FootJoy HydroTour vs Sunderland Whisperdry Pro-Lite: 20,000mm against a lifetime guarantee, and the Sunderland now costs about a quarter as much

The clocks went back overnight, so every round from now until March finishes closer to dark and, in most of Britain, wetter. That makes this the week people buy a waterproof, and the two on our list now sit a long way apart. The FootJoy HydroTour is $250 at American Golf. The Sunderland Whisperdry Pro-Lite is $60 at County Golf, against an RRP of $225. For most club golfers the Sunderland is the buy while their size lasts. The FootJoy is for people who stand out in proper rain every week.

Why these two are no longer like-for-like

The Pro-Lite is on its way out. When The Golf Shop Online listed it in March it was $110 against an RRP of $200, described as one of Sunderland's most premium jackets. That product page now redirects to the Sunderland brand page, where the Whisperdry jackets on sale are the Stealth and the Voss Weatherbeater. Two other stockists' listings for the Pro-Lite now return errors. County Golf still lists it as in stock, in sizes small to extra large and three colourways, with a low-stock notice on the page.

None of that makes it a worse jacket. It does change the decision. You are not choosing between two current products. You are choosing between a current flagship and a clearance jacket with a deadline, and there is no next season to wait for if the Pro-Lite is the one you want.

The numbers on the tag

The HydroTour is a three-layer shell rated to 20,000mm of water column pressure, with a breathability rating of 15,000g per square metre over 24 hours. American Golf lists the shell as 92 per cent polyester and 8 per cent elastane with a DWR finish. Seams are dual sealed, and there are zipped vents under the arms.

The Pro-Lite is rated to 8,000mm and 5,000g, with sealed seams, a 100 per cent polyester face fabric and a waterproof membrane underneath. So the FootJoy carries two and a half times the waterproof rating and three times the breathability rating. If those units are new to you, what waterproof means on a swing tag explains how the figures are measured.

In practice, the waterproof figure matters most where fabric is pressed against you: under a carry strap across the shoulders, at the elbows, and when you sit on a wet buggy seat. Pressure pushes water through a membrane faster than rain alone does. The breathability gap matters to anyone who walks hard, and we made that case in full in Stuburt against Galvin Green. If you carry your own bag and walk quickly through winter, those two numbers are the reason the HydroTour costs more, and they are worth paying for.

Stretch, noise and the swing

Both jackets advertise four-way stretch, from different sources. The HydroTour gets it from elastane in the shell. Golfalot's reviewer said the four-way stretch allowed real ease of movement. The Pro-Lite is 100 per cent polyester, and County Golf's listing describes its stretch as mechanical, meaning it comes from the construction of the fabric rather than an elastic fibre.

Noise is the Sunderland's whole pitch. The Whisperdry range is named for it, and the listing calls it ultra quiet. FootJoy makes no noise claim either way. We have not swung either jacket. A rustle at the top of the backswing bothers some golfers and goes unnoticed by others, so if you can, try one on and make a full swing in it.

The FootJoy's known weak point is its zip. Golfalot's reviewer called it stiff and fiddly with cold, wet hands, which is exactly when you need it to work. The HydroTour's DrySeal collar has a second layer with drainage grommets, designed to stop water running down the neck. The Pro-Lite instead has a chin guard, an inner storm flap, a cord-adjustable high collar, lockdown pocket zips and reflective branding on the back. The reflective branding is worth more after today than it was last week.

The guarantee runs the other way

This is the part the price tags hide. GolfMagic and Golfalot both report that FootJoy warrants the HydroTour 100 per cent waterproof in normal use for three years in the UK. US listings quote two years. Sunderland gives the Pro-Lite's fabric a lifetime waterproof guarantee. So the jacket at roughly a quarter of the price carries the longer promise.

Two cautions apply. First, the lifetime cover is on the fabric. Second, a Sunderland stockist's FAQ says the guarantee is honoured for jackets bought from an authorised stockist and properly cared for. Before you rely on it, ask County Golf whether it is authorised, and keep the receipt.

Who should buy which

Buy the Sunderland Whisperdry Pro-Lite if you play winter Saturdays rather than every wet day, ride or push a trolley, or want a quiet shell that lives in the bag. At $60 with a lifetime fabric guarantee, it is the best value in winter waterproofs while it lasts, and that may not be long.

Buy the FootJoy HydroTour if you carry, walk hard, and play through whole days of rain. The 20,000mm rating, the breathability and the underarm vents are what you are paying for, and American Golf already has it $80 under FootJoy's $325 RRP. It is also the one you can still buy, and claim on, next year.

Buy neither if your real problem is cold rather than wet. The layer underneath decides that, as we argued in the midlayer is doing the jacket's job. And if you own a good jacket but no waterproof trousers, buy the trousers first. The rest of the field is in the best waterproof golf jackets guide.