LONG WATERPROOF COATS FOR DOG WALKING AND PUDDLE JUMPING
I spent 5-years striving to find the perfect, full-length, waterproof coat (over the boots long) and wasted money along the way. I finally found my perfect long coat. I set up Longcoats Trading to help others source waterproof long coats.
You need an extra long raincoat in your life…
Once again, Reg the Lurcher and I stepped out of the rain and into the house after the daily dog walk, both of us rather wet. Reg shook himself in the hallway, sending a perfect spray pattern up the wall. I briefly wondered if I could learn to do that.
I was soaked. My top half was fine, but my jeans were pressed flat and freezing against my thighs. I peeled off my gloves and glared at my other half’s smile.
‘You should’ve put your waterproof trousers on,’ said Teresa.
‘You know I hate those things,’ I said. ‘It takes longer to put them on than it does to get to the beach. Anyway, I can never find them. And you know what? It isn’t even raining that much — all the water from the jacket just runs straight off and soaks my legs. I’m like a house without guttering. Bloody weather. I need a proper long raincoat. Full length. Just for dog walks.’
‘Well, if you find one, let me know,’ said Teresa. ‘I need a women’s long waterproof coat for the yard. I get soaked so often it’s getting boring. The dog’s got a better coat than me.’
NO MORE WATERPROOF TROUSERS
Later that day I found myself online, trying to solve a very simple problem: a men’s raincoat long enough to cover my trousers and hang over my wellies. Then another one — a women’s full-length waterproof coat for my wife.
We’d needed coats like this so many times. When I think of all the soakings we’ve had — usually involving the dog — it’s almost impressive. Badminton Horse Trials. Watching Teresa eventing. Life of Pi at the outdoor Minack Theatre. Boats between the Scilly Islands. Even a quick shop in Truro. Summer soakings aren’t so bad, but Badminton was April: freezing easterlies, sideways rain, and us in a tent.
Well… a very large bell tent. With rugs. And wicker. Obviously.
The first challenge is simply knowing what to type into Google. A women’s long raincoat? A full-length men’s waterproof coat? A trench coat? A long waterproof coat? A ladies long raincoat? You try everything, you scroll endlessly, and somehow you still end up looking at jackets that stop exactly where the thighs start.
Eventually I did find one coat to trial: a full-length wax cotton Drover’s coat by a well-known brand (it “sounds like” a male hairdresser), and it cost me a fair few quid. I wore it for a year of dog walking and other assorted adventures. Teresa didn’t take to it for some reason.
I even wore it to work a couple of rainy days, complete with the cowboy hat I’d been given for my birthday. It was all a bit much, really, for herding one lurcher along the Cornish coast. With the hat on, the horse jokes came thicker and faster than a stampeding bison.
I wanted to like that coat, but we didn’t get along. It behaved perfectly well when the air was still — but the moment the branches started moving, it would open up and the rain would once again pay a visit to my thighs. Yes, I know it had those weird leg straps, but honestly, they didn’t do it for me.
It was an expensive mistake, and whatever I got back from eBay wouldn’t have fed a hungry lurcher for more than a few weeks.
So the search for the ultimate long women’s raincoat — and the ultimate men’s long raincoat — continued.
Designed in Ireland
My next find was an Irish designer, and we duly bought a lightweight long coat each — one for me, one for Teresa. At that stage I had absolutely no intention of building a “long coats” brand. We were simply tired of getting wet, and fed up with the faff of waterproof trousers.
These coats performed far better than my first purchase and, in most conditions, kept us dry from head to toe. As long as the wind wasn’t too strong, they were excellent. When the wind really gets going, rain can sneak in around the calf and knee area — the material is lightweight and the hem can blow around, exposing the lower leg. A minor annoyance in an otherwise very good coat, especially for the price.
For me, this was a much longer relationship than my previous dalliance, only ending when the full-length zip began separating from the coat — entirely my fault, after I caught it on the corner of a stile.
They’re light, functional coats and will comfortably give you a few seasons of use.
After the demise of mine, I went back to a jacket and waterproof trousers for a winter. What a faff. On one occasion I rushed the process and managed to get my boot stuck halfway down a polyester trouser leg. Properly wedged. Reg was crying for his adventure while I hobbled to the kitchen in search of something sharp to free myself. Mr Bean would have been proud.
Those two coats are still in our range today. The men’s lightweight long coat is the Tremayne, and the women’s is the Tamsyn.
They’re sensibly priced, well made, and should last a fair few seasons. Both are full-length, with a tartan inner lining.
For Him
stay dry in any storm
Five years after I started my search, I finally found the perfect long raincoat for dog-walking adventures: breathable, properly full-length (over boots or wellies), tough, hard-wearing, fully waterproof, hooded — and genuinely storm-proof. The kind of coat that keeps you dry in a proper storm (the kind with a name…) without needing waterproof trousers.
Even the small details were right. The press studs actually hold. Many coats look the part, but the poppers pop the moment you crouch down to pick up the dog’s business. This one didn’t.
I was so impressed with the manufacturer that I met with them quickly — and after a successful series of meetings, Longcoats Trading (and this website) was born.
Cornwall is where we’re based, and it’s where the first batches of coats were properly tested — on beaches and cliff tops, in the full fury of Atlantic weather. It’s also where most of our photography has been taken, and where the star of the show, Reg the Lurcher, lives. That’s why our coats are named after the Cornish places and names we love.
Our breathable Longcoats range includes three coats: Lamorna, Lamorna WARM, and Newlyn, alongside four zip-in fleeces: Morwenna, Merrin, Penrose, and Piran. These are genuine four-season raincoats — light enough for mild, wet days (because padded coats can be too warm when you’re walking), and upgradeable with a zip-in fleece when the temperature drops.
The Lamorna and Newlyn, along with all fleeces, are designed and developed in Belgium.
And when it comes to fabrics, the parent company Sioen are something special. They’re a world leader in technical textiles and protective clothing — designed, in their words, “to protect people and their belongings.”
Marketing hype aside, here’s the real point: Sioen make serious kit for serious industries — forestry, firefighting, diving, heavy-duty workwear, and military applications. What they learn in those demanding environments feeds into their countryside and lifestyle ranges… which is exactly why these coats perform so well when the weather turns properly wild.
Our Finest Women's long coat
Our Finest Men's long coat
Benefits of a long raincoat
Pair a long coat with wellington boots — or any long boot — and you can stay dry from head to toe. During 2020, when Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis blew through with 50–80mph winds and icy rain, we stayed warm and dry while others got a soaking.
The biggest benefit is simple: no more waterproof trousers.
Teresa uses her Longcoats Lamorna almost daily at the yard. No more getting chilled to the core after repeated soakings — whether she’s riding, mucking out, or moving horses between stable and field. And no more endlessly searching for the world’s best long waterproof coat for women.
I use my Longcoats Newlyn mainly for dog walks, but it’s also proven its worth at our local outdoor theatre, and on rainy days shopping in Truro.
And there’s another benefit people don’t always expect: you get compliments. There’s something about a long coat that makes you look good and feel good — a bit more put-together, a bit more ready for anything. I’m often stopped and asked about mine, and if you take a look through the reviews, you’ll see plenty of customers saying the same.
And long coats aren’t just for the sprightly. My father had a mobility scooter and wore his long raincoat — and his cowboy hat — with pride. He’s no longer with us, but that memory is stitched into this story. (Cool look, Dad.)
Waterproof testing
We are pretty obsessed with staying dry. As well as using our coats all year round, in all weather conditions, we test them in a variety of ways - including a fairly intense hosepipe test. Even after a full five minutes of hosing the coats remain completely dry inside.
