Remember that nearly everyone can drench even a t-shirt if they're working hard enough. Material on GearLab is copyrighted. ", In the mobility portion of this metric, our review team compares how each model moves with its user and how restrictive it may be. }, { }, { Comments. In the market for the perfect rain jacket? 1st March 2017. "ratingValue": "4.75", That said, there’s often no choice but to go with something that doesn’t have reinforcements if you want lightweight or ultralight rain gear. The REI Drypoint GTX, which is constructed with Gore-Tex Active, breathes the best, but for those interested, offers little in the way of ventilation. For a similar price, most other shells we tested offered superior breathability. Nylon is known to be stretchier and, most times, more durable than a similarly thick nylon material. Casey is a qualified ski instructor, naturalist educator, hunter, and avid outdoorsman based in Mason, Michigan. L-R top row: Helium and Minimus, Essence, Resolve, Minimalist. Obviously, the waterproof material itself is important, but with nearly all manufacturers offering a material that is more than adequate, those jackets with features that kept the rain out and move moisture scored the best. During summer use they’re lightweight backups for keeping yourself dry and warm. Especially in windy, stormy conditions. We considered two main factors when awarding scores for this metric. At just 170g, it's half the weight of our legendary sturmPrinz, which means this is the jacket to grab when you need something slightly … A layer of polyurethane based waterproof “plastic” is adhered to a nylon jacket shell and creates a fully waterproof garment. Part of being comfortable hiking and backpacking in the rain is owning and understanding exactly what rain gear to use. Despite a small price bump from the older 2.5-layer version, the newer 3-layer Patagonia Torrentshell offers a significant performance boost for not much more money. The jacket costs £125, the trousers £100, and yet they boast a host of features that make playing golf in the rain … Waterproofing: … The Outdoor Research Helium Rain weighs in at 6.3 ounces and can be stuffed into a built-in reversible chest pocket with a clip-in loop, which is a nice feature for climbers carrying it on their harness. While minimal weight and respectable storm protection are why you buy this model, durability, breathability, and true versatility aren't. For the most part, the lighter the face fabric is, the easier it tears, or the faster it is to abrade. This 2020 update features 12 of the market's top contenders. If you know you're going to have a week of bad weather on a backcountry trip and will wear your rain jacket every day, you'll want to consider looking elsewhere. It has an attached rain hood that is fully adjustable with a cinch-cord, a drawcord hem and velcro cuffs round out the features. This Women’s hiking rain jacket is fully taped to keep the water out at the seams and features a micro-porus “Omni-Tech” shell that manages to keep the rain out while allowing body heat and perspiration to evaporate. We tested the breathability of these jackets while hiking, backpacking, climbing, and ski touring. What is an air-permeable fabric or jacket? Women’s Model: Marmot Minimalist Women’s Packable Rain Jacket Marmot Minimalist Rain Jacket at a Glance:Shell: 20 denier Stretch Rip Stop Nylon Waterproofing: 100% Seam Taped NanoPro™ MembrainAdjustable roll-up storm hood Integrated Cooling Vents BEST BACKPACKING RAIN JACKET. For example, having low handwarmer pockets are great for around town but can be a nuisance and render them near unusable while wearing a harness or heavy pack. Available in a wide variety of colors, it will not only keep you dry, but looks good as well. However, for the price and level of breathability, its value is hard to beat. Set yourself up for success by wearing the minimum layers you can get away with. We also explicitly compare how well a model's hood maintained the peripheral vision and how it moved with our heads. By far the most expensive rain jacket on our list but if you want the best, … The good thing is, they’re affordable and replaceable.With Velcro adjustable cuffs and hood and a drawstring hem round out the Marmot Precip and is in my opinion the best rain jacket for hiking you can buy. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate what we feel are the best products. The effectiveness of each model's hood (of keeping our heads dry while not chaffing our chins or cutting off our peripheral vision) varied wildly. Often they’re made with heat bonded layers of waterproof material. One common misconception is that because a given model might be air-permeable, people assume it must be more breathable than all non-air permeable jacket (such as Gore-Tex or eVent), but the truth is that this isn't always the case. I’ve very rarely seen hip reinforcement on backpacking jackets, though. Shop the latest Rains at END. When considering value, you've got to ask the question "is the most expensive gear worth the price? On the negative side, it’s not a true packable rain jacket because it doesn’t have a stuff sack or pack into one of the hand pockets like the others do on our list. Weight: 12.1 oz. These air-permeable models were more breathable than the rest of the none-air permeable products we tested. While these jackets weren't designed with sea kayaking in mind, that didn't stop our review team from utilizing a trip to the West Coast of Vancouver Island to put them to the test. Casey has guided backpackers, kayakers, and skiers on backcountry trips all around the US. it weighs in at 14 oz. Somewell’s waterproof rain jacket matches the quality of brand-name jackets but at a fraction of the price. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Hood designs varied considerably between jackets. Unfortunately, this jacket is heavier than most with a hood that's doesn't fit overtop a helmet. All of our testers commented on its stretchy fabric, which provides excellent freedom of movement to its wearer and helps it adapt well to a wide range activity, adding to its extraordinary versatility. "name": "Do I need a rain jacket in the summer? The rain jackets in our review range from $100 to $250, with half of them at or below $150. What really sets it apart is the 3 layer design featuring the latest in GORE-TEX fabric, N40p-X C-KNIT. On the less expensive end of those are various types of coated membrane fabrics, which generally aren't as long-lasting nor as breathable compared to laminated membranes. A 3 layer jacket will be the heaviest of the 3 styles because you now have a true breathable, waterproof membrane in between a outer shell and an inner liner. The buyers at ProLite Gear considered over 20 different Lightweight Rain Jackets before selecting 7 to do an in depth review of and sell in our store. The official Rains shop | Danish outerwear & waterproof clothing | Shipped within 24 hours on working days | Fast international delivery | rains.com The end. But models with adjustable cuffs and well-designed hood adjustments are superior in howling rainstorms or when working with your hands overhead in the rain. Approximately half of these models stuff into one of their own pockets and others can be rolled and stuffed into their hoods. Naturally all rain jackets will include a hood but size and adjustability are the most important factors. We swapped these jackets to our friends to get more opinions on less objective tests like comfort and fit, but Ian personally tested each jacket in our review for months in the temperate rainforests of Western Washington, and milling around Seattle, with a coffee in hand. Lastly, we evaluate the basic but essential bit about how each model felt as a whole. Women’s Model: Outdoor Research Helium II Women’s Waterproof Jacket. "@context": "https://schema.org/", August 19, 2020 August 19, 2020 by Michael Lanza. Hood design is one of the most important aspects of a waterproof jacket. It's just easier to forget about until you need it. No model could match the Interstellar's blend of durability and stormworthiness while maintaining breathability and freedom of movement. If you spend any amount of time in a wet and rough ecosystem throughout the year, you probably know that lightweight raingear doesn’t quite cut it. Outdoor Research: One of my favorite brands of clothing, their Helium rain jacket is one of the best rain jackets for backpacking available. Air-permeable is a new buzzword (and a technical term) that is a design aspect of many of the new wave of stretchy, mostly proprietary waterproof-breathable jackets that have recently surged onto the market. Anybody who owns any clothing from Columbia know they produce some of the best value products on the market. As useful as many ventilation features are, a fabric's breathability is more important than ventilation. "name": "Are rain ponchos as good as rain jackets? Set yourself up for success and wear the minimum layers you can get away with while using the vents to maximize the air exchange, dump heat, and allow moisture to escape. The North Face Dryzzle Jacket Overview. Seam taping is a must! Pit zips, if you haven’t used them, are one of the best inventions in waterproof jacket technology ever, in my opinion. Because of this, it’s a lighter, more packable design. Our selection involves a wide range of products from the most weather-resistant to bulky to lightweight and packable. Not only is the Drypoint breathable, but it also features one of the most stormworthy designs, keeping you dry even when you break a sweat. Peter Webb puts his Arc'teryx Zeta SL jacket to the test during some wetter than ideal conditions while alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies. Simple as can be but that doesn’t mean it’s small and packable however. The second and third time I used the jacket was during wet, rainy days with intermittent showers. Our water resistance metric measures how well each contender keeps its wearer dry by not letting water in from the outside. … Because they can be used for more than one purpose. Lets take a look at some of them now: Marmot: Founded in 1974, Marmot has built a great reputation for outdoor clothing. Rain jackets normally use a 2, 2.5 or a 3 layer construction. For burlier backpacking and mountaineering trips, or even for daily use, you'll want to consider durability and storm worthiness, as well as weight. The slightly relaxed cut means it will also double as a walking and general outdoor jacket. That saves you weight. Gear Review of the Outdoor Research Foray Review Origins: Easing You In. First Lite SEAK Rain Jacket Review. While less packable, there is significant improvement in comfort and breathability with a inner layer of Gore-Tex or eVent. The adjustable hood rolls up and tucks away under the collar when you don’t need it. All provide comparable levels of performance. One of the oldest staples of the rain gear genre that I am aware of, this was my very first rain jacket purchase. The ability if the cinch cord to form the jacket around your head for a snug fit that allows for good visibility is key. ... Top reviews from other countries Grirambay. Air-permeable fabrics are a cool new trend in the outdoor industry, offering a static level of breathability regardless of user output and external environments. This PU coated rain jacket is surprising cool even in warm, wet conditions with a breathable, “Dry Q” shell. The 5 Best Rain Jackets for Hiking and Backpacking. Santini Guard Nimbus Rain Jacket review. WEIGHT: 5.4 oz – $190 ($200 with pit zips) TECH: 3-layer custom Toyota fabric (75,000 g/m2/24h) The Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket & Pants have a more durable fabric, cost less, and are available off the shelf from major retailers across the country and online. He taught Alpine skiing at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah for several seasons before transitioning into freelance writing. 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