Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity shell jacket review: the shell that means business
A rugged, future-friendly hardshell that nails the balance of performance, breathability and protection, without compromising on packability or polish.
Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity Shell Jacket
Ideal for: Wildcamping, winter hiking, backpacking, mountaineering
Not suitable for: Fastpacking
The Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity Shell Jacket is a premium 3-layer waterproof built for serious outdoor use. At around 410g, it’s light for its class, yet highly protective. The Lifa Infinity membrane and Helly Tech Professional fabric deliver excellent breathability and waterproofing without using harmful chemicals. Dual pit zips, helmet-compatible hood, RECCO reflector, and high-end build details make this an outstanding option for demanding conditions. While not cheap at £400 RRP, it often retails lower and performs like jackets £100 more. For UK mountain users and coastal wanderers alike, this is one of the best waterproof jackets for the UK.
The Good
Excellent waterproofing
Outstanding breathability
Helmet-compatible hood
Smart, sleek design
Durable YKK zips
Eco-friendly build
The Bad
Full price steep
Hidden toggles tricky
Far from ultralight
Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity shell jacket review
Helly Hansen might be most widely known for kitting out salty seadogs, but the Norwegian brand’s alpine and mountain gear has long earned the respect of outdoor professionals. From search and rescue teams to ski patrollers, Helly Hansen gear regularly gets called into tough situations — and delivers. Their Loke waterproof has already been through its paces on GBAC, offering a solid intro to the brand’s hardshell range, while the Odin 9 Worlds 3.0 caters to those chasing heavier-duty alpine performance.
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The Verglas Infinity Shell Jacket sits somewhere between the two. Built on the brand’s top-spec 3-layer Helly Tech Professional fabric and featuring PFAS-free Lifa Infinity technology, it’s a jacket made for rough weather and big days out. It weighs 410g, packs to a modest size (about the same as a Montane Phase or Rab Ladakh), and comes in at a steep but justifiable £400 RRP.
Price-wise, it’s rubbing shoulders with serious performers like the Patagonia Triolet and Berghaus MTN Alpine Pro. But it undercuts both when you factor in regular Helly Hansen discounts — often putting it closer to the £250–£300 mark. Compared to the Helly Hansen Loke, it’s a huge step up in weather protection and longevity.
How we tested the Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity shell jacket
We first wore the Verglas Infinity Shell Jacket in classic Dartmoor conditions — driving rain, gusting wind, and nowhere to hide. Later tests included a multi-hour hike through the Brecon Beacons and a windswept stretch of the South West Coast Path. From persistent rain to fast-moving sea squalls, we tested its waterproofing, ventilation, and real-world comfort on the move.
Built for movement, built to last: The Verglas Infinity’s features
Everything about the Verglas Infinity Shell Jacket has been designed with real mountain movement in mind. You feel that the moment you throw it on — the fit is athletic without being restrictive, with enough articulation in the shoulders and sleeves that you never feel like you’re fighting the fabric. Whether you’re climbing steep steps on the South West Coast Path or scrambling over granite blocks in the Brecon Beacons, it moves with you — not against you.
The storm-sealed main zip is thick, rubberised and glides up confidently even with cold fingers. Once sealed, it forms a barrier that’s clearly built for battering. Matching that are the two generously sized hand pockets, which sit high enough to be used with a pack belt or climbing harness — and here’s where it gets clever: both pockets use dual-direction YKK zips. That means you can open them from the top or bottom depending on what gear you’ve got on, which way you’re facing, or what hand’s free. It’s a minor detail until it isn’t — and it shows that this jacket has been properly field-tested.
Then there are the pit zips. Big, storm-flapped, and easy to operate on the move, they let you dump heat fast without taking the jacket off — a godsend on changeable ridge lines or sweaty climbs where the clouds roll in just as quickly as they roll out.
Up top, the hood is one of the better designs we’ve come across at this price. It’s properly helmet-compatible but still cinches down cleanly over a beanie or cap thanks to well-positioned toggles. Those toggles, by the way, are concealed within the seams, giving the whole jacket a clean, minimalist silhouette that doesn’t scream technical shell — but still functions like one. And yes, if something did break, the integrated cords would be harder to repair — but nothing about this jacket feels flimsy or short-lived.
At the wrists, wide Velcro cuffs do exactly what you want them to: they stay shut, even when soaked, muddy or stretched over gloves. It sounds simple, but it’s baffling how many high-end jackets still get this wrong. Not this one.
Finally, a nod to the aesthetics — the muted rubberised Helly Hansen logos are understated, sleek, and give the jacket a premium edge. You can wear this in the hills or the high street without looking like you’ve just walked off a rope team in Chamonix. It’s subtle, but it matters.
This isn’t a jacket that just looks technical — it actually is. And every element of its design feels tuned for people who live in their kit, not just browse it.
Tested in the UK, trusted everywhere
We’ve tested the Verglas Infinity Shell Jacket across Dartmoor, the Brecon Beacons, and the South West Coast Path — and at every turn, it held up. On Dartmoor, it faced sideways rain and bog-hopping yomps, shrugging off the worst of the weather without soaking through or turning clammy inside. In the Brecon Beacons, we climbed into thick mist and gusting summit winds, where the jacket’s stormproof build and breathability really came into their own. And along the South West Coast Path — where the weather changes by the hour and the wind comes straight off the Atlantic — it offered the kind of lightweight protection you don’t think twice about throwing on or stashing away.
Wet, windy hilltops. Coastal gusts. Long climbs and humid descents. The Verglas Infinity Shell has proven itself a proper all-season, all-terrain piece of kit — equally at home on wild British tors, soggy ridgelines or exposed cliff trails. It’s become one of those jackets you instinctively reach for, whatever the forecast says.
Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity shell jacket FAQs
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Very. With fully taped seams, Helly Tech Professional 3-layer fabric, and storm-sealed zippers, it handles UK rain with ease. Occasional reproofing will keep it performing season after season.
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Genuinely excellent for a full 3-layer shell. The Lifa Infinity membrane and pit zips let you regulate temperature even on hard uphill climbs.
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Not ultralight-tier, but it folds down reasonably for a high-spec shell. It’s best rolled rather than stuffed but fits comfortably in a day or overnight pack.
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Very durable. Premium YKK zips, reinforced seams, and strong velcro cuffs give it a long working life — even with regular use in tough terrain.
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Yes. At RRP it’s premium, but discounts often bring it into the £250–£300 range. At that price, it’s seriously good value for a jacket of this quality.
Should you buy the Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity Shell? Our verdict.
If you’re just after a basic throw-on waterproof for dog walks or drizzly commutes, this probably isn’t the jacket for you. There are cheaper, simpler options out there — and if weight is your absolute top priority, something ultralight might suit you better. But if you need a serious shell that can stand up to real British weather — heavy rain, howling winds, sideways sleet — the Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity Shell Jacket is right up there with the best we’ve tested.
It’s the kind of jacket you can rely on in rough mountain conditions, but still light and breathable enough for coastal hikes or multi-day treks where you’re working hard. The fit is dialled, the materials are top-notch, and the performance in foul weather is genuinely impressive. We’ve thrown it into everything from Dartmoor bogs to wind-battered hilltops in the Brecon Beacons, and it hasn’t let us down once.
So yes — if you’re looking for a no-nonsense, high-performance waterproof shell that’ll see you through year-round adventures in the UK and beyond, the Verglas Infinity Shell is absolutely worth the investment. It’s a jacket you can trust when the weather turns — and that alone earns it a permanent spot in our kit cupboard.
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