Callaway StormGuard III Rain Suit Review: "The elements never stood a chance"

Callaway StormGuard III Key Features

• Waterproof to 15,000mm
• Adjustable cuffs
• Fully seam sealed
• Inner Pockets - to reach inner trouser pockets
• Elasticated waistband adjustor

Callaway StormGuard III Jacket

When the wind picks up and the heavens start to open, having the proper waterproofs is critical if you don't want your day to be ruined. 

Being able to withstand the rain is one thing, but being able to battle through it completely unfazed is a whole different situation entirely. 

That is precisely what Callaway's new StormGuard III jacket allows you to do. 

As most of our readers will know, the weather in England has been pretty poor recently, and while most golfers have been rained off the course, it did present us with a perfect opportunity to test out just how good Callaway's new waterproof offering is.

Constructed from SINGTEX Protector fabric, the jacket is highly durable and withstood even the heaviest downpours that we found ourselves in. Thanks to the windproof nature of the fabric, it also kept us incredibly warm during testing.

The jacket is also highly adjustable thanks to the incorporation of an adjustable toggle hem and adjustable velcro tab cuffs on the sleeves.

While the adjustable cuffs on the sleeve are a much-welcome feature, we do think the cuffs themselves are slightly too wide. We had to tighten them quite a lot to reach our desired fit, but this ultimately left them bunched, which both looked and felt quite awkward. 

The inside of the cuffs, however, do offer a lovely, synthetic inner sleeve that hugs your wrists nicely and also prevents any unwanted drops of water from dripping from the sleeve onto your skin. This was a lovely touch, which also kept our wrists nice and cosy when the temperature inevitably dropped. 

The jacket also features two spacious zipped pockets that remained completely dry throughout testing and were the perfect place to store our on-course essentials that we desperately wanted to keep from the rain. 

The design itself is relatively safe, and the black and grey colour scheme isn't going to turn many heads on the fairway, but this product is one that prioritises function over form, and we're okay with that.

Overall, we were incredibly impressed with the jacket. The fleece-lined collar kept our neck warm and comfortable, while the room and freedom it provided, thanks to the Motion Bi-Swing back pleat inserts, allowed us to swing freely without the jacket ever getting caught or bunching in high friction points like the armpit.

Callaway StormGuard III Trousers

Much like the matching jacket, these trousers provide exceptional protection from both the wind and rain.

During testing, it was a particularly cold day, and instead of wearing these trousers over our standard golf trousers, we decided to wear them on their own to see how the lining felt against our skin.

Not only were they incredibly comfortable to wear, but as a standalone lower half option, they also kept us really warm throughout the round. 

While the elements were no match for these trousers, it was the added features that really made us fall in love with them.

Getting waterproof trousers off and on can be a real pain, but thanks to the incorporated waistband adjustor and ankle zips, we were able to pull them off and on at a moment's notice. 

The ankle zip also allows you to take the trousers off without removing your shoes, which is ideal for when the rain stops, and you want to remove a layer quickly. 

The trousers also feature internal pocket zips, which is a clever addition. When the zips are closed, the pockets are just pockets, but if you have decided to wear another pair beneath your waterproofs, the zips can be opened easily, giving you access to the trouser pockets below. 

Buttons on the ankles also allow you to taper the trouser legs, which is a great additional feature if you prefer your trouser legs to sit just above your shoes rather than over them.

We mentioned the adjustable waistband earlier in the review, but we want to circle back to give it a particular shoutout. It makes altering the trousers to your desired fit so easy while also doubling up as a quick and painless method for getting them on and off. 

It's such a simple feature, but it makes such a big difference. There's nothing worse than fumbling around in the rain trying to make sure everything fits and is in the right place, and this simple solution is one of the best we've seen for streamlining the whole process. 

Overall we can't fault these trousers. They provide everything you could want from a pair of waterproof trousers and more. A+ Callaway, you can go to the top of the class. 

The Verdict

Having covered all of the technical elements of both the jacket and trousers, we are going to keep this very simple. If you are looking for an affordable, dependable and durable set of waterproofs, then Callaway's StormGuard III rain suit would be a fine choice indeed. 

While there are some small details that could undoubtedly be improved upon, the overall experience we had with them was very positive.

The wind and rain frankly stood no chance against the suit, which is fundamentally what its sole function is, but thanks to a bevvy of additional fit and function features, this set goes above and beyond just being waterproof and gives you so much more.  

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