We count down the top 10 outdoor brands as voted by you. 
When December rolls around we like to have a little retrospective on the year gone by where we celebrate all the great and good from the last 12 months. We do this by hosting our annual GO Outdoors Awards, during which we crown the prestigious ‘best brand of the year’. All votes are public and by GO colleagues so we can look at which brands you’ve really been supporting this year. Here we delve deeper into the vote and show you the complete top 10.
So you may know the top brand, but which other brands did you recognise? Let’s start at 10.
10. MSR
There’s always a lot of love for MSR when you speak to experienced fans of the outdoors. Their range of stoves and cooksets are truly standout in the industry. With favourites like the Dragonfly and PocketRocket stove being popular among those on offer. In 2017 we included a couple of MSR backpacking tents in our range due to popular demand from customers including the renowned (and fantastically named) Hubba Hubba.
Browse the full range: MSR
9. Paramo
Paramo fans are fiercely loyal to their favourite brand, and anybody who picks up a Paramo and understands how they work ends up loving them too, they’re just that good. A British brand started by Nick Brown (who also started Nikwax) creating an alternative waterproofing technology to the coatings and famous membranes like GORE-TEX. The brand creates all its garments through a charitable factory in Colombia, which gives jobs to ‘at risk women’ providing skills and an income to prevent them falling into issues such as prostitution and human trafficking. If you like unique technology with the right sort of ethics, you can’t go far wrong with Paramo clothing.
Browse the full range: Paramo
8. Columbia
This huge U.S brand is becoming more and more popular here in the UK thanks to some of the fantastic technologies that they’re creating for their outdoor clothing. From it’s beginnings as a small family run business set up by a couple fleeing Nazi Germany, Columbia is still part of the family with the couple’s daughter and her son now in charge. Columbia continues to go from strength to strength and in 2017 was named the official outfitter of UK National Parks.
Browse the full range: Columbia
7. Vango
The only family camping brand to break the top 10 this year, Vango’s following shows no sign of slowing down. Whether you’re a family looking to take your first camping trip, or a young adult ready for DofE, Vango creates great quality equipment for all to enjoy. With a range of products that we bring back year after year, (they were even one of the nominees for our Hall of Fame product award at the GO Outdoors Awards) it’s a testament to the fantastic kit that Vango produce.
Browse the full range: Vango
6. Mountain Equipment
A full year back in GO Outdoors stores and the love for Mountain Equipment never went away. Hard working gear for outdoor enthusiasts looking for a more technical piece. Whether you’re looking for popular pieces like the Lhotse and Arete jackets or excited to find out which new pieces are dropping in the range that year, Mountain Equipment is consistently rated highly by those who wear their gear.
Browse the full range: Mountain Equipment
5. Osprey
Since the 70’s Osprey have been inspiring the traveller in all of us with a range of quality made backpacks, rucksacks, travel packs and more. When you’re looking at rucksacks and asking for tips, a good many enthusiasts would list Osprey as the brand they trust the most if you have the budget for it. The Osprey Talon was a close 2nd in our Rucksack of the Year award, which shows our staff love the brand as much as our customers clearly do.
Browse the full range: Osprey
4. Rab
By far one of the most popular brands here at GO, and one of these lists wouldn’t be complete without the addition of Rab. With Rab taking the best clothing product for the second year running at the GO Outdoors Awards, the love for Rab is shared by both our customers and our staff. Started by a mountaineer with mountaineers in mind, you can be sure that the gear ranged by Rab is quality and ready for adventure.
Browse the full range: Rab
3. Hi-Tec
Last year’s number 1 brand, Hi-Tec came back this year with some more fantastic support from their loyal customers. A footwear brand that has produced some real classics over the years (like the Silver Shadow for example) is still working hard to innovate affordable outdoor footwear to keep the outdoors accessible to all. It’s a testament to the popularity of Hi-Tec that they’re always the footwear choice for the TV show ‘Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’.
Browse the full range: Hi-Tec
2. Craghoppers
One of the real crossover brands on this list, not only do Craghoppers make great and functional outdoor wear, but they’re also stylish enough for around town use as well. This year Craghoppers claimed our inaugural ‘Hall of Fame’ product at the GO Outdoors Awards for their Kiwi Trousers which had recently celebrated their 20th anniversary. With a range of products that span trusted classic with new innovations each year, it’s no surprise that Craghoppers has such a large following among outdoor enthusiasts.
Browse the full range: Craghoppers
1. Berghaus
One of the first brands people often ask for when they step into our stores looking for outdoor clothing. Berghaus’ relationship with GORE-TEX continues to bring us some fantastic jackets, with 2017 seeing some new affordable GORE-TEX jackets landing in our stores. That coupled with hardwearing walking boots, and their freeflow rucksack technology, Berghaus really are a brand for all your adventure needs.
Richard Leedham, Berghaus Brand President had this to say about their win:
“This is great news! The team here at Berghaus works extremely hard to create the best possible kit for anyone who wants to explore the outdoors. We’re very proud of our products, but it’s what the public thinks of them that matters the most. So, we’re delighted to have earned so many votes from GO Outdoors customers and staff, and this award will spur us on to develop even more great clothing, footwear and equipment. The good news is that we already have some very exciting innovations in the pipeline for outdoor enthusiasts to look out for during 2018.”
Congratulations to Berghaus, the Best Outdoor Brand of 2017.
Browse the full range: Berghaus
As always, we’d like to say a huge thank you to our readers and customers for placing their votes in this year’s awards. Knowing the recognition comes from avid outdoor fans, always means a lot to the winning brands and blogs who are nominated.
If you want to see the full results from the 2017 award head to: GO Outdoors Awards
