I am going to replace my montane waterproof and I have been looking at and trying on the paramo velez smock.

Does anyone here use one or has used one?

I have been looking at the quito too, but they didnt have my size in the shop. I have budget of up to £200.

The main use of the jacket will be for walking , but also for some bike use in the winter.

I have one its very good but very warm, I tend to use mine for walking as I get hot riding .

i’ve got the velez adventure smock and rate it highly, with a couple of caveats. the vent zips can open completely allowing the front and back to seperate, which seems a bit odd, and the vent zips allow access to the pockets so you need to open the vents to use the pockets. Even with vents open, maybe a bit warm for riding, use mine for walking
BUT, warm, windproof, light and with a long back cut like a bike jacket (no bum pocket though)
£120 at Go Outdoors – bargaintastic

Like mine – used it quite a bit recently. Mostly just out and about but also for riding in bad weather. Wash, reproof and it comes up well.
Have a look on ebay – got mine from the seconds shop for 80 or so. Got one for the wife so rang up and haggled a bit on the price.

I also recently bought the Velez Adventure Light smock. I’ve been using it for hillwalking and I’ve found it’s ideal over a long-sleeved baselayer and a thin micro-fleece gilet. There are a couple of design “features” that I was initially unhappy about but have since come to appreciate;

The sleeves are very baggy. This is hardly aerodynamic and they flap about in the wind. However, it means they can be rolled up when the temperature is appropriate without cutting off circulation to your hands.

The hood is folded into the overly baggy collar. However, the collar acts as a great neck-warmer when fastened all the way up.

The side zips are great for putting your hands in to keep warm.

The chest pocket is easily large enough for an OS map.

It’s quite a short cut. For walking, I would ideally have it a bit longer. Be good for cycling though – and it is a little longer at the back.

I’ve not tried riding in it yet but I reckon it would be good in spring/autumn with just a baselayer underneath. Too warm for summer use though.

Bear in mind that the “Moss” colour does not have the reflective piping.

I have Velez adventure smock light too. I use it daily for dog walking, biking and am very happy with it. Initially I thought that it wasn’t warm enough (when first put on) but it holds heat so effectively that as soon as you start to move it is toasty. For me the best bit is that no matter how warm i get, when I stop I don’t get the cold / sweaty / clamy feeling. Not sure how it works, but it seems to.

In the reviews I read some people questioned the ‘waterproofness’. I have never found it a problem, but I can get a sweaty back if wearing a rucksack (guess it stops the breathability of the fabric), which might be mistaken for moisture coming through.

As said above it will be too warm for summer (?) riding.

I’ve used the Velez and the Velez Adventure as winter mountain-biking shells and rate them for venting and breathability, plus the fit is okay – not as sack-like as Paramo’s walking jackets. They are, as above, warmer than average thanks to the extra insulation from the pump liner, which means that for me they work best in sub-zero conditions, though it depends on how hot or cold you run. The Quito has a sort of weird cut – short and boxy with oddly long arms, it just never felt right to me and I reckon the Velez is better for that reason.

It’s kind of a shame that Paramo seems resistant to cutting stuff a little bit sleeker, but I guess they know their market. The fabric system works really well in UK conditions.

I had the original Smock. Heavy and warm. I could never get it to bead up properly, so as soon as it rained it weighed another kilo.

Never used it Biking.

Hth

Some good info here, cheers.

I do find the jacket a bit short up front….

Quito is really short, wish I’d got the Velez Adventure Light instead. Wife won’t allow a 4th though!

I had one for many years but sold it last year. Amazing breathability and durability but I found it just a bit too warm. Only design gripe I had was the hood was very small volume wise, but this was circa2004 jacket so they may have improved it.

Got a Velez Adventure last year and recently added an Adventure Light – the Light is appreciably ‘cooler’ at this time of the year, so I’d imagine it’ll be a little less stuffy in spring/autumn. They’re probably the best of a bad bunch in terms of Paramo’s designs – the Analogy system works really well, but Paramo insist on cutting everything for overweight dogwalkers, even when they’re marketing a design for ‘multi-activity’ wear. I reckon if someone comes along and uses the same fabric tech to make sleeker designs, they’ll clean up in the UK.

Paramo have a 2nds store on ebay,reps samples,returns etc worth a look

I reckon if someone comes along and uses the same fabric tech to make sleeker designs, they’ll clean up in the UK.

Somebody did try that, company called Furtech – slimmer cut, weird hood with a transparent visor, not sure if they’re still going etc, but the web site is clearly still running at any rate.

Paramo have a 2nds store on ebay,reps samples,returns etc worth a look

Yep – picked up my Velez there for £80 – sold as a second but if theres a fault I’ve yet to to find it.

I have the adventure smock and unless it’s deep winter this jacket would be too warm to cycle in, I use mine more as an every day jacket. I was so impressed with this however that I have just bought the Quito jacket for cycling this has pit zips for cooling is slightly thinner but still wind proof the sleeves are longer so ideal for cycling and again another quality product from Paramo I will never buy gore tex again