Commuting to work in the winter takes a different kind of strength. It's colder, wetter, darker — all things that are capable of sucking any remaining joy out of what is already a fairly joyless pursuit. As a two-trains-and-a-walk commuter, I have discovered that arming yourself with the right kit is key to making things more bearable. I've rounded up my winter commuter kitlist below.

First: the inclement weather essentials. That means investing in a decent collapsible umbrella that won't invert or break the minute the wind picks up. Rucksacks are a commuter's best friend, and opting for a weather-resistant build or a rain cover means there's no danger of your laptop getting drizzled on.

Next: comfort buys. I'm a caffeine fiend, and a hot coffee makes a morning commute feel significantly more manageable. I swear by the Yeti Rambler with — and this is important — the screw-down commuter cap. I've tested those '100% leaf-proof' claims thoroughly; I can chuck this upside-down in my bag and nothing will leak. If you feel the cold, a great rechargeable hand-warmer can be a game-changer, too. I have a LifeSystems one that can also double as a power pack.

Finally: entertainment. I like a Kindle for reading on the train, because there's no chance I'll end up doomscrolling. And for the walking part, I'll choose between over-ears that block out the background noise, or, if it's cold enough to warrant a hat, some in-ears. Scroll down for a closer look at my commuter essentials, with options at different price points to suit different budgets.

Commuter kitlist

There's a new tiny tablet in town: Apple has just released an upgraded iPad mini, with a whole slew of improvements over its predecessor. In honor of this new addition, let's take a look at the full range and how the different options compare.

The iPad mini is Apple's smallest and lightest tablet. All other models have screens that are 11 inches or larger, but the newest mini has an 8.5-inch screen — slightly bigger than its predecessor, which had an 8.3-inch screen. Said display is also less advanced than the rest of the range.

The model up is the standard iPad. We're on the 11th generation, released in 2025. It's powered by an A16 chip and boasts a Liquid Retina display. The screen is 11 inches (no 13-inch option) and, perhaps surprisingly, it's the thickest of the lineup. At this point, it's the only iPad not to have Apple Intelligence built-in.

A level up again is the iPad Air. The newest version is the 8th generation iPad Air, released in 2026, powered by the M4 chip. You can choose between 11-inch and 13-inch screens. There's a 1TB option (the two models down top out at 512GB) and support for the Apple Pencil Pro.

The iPad Pro is the most powerful, premium option. The newest version is the 8th-gen iPad Pro, which came out in 2025 and has an M5 chip, but you can still pick up a 7th-gen model with an M4 chip (from 2024). It boasts a high-end display, Face ID, studio-quality microphones, and is fully compatible with the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard. You can choose between 11-inch and 13-inch models.

Scroll down to see the best current prices on the full lineup, or hop to the bottom of the page for a handy specs comparison.

The full range

Apple iPads: specs compared

Drizzly autumn days can be pretty miserable, but I've found a bunch of waterproof jacket deals that might just put a smile back on your face. Cotswold Outdoor has kicked off its Black Friday sale early, and amongst the deals are a load of seriously strong discounts on waterproofs from market-leading names like Rab, Patagonia and The North Face. I spent two years testing outdoors kit, and I'd trust any of these brands to keep me dry in a deluge.

I've rounded up what I think are the best discounts of the bunch below. Because there are so many strong deals, I've focused on the men's jackets in this particular article, but there are plenty of women's jacket offers too — use the bullet link below to browse them all.

• Browse all women's waterproof deals at Cotswold Outdoor
• Browse all men's waterproof deals at Cotswold Outdoor

This is billed as a Black Friday sale, which is a little premature — the official Black Friday isn't until 27th November. Sometimes in situations like these it pays to hold off and see if a retailer might drop its prices further on Black Friday itself, but I wouldn't suggest doing that in this case. I'm already seeing some sizes selling out on popular designs, and you don't want to miss out on the jacket you really want. Plus, I'm sure we'll see plenty of wet days between now and then...

Wet-weather wonders

Winter is coming, and I've just unearthed a whole load of deals on cold-weather clothing from one of my favorite outdoor brands: Patagonia. This is especially exciting because good Patagonia discounts don't come along very often, and Patagonia kit is rather expensive. The place to head for said deals is Cotswold Outdoor, and the sale includes everything from lightweight down jackets to cosy fleece mid-layers, protective waterproofs, knitted hats and winter coats.

I've rounded up what I think are the 18 best deals below, but there are plenty more to explore. If you can't see what you're looking for, hit the quick links below to browse the full range of price-drops. I've also focused on men's apparel here, but there's a large selection of women's Patagonia deals too — hit the link below to see them.

• Browse all men's Patagonia deals at Cotswold Outdoor
• Browse all women's Patagonia deals at Cotswold Outdoor

This is billed as a Black Friday sale, and you might be feeling that's a little premature — Black Friday isn't until 27 November, after all. I've been covering these sales events for nine years now, and generally my advice has been that you might as well wait until the 'proper' Black Friday to make your purchases, in case the retailer decides to drop the price a little more for the big day.

However, in this case, I'd suggest it's a better idea to buy now — sizes tend to sell out quickly in sales like these, and at the moment there's a good selection available for all my picks. Plus, you'll have your cold-weather kit ready as soon as the temperatures start to really fall.

Patagonia price-drops