In addition to the waterproof membrane, another key piece of a rain jackets protection is its durable water repellent finish (commonly referred to as DWR). As a result, daily use jackets are either budget-oriented or designed with style in mind, and some of our favorites include the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L (which crosses over nicely into the hiking category below) and Marmot Minimalist. 3L jackets are designed to better move excess heat and sweat from the inside of the jacket to the outsidekeeping you more comfortable in the process. (Taped seams and a waterproof zipper also help you stay completely dry.) Mesh pockets allow for a little extra ventilation and are better for warm weather. Many ultralight and trail running jackets forego pockets to cut down on weight, while other models sport them in abundance. What We Don't: Price. If youre looking for a starter jacket or a lightweight jacket for just-in-case, the Marmot PreCip Eco will serve you well. Enter the pit zip. The only thing its missing compared to the Minimalist is a chest pocket and the Minimalist offers womens plus size options, whereas Patagonia has yet to do so. That incredible lightness of being comes from a lack of the usual features: the Helium has no armpit zips for ventilation and no hand pockets, though there is a chest pocket that the jacket can pack down into. Its one of only a few Gore Tex Pac Lite plus jackets on our list and normally, namebrand waterproofing like Gore Tex costs a premium. . Both of these rain jackets have a regular fit, which means they are a bit loose, hanging . The hood on the womens Outdoor Research Helium 2. Further, you miss out on hand pockets, which means the only storage option is the single chest pocket. But wed love if Marmot brought back the high-quality look and feel of the old Minimalist Read in-depth reviewSee the Men's Marmot Minimalist See the Women's Marmot Minimalist. You can take note of the number when its available, as it will often correlate with other characteristics like fabric thickness and durability, but dont base your buying decision on that alone. All that water in the jackets fabric makes the fabric colder, which can make you feel like youre getting wet. (66 feet is ~20k mm.) It balances frontcountry and backcountry usefulness. It is one the easiest ways to get outdoors for people of all experience levels, and simply put, any time spent on the trail has a way of soothing the Arcteryxs new Beta Jacket slots into the brands expansive collection as a premium hiking shell. Our tester, Treeline editor Naomi Hudetz, tested both versions. Do be sure youre taking good care of your rain shell, as that will extend the life of the jacket, no matter the price. When the forecast isn't optimal but you're still ready to get out there, wear the lightweight, compressible Men's Minimalist Jacket. Premium: Columbia Watertight II. Their breathable and stretchy fabrics offer fantastic performance and a really comfortable fit that moves with you. But these complaints are to be expected in a sub-7-ounce shell, and the Helium Rains low weight and impressive packability, reasonable price, and surprisingly good toughness make it our top ultralight pick. Men's Glennaker Sherpa Lined Rain Jacket, Waterproof. One drawback of the jacket, again, might be the price. Generally speaking, the more you spend the more breathable the jacket will be. A notable downside of the Torrentshells durable construction is that its stiffer and crinklier than competitors like the Marmot Minimalist and Black Diamond StormLine below (it does break in and loosen up a bit over time). And as weve come to expect from the brand, all of the Beta LTs details are nicely sorted, with premium seam taping, streamlined seams, and a fit that is reasonably trim but roomy enough for layering. Thats why ventilation and breathability are clutch when it comes to a rain jackets performance. Like the Marmot PreCip Eco and REI Co-op Rainier above, the TNF features a 2.5-layer construction (in this case, their in-house DryVent design), pit zips for ventilation, and an adjustable hood. Its not that any of these features is a dealbreaker, but rather, you have to decide what you must haveand what you could do withoutbefore going hunting for a jacket. Our Patagonia Women's Torrentshell 3L Jacket has a trusted reputation for providing exceptional waterproof/breathable performance, comfort and durability. For performance use, the benefits are obvious: While climbing, hiking, or other activities where youre moving your arms a lot, a stretchy jacket is less restrictive. Patagonia jacket is a high-performance insulated jacket that is not only comfortable to wear but is also protective of both you and the environment.. The men's and women's Black Diamond Stormline Stretch is our winner for Best Stretchy Rain Jacket. Rain jackets dont offer as much variation in features as some other types of outdoor gear, but there are notable differences between models. This jacket provides a robust defense against mother nature, pairing Gore-Texs 2.5-layer Paclite Plus with a durable 75-denier plain-weave polyester. I would appreciate it if you would edit your post to clarify this and avoid misinformation. Its a close call between the two, but as long as you can get a good fit, we think the REIs modest improvements in comfort and durability give it the edge.See the Men's REI Co-op Rainier See the Women's REI Co-op Rainier. The 10-denier fabric of the Versalite means this jacket won't be the one you turn to outside of thru-hiking or ultralight backpacking. The 2-layer Paclite build resembles Outdoor Researchs Foray above, but with a smooth and clean exteriorincluding fabric flaps over the center zipper and hand pockets and a nice array of subdued colorwaysthe Minimalist is fully at home around town. When looking for a rain jacket, youre essentially asking for a jacket that will keep out rain but let out your sweat. The Venture 2 Hooded Jacket is one of The North Face's most popular waterproof jackets, for good reason. What else is new in this model? The fabric is bluesign approved, which is considered the highest standard in the industry to use methods and materials that minimize the impact on people and the environment. The Montbell Versalite is on the more expensive side of rain jackets we considered for this guide (we set the maximum price limit for this piece at $300). Thats a hybrid of a 2-layer and 3-layer construction. 3-Layer Category: Daily use/hikingWeight: 10.6 oz.Waterproofing: 2.5L NanoProWhat we like: Proven performance for a great price.What we dont: Feels more plasticky than many of the more modern jackets here. We expect every pocket (at least on the outside) to be a zippered pocket so rain cant find its way in. We at Switchback Travel dont feel the waterproof ratings are very helpful in the buying process and have chosen not to list them with our specs. First, we focused on sources that tested and rated both of them, like OutdoorGearLab, and learned that they all showed a preference for the Marmot Minimalist. Photo by Liz Thomas. While our personal experiences are mostly backpacking experiences, were confident that these rain jackets will weather wet weather, whether youre hiking, traveling, mountain biking, trail running, fishing, or commuting. Misha at Saks Fifth Avenue. They have everything from rain suits to a rain poncho to an ultralight, permanently waterproof jacket. Marmot vs Patagonia: {Head-to-Head Comparison in 2022} June 26, 2022. The mens and womens Patagonia Torrentshell 3L is an extra-heavy-duty version of one of our former favoritesand it takes home top marks this year. The mens and womens Outdoor Research Helium is our winner for Best Packable Rain Jacket. All rights reserved. 217.160.129.9 In testing the Helium Rain, we found it remains a solid ultralight/emergency piece: The 2.5-layer build and DWR coating can handle light to moderate rainfall, the adjustable hood offers good all-around coverage, and its small packed size is ideal for activities ranging from hiking and backpacking to climbing. What are the compromises in choosing the Helium Rain? Fitted with pit zips and Gore-Tex Paclite technology, this is a super warm yet breathable jacket that can . And as long as you dont take them Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket (2023) Review, Outdoor Research Foray II GTX Jacket Review, See the Women's Patagonia Torrentshell 3L, See the Men's Outdoor Research Helium Rain. milwaukee chainsaw chain tension; ergobaby omni breeze positions. . Most rain jackets fold down into their zippered hand warming pocket. Photo by Robert Curzon. You wont often see add-ons like helmet-compatible hoods or exposed, water-resistant zippers in this category, and daily use jackets dont prioritize weight-savings or packability (in fact, theyre often quite thick and durable). 80 degrees and raining on a humid East Coast hike in July will require a very different rain jacket than is useful when its 35 degrees and raining in the Canadian Rockies. We break down the pros and cons of each below:2-Layer In other words, unless you prioritize price above all else, we think the REI is the better buy Read in-depth reviewSee the Men's Columbia Watertight II See the Women's Columbia Arcadia II. Outdoor Research Dryline Rain Jacket - Men's. (0) $126.73. Here, the Patagonia Torrentshell is shown zipped up alongside a waterbottle to give perspective. Layer 3 also helps water move from the warm inner of your jacket to the cool environment outside through the thermal gradient. Waterproofing measures waterproofing and soak-through over a 24-hour period. That's one reason why you'll see the Versalite listed in our PCT Gear List, JMT Gear List, and numerous other thru-hiking gear lists. The Torrentshell 3L is indeed a 3-layer jacket that uses Patagonia's own H2No waterproofing. Patagonia 3L Torrentshell. A dirty rain jacket is less waterproof, not to mention stinkier. Patagonias Storm10 jacket takes the 3-layer H2No Performance Standard membrane of our top-ranked Torrentshell and pares it down for backcountry duty. Credit Cards. Tack on sleek Patagonia styling, wide variety of available colorways, new-for-2023 PFC-free DWR coating (to go along with the 100%-recycled face fabric), and excellent $179 price tag, and the versatile Torrentshell 3L currently is our favorite overall rain jacket. A men's commuter raincoat: Helly Hansen Moss Rain Coat. Weight: 6.3 oz (mens) / 5.6 oz (womens). 8.0. 1. Take time out of your adventures to adequately dry your rain jacket after it gets wet, when you can. Yes, there are lighter ultralight jackets out there. Back Length. At $185, the Downpour Plus 2.0 slides in between popular rain jackets like the Patagonia Torrentshell above and Marmot Minimalist below. Weve placed the latest AscentShell jacket toward the bottom of our list, however, because its finer details are somewhat disappointing. 42 $220.00 $220.00. A 2.5-layer lightweight jacket with pit zips and mesh lining in the pockets like the Marmot PreCip Eco (review above) will provide good ventilation (more below in our primer on layers). For outdoor uses, the jacket is competitively light at 13 ounces, can be rolled into its hood for storage, and features pit zips to keep you comfortable on the move. But it serves the same purpose as Layer 3: protecting that layer-2 membrane from oil, dirt, and other junk. If youre looking to use this jacket to commuteout in the rain a bit, into the warm and dry a bitany of these lightweight jackets will do for you (though we think with its balance of price, durability, and comfort, youll like the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L the best). At 6.3 ozthe lightest of the jackets we considered the Versalite still has all the features we want including 2 hand pockets and pit zips. Sport. For more of our Outdoor Apparel recommendations, see our most popular Gear Guide stories: Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. 7. Breathability as well as compressibility increases and weight decreases with the design, making this the most popular option for hikers, backpackers, and climbers. Not everyone will be a fan of the full-length side zips, but all things considered, the Foray and Aspire are excellent quiver-of-one rain jackets for the backpacker, spring skier, and daily wearer Read in-depth reviewSee the Men's Outdoor Research Foray II See the Women's OR Aspire II. Cons of a rain jacket vs a snow shell 1. Price - $149. We recommend buying the Stormline from REI or another retailer where returns are easy and return shipping is free. We think most people will be plenty served by the Stormline Stretch, but if you like the stretchiness and want extra waterproofing, check out the Highline Stretch. Photo by Robert Curzon. Weve previously reviewed the 2.5-layer version of this jacket, and what you get with the added half layer is nothing to sneeze at. And last we checked, it was out of stock. No matter what your objective, the right jacket will help you stay out and stay dry, longer. Despite the sizing complaints, we think the Black Diamond Stormline Stretch is a rain jacket thatll suit most folks for most of their rainy day needs.