8 because the colours are just so pretty
- Mine have been dropped in water and they’re always fine
- They don’t come off my face! If I’m wearing them as I should (not when I’m wearing them on my head) they stick in place, even if I’ve got my face looking down over a cliff edge up a mountain somewhere
- They have survived my children gettind hold of them multiple times
I honestly absolutely love this brand. They’re an independent family run Scottish brand who are big on customer service and sharing their journey (good and bad) on their socials.
Mammut
I’ve made absolutely no secret of my love for this absolutely amazing quality mountaineering brand. Mammut is a Swiss brand I’ve written about before.
I’m particularly a fan of the waterproofs and midlayers from Mammut. Over the last 10 months I’ve lost a lot of weight and dropped 2 to 3 dress sizes. The result is I’m needing to replace all my hiking gear gradually and I’m literally just going through and getting like for like but smaller with the Mammut gear.
This waterproof has put in one heck of a shift!!
And the midlayers (in particular the Aenergy ones) are just incredible. They feel breathable in the summer, add warmth in the winter and fit in a pocket. Wtf is this magic?
With a new waterproof recently acquired I’ll be back with another review soon too. But in the meantime, here are the products from Mammut that I’ve tried, tested and absolutely loved (along with the equivalent products for men since I tend to buy products made specifically for women).
Osprey
I’ve had women’s fit hiking bags from Osprey for a few years now and swear by the comfort that having a specific female fit offers for women.
I have a 36 litre Osprey pack and a 24 litre one too and love them both.
What I love about Osprey is:
- Hugely durable hiking bags (mine have been put through their paces and AWFUL lot)
- Plenty of ways to adjust the fit – shoulders, sternum, hips etc
- Well made
- Incredibly spacious with practical layout of different compartments
I absolutely love my Osprey bags. They’ve lasted long enough that the specific models I am using are no longer sold, but here are some equivalents in men’s and women’s fits.
Make no mistake, Osprey is not a budget brand. And that’s the main downside to Osprey as a brand really. However, outdoor exchange marketplaces online, eBay and even Vinted can be really great places to go for used ones at knockdown prices.
I would personally have no issue buying a used Osprey if I could inspect it first. Knowing how much life is in my two Osprey hiking bags despite being used for years already, I would be confident that if they’ve been kept in good condition and looked after, you’d get plenty of use out of a used one.
Inov-8
I had used Inov-8 for running shoes years ago but it’s within the last 12 months that I’ve started using their hiking boots. I have a pair of the Inov-8 Roclite Pro V2 Goretex hiking boots and I am honestly in love with them. I reviewed them after 100km of hiking. At closer to 500km now, I can confidently say they’re holding out remarkably. The GrapheneGrip soles are so much grippier than the Vibram soles on the boots I was using previously and the waterproofing is the best I’ve had on any boots.
I’ve also got a merino tee and a long sleeved tee from Inov-8 too. I think it’s harder to go wrong with products like that, but again very happy with them.
My biggest recommendation for Inov-8 as a hiking brand though is for the boots. I can’t see myself switching now!
And you know what? They’re not badly priced compared to many other hiking boots on the market!
I really rate Inov-8 hiking boots. And just for sizing reference, I was using a 5.5 in Merrell, usually a 5.5 in normal trainers but wear a 6 in the Inov-8s.
Rab
This is a British brand founded in 1981 in a terraced house in Sheffield! I do love success stories like that.
Rab is a hiking brand synonymous with insulted jackets, but they do a whole host of kit. I’ve owned a Rab Cirrus Alpine synthetic insulated jacket, a waterproof, a pair of hiking trousers and a t shirt.
Rab is much more cost effective than many other brands on this list, particularly with deals on big retailer websites.
The insulated jacket I had in particular was absolutely fantastic (only let it go to downsize). I like:
- Design
- Quality
- Pricing
- Sizing – Rab items, in my experience, generally run “normal” – so I buy my usual size in everything which simplifies shopping so much
- Rab Repairs – really cost effective repairs to Rab kit which extends the lifetime of products further and reduces waste
Here are some of the products I’ve had plus men’s equivalents:
Montane
I LOVE my Montane down jacket:
I LOVE the colour, love the design and it has proven incredibly durable so far. It also folds up so small so it doesn’t take up tonnes of hiking bag space.
Montane also has a lifetime guarantee against workmanship faults which I think it always a relief to know and does tend to suggest a confidence in the quality of their products.
I have 2 pairs of hiking pants from Montane that I LOVE too:
- Montane Ineo (legging style 3 season hiking pant)
- Montane Ineo Mission – a winter fleece lined equivalent
They’re both ludicrously comfortable with practically placed pockets (such a big deal for me with hiking pants).
The Ineo ones in particular are really flexible as well, so I do like to wear them when I’m scrambling.
Here’s me just last week back on Striding Edge in those pants:
I’ll also review that new Mammut waterproof I’m wearing later when I’ve tested it more thoroughly!
Here are my favourite Montane products and some men’s equivalents:
I’ll buy jackets again in future from Montane quite happily and no doubt pants too. You can get some decent deals are certain times of the year.
The North Face
I went back and forth over including the North Face here as it has more of a reputation in some ways as a fashion brand.
But its outdoor kit is top quality and looks great. And to be honest, there’s probably at least 2 days of every week where I look like a walking ad for The North Face,
I’ve owned several t shirts, several fleeces, a hiking bag and Futurelight Vectiv walking shoes and I’ve loved every single item I’ve had.
Day to day walking, I always wear the Vectiv footwear. It’s so insanely waterproof for the type of footwear it is and is versatile enough for a light run on even terrain and to withstand some rocky terrain too.
Personally I wouldn’t wear them for a mountain hike but I wear them for all sort of lower level walks because they’re so comfortable and withstand all sorts. I’ve covered at least 800km on foot in these now and I will be replacing them with another pair once they’ve seen their lifetime out. Looks like there’s still plenty of life in them yet though.
Again, the hiking bag I have is the North Face Borealis which I use as a day to day bag or for low level walks with the kids (favouring the Osprey for the big hiking days). it has a space for hydration bladder, a big central pocket and adjustable sternum and waist straps. It’s robust and has lasted (and is definitely a lower price point than Osprey bags).
And the main reason I keep going back buying fleeces and tees from The North Face is that they do what they’re supposed to and look great.
So with that in mind I couldn’t omit it from my list of best hiking brands! Here’s the items I’ve got and men’s equivalents:
Mountain Equipment
The thing I own the most of is technical tees (specifically hiking tops or even running tops) and lots of mine are Mountain Equipment because I really like the fit.
I also love their hats and gloves and a few months ago (despite a real love affair with Mammut midlayers) I acquired a quarter zip pink midlayer.
Now, let me tell you what I love about Mountain Equipment as a hiking brand:
- They have a decent guarantee and suggest their products should last “between 3 and 5 years” with typical use but significantly longer for some items like packs
- I love the fit. I buy my usual size from here and the women’s fit products just feel great on
- Designs are lovely too and there’s plenty of bright colours available which is a big draw to me
I’ll be buying more of these midlayers for sure (it’s the Cerrig Women’s Zip Top). I sometimes do hiking trips of several days and being able to change my base and midlayer each day is my indulgence to myself if I have a base I’m staying at. I like the fit on this one and it’s really lightweight but keeps the cold off.
In all, this really is a cracking brand.
Mountain Warehouse
The inclusion of Mountain Warehouse in a best hiking brands list is going to be controversial to the big brand buyers, I know.
But let me tell you the great thing about Mountain Warehouse.
It makes hiking gear accessible. You can buy a waterproof with a 10,000 mm hydrostatic head for less than £80.
You can often get boots for less than £30 in clearance (waterproof ones).
I actually have a preference for Mountain Warehouse hiking pants over many other brands for comfort and fit (and choose these, using them interchangeably alongside my Montane ones).
Many a time I’ve been away for a few days and realised I forgot something, popped into the local Mountain Warehouse to pick up a “cheap” one to see me through and found it to be fine. Things I consistently buy from Mountain Warehouse:
- Hiking pants
- Socks
- Gloves
- Water bottles and other accessories like that
- Hats
I had a 10,000mm tested waterproof from there and not once did it leak. It didn’t last as long as Mammut once since have before wearing away but it’s a solid value for money option.
The gear is decent and it enables people to get started hiking with the essentials at an accessible price point. What’s not to appreciate about that?
The Best Hiking Brands – Which Have I Missed?
I’m well aware that this is only a handful of hiking brands out there. But these are my favourite ones. I’ve not included any I didn’t particularly like and I have not included any whose kit I haven’t thoroughly tried and tested for myself. But I have an unhealthy hiking gear obsession, so if there’s a brand I should be trying out that isn’t on this list, let me know!
