Mizuno 20K Waterproof Jacket Review
Dave Usher puts this lightweight waterproof jacket to the test on the wettest day of the year. How did it fare?
The 20K Waterproof jacket offers great protection from the rain and there’s a lot to like about it, including the adjustable straps on the back which allow you to wear the jacket with or without thicker, warmer layers underneath. Can also be paired with the excellent matching trousers.
-
+
Lightweight, simple design
-
+
Adjustable cuffs and back straps
-
+
Decent pocket size, inside and out
-
-
No hood
Why you can trust Golf Monthly
Testing waterproofs can be a tricky business depending on the weather. You need it to be raining, but you don’t want it to be raining too much as nobody likes to play golf in a biblical monsoon. There have been times when the lack of rain has resulted in me standing in my garden being hosed down by my wife to ensure that the waterproofs I am reviewing are indeed waterproof but, when it came to testing the Mizuno 20K Waterproof Jacket, there were no such problems as it absolutely chucked it down!
In fact, I’ve never been out on the golf course in worse conditions than I was on this late September day at Denham Golf Club for the Golf Monthly Winter Testing Day. The rain arrived around the turn and, by halfway through the back nine, it was absolutely lashing down to the point that we had to walk in after playing the 15th as the thunder and lightning arrived.
There could have been no sterner test of a waterproof jacket than this, but I can say that by and large the Mizuno 20K stood up to the challenge very well. By the time I reached the car park I was drenched, but the polo shirt I was wearing under the jacket was mostly dry. I say mostly because some water did get in, but only because the jacket has no hood. The rain was so heavy that water was running from my head and down the back of my neck, so the collar and shoulders of my polo was a bit wet, but everywhere else was fine.
The lack of a hood is not ideal, especially when the weather is as bad as it was that day, but in fairness I own several waterproof jackets and not one of them has a hood either. It’s never been a problem for me before as, in normal rainy conditions, it’s fine. I’d never been caught in such a torrential downpour though and I did find myself angrily asking “why doesn’t this thing have a bloody hood?” I didn’t have a cap either, but that’s on me. It didn’t help that my three playing partners all had hoods!
Lack of hood aside though, the jacket performed extremely well and did its job. Aesthetically it’s nice despite being quite simple looking. I tested the navy version but it is also available in black. The navy is nice, especially when paired with the matching trousers. The top half is navy and the bottom half is grey, but there is a striking turquoise zipper which really pops against the navy. The Mizuno branding is obvious but not too in your face. There’s the simple running bird logo on the right breast and some subtle writing that runs parallel with the zip. All in all it’s a nice jacket.
When I first put the jacket on I was worried that it was way too big. Getting the correct size can often be tricky with waterproofs as not all XLs are created equally and they can vary quite a lot from brand to brand. This felt massive when I first tried it on but there are adjustable velcro straps on the back and on the sleeves which when tightened really sharpen up the fit. This makes it suitable for a range of sizes and because it is so adjustable you can wrap up warm in the with an extra jumper or hoodie and just loosen the velcro straps at the back so it isn’t too tight. There’s a large flap on the back which ensures plenty of air can get in to prevent it getting too hot and sticky in there.
Some other waterproof golf jackets I have are not just for the golf course. Often I’ll wear them day to day as they are designed to be more than just an emergency garment you throw on when it’s raining. I wouldn’t put the Mizuno 20K in this category as it’s fairly basic. It does not have thermal lining and it just has the two simple side pockets, so this is very much something I would keep in the golf bag as an insurance policy against the good old British weather. It won’t be particularly warm in the winter, like the best golf sweaters, but the waterproof qualities are top notch and it’s lightweight enough that it will fold down nice and small, so it can be thrown in a stand bag if you want to travel light in the summer, or you can keep it in the cart bag in the winter.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Dave is a distinctly average golfer with (fading) aspirations to be so much more than that. An avid collector of vintage Ping putters and the world's biggest Payne Stewart fan, in 2021 Dave turned his front garden into a giant putting green to work on the weakest area of his game. Progress has been slow but steady! In addition to his work reviewing golf gear and writing features for Golf Monthly and T3, Dave is the founder of the Bang Average Golf website.
Dave’s lowest round is a one over par 73 around Kirkby Valley Golf Club in 2018, which included a bogey on the 18th to ruin the one and only chance he’ll ever have of shooting an even par or better score. That errant tee shot on 18 does not still haunt him to this day though, in fact he hardly ever thinks about it. No, honestly, he doesn’t. Not at all. Never.
Dave splits most of his golf between Hurlston Hall Golf Club in Ormskirk, Lancs, and Berrington Hall Golf Club in St Helens and has a handicap that fluctuates between 9 and 12, largely depending on how poor his putting is.
Dave’s current What’s In The Bag?
Driver: Wilson Staff Dynapower Titanium, 9.5°
3 wood: Cobra Speedzone, 15°
5 wood: Tour Edge Exotics 722, 18°
7 wood: Callaway Mavrik Max, 21°
Irons: Cobra Darkspeed, 6-PW
Wedges: Cleveland CBX ZipCore (graphite), 48°, 52°, 56°
Putter: Ping PLD Oslo 3
Ball: Wilson Staff Triad
-
Who Are The TGL Broadcast Team?
Scott Van Pelt, Matt Barrie, and Marty Smith form the main trio of ESPN's telecast team in season one of TGL
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Grant Thornton Invitational Prize Money Payout 2024
How much money is on the line at the Grant Thornton Invitational?
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Former US Ryder Cup Captains Join Forces In Bid To Have Pay Plans Overturned
Sports Illustrated has reported that 12 US Ryder Cup captains have written to the PGA of American lobbying against plans to pay players in the event
By Jonny Leighfield Published