I Tested Peter Millar Rainwear in Ireland. Here’s How It Fared

GOLF.com’s Alan Bastable tested Peter Millar rainwear during an early-September golf trip through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland with seven lifelong friends. The test included three sustained rain showers, including the heaviest downpour of the trip at Ardglass, a seaside course just east of Belfast.

Before the trip, Bastable decided to replace the rain gear he had kept in his closet for years. His old pants hung low at the waist, while the jacket was baggy and restrictive. Following a recommendation from a trusted golf insider, he chose Peter Millar’s Shield line: the $200 Half-Zip Rain Shell and the $200 Pull-On Rain Pants.

Bastable evaluated the gear in three areas: style, fit and performance.

Style

The jacket and pants have a classic look. The jacket is available in navy and pine-brook green, while the pants come only in navy. A gray zipper runs to the sternum and is covered by navy flaps; the Peter Millar logo sits discreetly below the right shoulder.

The jacket is made from nylon with a thin polyurethane film bonded to the inside of the shell. The materials provide rain protection without adding much weight. Bastable compared heavy rain gear to knight’s armor, while the Peter Millar jacket and pants felt barely like an extra layer. He gave the kit top marks for maneuverability.

Fit

Fit was the strongest part of the set, according to Bastable. There was no wasted material, bagginess or frumpiness: the jacket and pants looked more like a work suit than traditional rainwear.

At 5 feet 9 inches and 150 pounds, Bastable ordered a small in both pieces. The jacket was form-fitting, almost snug, but its two-way stretch still allowed him to move and swing freely. He believed a medium would have been too roomy. The pants fit perfectly.

Performance

The pants were easy to pull on with the ankle zippers fully open. The jacket was also easy to put on, with one drawback: the interior mesh pocket construction extends from the right pocket across to the left and is not attached to the outer shell. As a result, a hand or arm can accidentally slip underneath it, forcing the wearer to restart the process of pulling the jacket over his head.

Once on, the suit performed extremely well in the rain. The sealed seams prevented leakage, while an elastic drawcord at the waist allowed the jacket to be tightened for extra protection. The pants have a back-right pocket but no side pockets; their side zippers provide access to the pockets of the pants worn underneath.

The lightweight fabric also dried quickly. After the wettest rounds, the jacket and pants were largely dry by the time the group had finished a couple of pints in the clubhouse. Both pieces come with convenient storage pouches. Rolled and zipped, each compresses to roughly the size of a couple of pairs of socks.

Bottom line

Playing in the rain is rarely enjoyable, but quality outerwear makes it much more tolerable. Bastable found that Peter Millar’s Shield line successfully combines weather protection with a modern fit. If the set survived—and even excelled—in Ireland, he would trust it anywhere.