Last Updated on 4 September 2023 by Colette
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I first came across Mac in a Sac on instagram and kept being drawn to the idea of a really brightly coloured poncho for festivals – I loved the idea of it being really roomy so that I could chuck it on over my back pack and keep my things dry and I also really liked the fact that the ponchos were really long as I tend to find that most pac a mac style jackets are really short on me and I just end up with a soaking wet bum and legs!
Typically I tend to stick to quite plain colours for coats – and whilst black is an option for the Mac in a Sac poncho, I decided to go bold and buy a bright neon orange. Aside from the fact that orange is Amy’s favourite colour, I liked the fact that it would be really noticeable – which would help Dave and the kids spot me in a crowd and, well it’s just a bit of fun isn’t it!
Things I love about the Mac in a Sac poncho:
The bright neon orange colour
I bought the poncho specifically for festivals and have no intention of wearing it on the school run or dog walking – I may have gone for a slightly more neutral colour option if I wanted it for daily wear but for a festival I wanted something that would stand out and believe me this bright neon orange stands out. (The poncho does also feature reflective details for extra visibility but I would imagine that’s only really necessary if you’ve gone for the black or camo options!)
That it folds down really small
Considering the size of the Mac in a Sac, it really does fold down pretty small into a lightweight, easy to carry pouch – this isn’t going to take up much room in your bag. What I would say is that the sac is separate rather than the poncho folding down into itself but I just popped the sac in the front pocket whilst I wear wearing the poncho so as not to lose it.
It’s super roomy
The Mac in a Sac poncho is a one size fits all, unisex poncho. Now, I’m a curvy girl and one size typically does not fit me at all – but the poncho is long and roomy so it accommodates my plus size 5 ft 9.5 figure as easily as it does Dave’s 6ft 5 build (in fact, after trying mine on, Dave is planning to order one too).
Because the poncho is so roomy, you can easily chuck it on over whatever you’re wearing – including your backpack which means it’s quick to get on in a downpour and, as an added bonus will keep your bag dry too (as someone who is typically carrying around a big camera, this is really important!).
It’s nice and long
One of the things I hate about waterproof jackets is that they keep your top half dry but then the bottom half gets absolutely soaked with the run off from your jacket. Because the Mac in a Sac poncho is really long, less of you gets wet – don’t get me wrong, I was still soaked from my knees down the first time I wore it but, short of wearing a full puddle suit, that’s just something you’re going to have to accept. (I should say that my first wear was in a full on downpour in the Lake District, second time round was a bit of a shower at Y Not Festival and I didn’t have a problem with wet legs at all – so I guess it depends on just how bad the weather is!)
The fabric is soft
Waterproofs tend to be quite stiff and rustly, but the Mac in a Sac poncho has a really nice soft touch feel to it – meaning it’s not really noisy to walk about in, it feels light and comfortable on and isn’t going to hinder movement (perfect for dancing at festivals!).
It’s not really sweaty
Ok, so it is a little bit sweaty but, thanks to the lightweight, breathable fabric, it’s definitely not as sweaty as other waterproofs I’ve tried – I think the press studs up the side probably help a lot with air flow too!
It’s actually properly waterproof
One of the reasons I bought myself this packable, waterproof poncho is that I had realised my normal waterproof coat was no longer waterproof after a very soggy dog walk – especially around the zips. That’s not an issue with the poncho which is both highly waterproof (10,000 mm) and has fully taped seams. Having worn in for the first time in a major downpour the only place I got wet was around my neck where I hadn’t fastened it properly – so that’s clearly on me, not the poncho! As I’ve already mentioned, the bottom half of my legs did end up absolutely soaked and at one point I found the rain from my poncho had somehow manage to trickle perfectly into my walking boots – perhaps I need waterproof socks too!
The hood stays put!
The poncho has an integral, volume adjustable hood – which means you can get the best fit for your head. I did find it didn’t quite cover my hair line, so I might consider wearing a peaked cap under it for extra protection. Having worn it for a walk the other the weekend in heavy rain and again at a festival this weekend, I was pleased that the hood stayed up well without me having to hold it (which is just as well because the open poncho-style sleeves mean if you’re going to have your hand up holding your hood, the rain is going to go down your arm!
The price
The Mac in a Sac waterproof poncho is priced at £39.99 with free delivery – and as an added bonus, you can score a little cashback too if you use TopCashback. There is also a discount code available if you sign up to the newsletter.
And some little niggles . . .
As I’ve said, the sac that your poncho packs into is a separate bag rather than the poncho folding down into itself so you’ll have to be careful not to lose that. I pop mine in the front pocket when I’m wearing it or you could easily hook it onto your bag.
Your poncho only covers to just below the elbow so there’s potential for quite wet arms – this is fine if you’re wearing short sleeves as your arms will dry quickly but if you’ve got long sleeves on you might want to consider pulling your arms into the poncho to keep them dry!
Remember all the spacious roominess I talked about earlier? My gut feeling is that if its windy, you’re going to experience a lot of flapping about which could be annoying and might mean you don’t stay quite as dry as you’d hoped!
I’m confident that my new Mac in a Sac poncho will see me through some potentially very soggy festivals this summer – my girls are just gutted we can’t get them in their size too!
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