If you are going for waterproof (and if they have advised, don't risk water-resistant) then you need to decide on the more expensive 'breathable' waterproof or cheaper.
As a lot of the 'breathable' are nice to wear, I would go for those, as you'll get more wear out of them.
I would advise going for a 'shell' rather than anything padded. This means that you can layer, always a good idea. Also if you ever go anywhere warm and wet, it's very useful, and can fold down to pack in a bag / rucksack.
Lands End are reasonable value, I would also look at Cotswold and Rohan (expensive, but think 20-30 years' wear)