The Greatest Rain Jackets, Examined and Reviewed

As a rule, my rain jacket sits unused on the backside of my pack, however once I want to tug it out, it’s an actual lifesaver. Soaking by way of a puffer or base layer can ship even probably the most hardened people scrambling again to their automotive, or staring down hypothermia. In case your present shell layer doesn’t have the chops to get you thru the season, it’s time to improve. Whether or not you might be looking, fishing, mountain climbing, or backpacking, listed below are our prime picks for one of the best rain jackets.

How We Examined the Greatest Rain Jackets

At Outside Life, we’ve obtained writers and contributors masking the complete spectrum of out of doors actions, from sheep looking in Alaska to fishing on the Potomac, backpacking within the Pacific Northwest to turkey looking in Indiana. And so they’ve all been rained on. The rain can range, from quick however intense squalls to all-day mist to days-long storms. Via these experiences, it’s turn into clear that there’s a big selection of efficiency in rain gear, with a few of it functioning effectively for particular functions and utterly failing in others. For instance, whereas hunters want rain gear that’s powerful as nails and intensely quiet, backpackers prize low weight and a small packed quantity above all else. For extra suggestions for every class, you possibly can dive deep into our tackle the greatest backpacking rain jackets, the greatest looking rain gear, and the greatest rain gear for fishing. 

The Greatest Rain Jackets: Critiques & Suggestions 

Greatest for Excessive Situations: Grundens Neptune Jacket

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Key Options

• Sizes: Males’s XS-5X; ladies’s XS-XXL
• Value: $100
• Materials: PU-coated polyester

Execs

• Really 100% waterproof
• Reasonably priced
• Sturdy building
• Weight similar to heavy breathable rain gear

Cons

• Not breathable
• Unfastened, non-athletic match

I’ve used the identical Grundens Neptune jacket for 5 years, by way of many looking, fishing, and boating seasons in Alaska. It gives among the best compromises between sturdiness, worth, and packability. This isn’t a breathable coat, so mountain climbing or extra motion whereas carrying it requires extra diligent temperature administration, however not like breathable rain gear, it’s really 100% waterproof, and moisture received’t soak by way of.

The coat is a PVC-based cloth that’s stretchy however powerful. It’s one of the crucial sturdy jackets I’ve used for the load. When you don’t anticipate a lot rain, a lighter breathable possibility could be higher, however for perpetually moist areas or prolonged journeys within the mountains or on the boat, this jacket is hard to beat.—Tyler Freel

Greatest for Backpacking: Arc’teryx Beta LT

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Key Options

• Sizes: Males’s XS-3X; ladies’s XXS-XXL
• Value: $450
• Materials: 3L GORE-TEX

Execs

• Most waterproof jacket in my check
• Most wind-resistant jacket in my check
• Sturdy

Cons

• Costly
• Heavier than different rain jackets I examined 
• No pit zips

The Arc’teryx Beta LT was probably the most waterproof, wind-resistant jacket in my check of the greatest backpacking rain jackets. Along with weighing in at a mere 8.5 ounces, it incorporates plenty of options that just about ensures that not one inch of your insulation layer or baselayer will get moist. The beneficiant hood (even the puffiest of puffers will match beneath this one) has cinch cords each on the again and by the chin as a way to get a safe match, whereas the cuffs have velcro tabs that you may tighten when the wind picks up or loosen once more when it’s worthwhile to cool off a bit. This was additionally one of many few jackets that I checked out that integrated a noticeable drop-tail hem.

There are a number of downsides to the Arc’teryx Beta LT. People who work up a sweat simply will possible discover the shortage of pit zips (the zippers that run beneath your armpits) whereas UL purists will scoff on the weight—at the very least till they land of their first critical downpour. However the greatest one is the value, which is over 100 {dollars} greater than the subsequent closest jacket I checked out and fifteen occasions costlier than my funds choose.

Learn Subsequent: Greatest Backpacking Rain Jackets

Greatest for Fly Fishing: Simms Challenger

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Key Options

• Sizes: Males’s S-4X; ladies’s XS-3X
• Value: $230
• Materials: 2L Toray

Execs

• Light-weight
• Ample pockets
• Snug, breathable 
• Match properly over waders
• Jacket shell totally recycled materials

Cons

• Not totally sealed
• Not heavy responsibility

It may be a problem to seek out rain gear that matches correctly over waders, offers day lengthy insulation, and can also be snug. The Challenger rain gear from Simms checks all these bins, at a comparatively affordable worth level. Simms has had this line of rain gear for a number of years nevertheless it lately underwent an overhaul that features utilizing totally recycled materials within the outer shell. Whereas this might result in some hypothesis about efficiency, I didn’t discover a distinction all through a whole season of heavy use. The truth that this rain gear is each sustainable and performs is spectacular. 

The Challenger jacket can also be surprisingly heat for being so gentle, and it saved me heat all through lengthy days on the water. The fleece-lined pockets are one among my favourite options and gave my numb digits aid whereas fishing in sub-freezing temperatures. Sadly, the pocket interiors are usually not totally waterproof, so watch out to not have them zipped down throughout heavy rainfall. 

The Challenger jacket shines when wading or fly fishing off a raft or drift boat. Its further size and quite a few adjustment factors present for a stable higher shell over waders whereas being light-weight and agile sufficient to forged and transfer about comfortably. 

The Challenger Rain Swimsuit is a wonderful possibility for anglers on the lookout for consolation and heat with out further bulk. Whereas I wouldn’t suggest it for bushwhacking right into a distant creek, it’s the proper rain gear for an on a regular basis angler who needs to remain dry and comfy with out being weighed down or dropping a fortune. When you want a sturdy and intensely waterproof rain swimsuit, take a look at the Simms CX. —Kevin Hughes

Learn Subsequent: Greatest Rain Gear for Fishing

Greatest Light-weight: Sitka Dew Level

Key Options 

• Sizes: Males’s M-3X 
• Value: $350
• Materials: 3L Gore-tex

Execs 

• Light-weight 
• Simply packable
• Extremely breathable
• Two means facet zips open all the way in which to the waist

Cons 

• Not sturdy sufficient for prolonged each day put on 

At slightly below 1.5 kilos the packability of the Dew Level rain system is astonishing and doesn’t take up a lot room in your backpack. The pocket/zipper placement with regard to carrying a backpack implies that the waist belt and shoulder straps in your backpack received’t have an effect on using the pockets or pit zips. And the leg facet zips come all the way in which to the waist from the ankle cuffs for simple on/off. The Dew Level system is nice for a number of day backcountry hunts if you happen to solely want one thing for these shock rain storms. But it surely’s in all probability not the most suitable choice if you happen to plan to hunt persistently moist situations. I put this gear on simply earlier than a downpour in turkey season.

Throughout turkey season, I used the Dew Level rain gear on a hunt in Georgia, and it couldn’t have labored higher. It saved me a lot dry throughout a shock rain storm, when the underside fell out for a stable minute. However when the solar got here again out, the Dew Level offered loads of breathability, and I didn’t sweat my means out of it like different rain gear I’ve tried previously. Regardless that this rain gear is gentle, it doesn’t sacrifice sturdiness. On this similar hunt, I needed to maneuver by way of a briar thicket, and I simply knew by the point I made it to the opposite facet that the Dew Level can be ripped to shreds. Fortunately, it made it by way of with none main wounds, and it nonetheless retains me dry.—Chad Bryson

Greatest Ultralight: Montbell Versalite

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Key Options

• Sizes: Males’s S-XL; ladies’s S-XL
• Value: $250
• Materials: Gore-tex Windstopper

Execs

• Very light-weight
• Fairly waterproof and wind resistant
• Has pit zips

Cons

• Not appropriate for excessive situations

Let’s get the powerful half out of the way in which first: If you’re headed into situations that might be described as “torrential,” it’s best to in all probability depart this one in your closet. However if you happen to’re extra typical rain situations—the sunshine mist of the Pacific Northwest or short-but-intense squalls of the East Coast—then the Montbell Versalite is a wonderful selection. It handed the bathe check with flying colours and after the twenty-four waterproofing check (and are you actually going to be out within the rain for 24 hours?) it was solely barely damp beneath, indicating a excessive diploma of water resistance. 

This wasn’t fairly the lightest ultralight rain jacket in my check of the greatest backpacking rain jackets, however the further options it integrated (accounting for that further ounce of weight) upped its efficiency for giant adventures. The largest of those is the zipped pit vents, important for letting you cool off and air out when the sweat begins to choose up. It additionally has (albeit extra minimal than the Arc’teryx Beta LT) velcro cuffs and cinches on the hem in addition to the again of the hood and on the neck, which can assist to maintain out chilly gusts when the wind kicks up.

Once I was headed out for a four-day solo journey into Washington State’s Goat Rocks wilderness with a forecast for clear skies, it was a simple option to make. The skinny materials implies that, despite the fact that it’s a smidge heavier than my greatest funds choose, it has a decrease total quantity, which made it an apparent selection for the 35-liter pack I used to be carrying. A very good factor, too, for the reason that forecast ended up being a bust and I spent the final 36 hours of the journey mountain climbing by way of one thing between a mist and a fog. Solar lastly reappeared as I hit the parking zone (figures)—once I peeled off the Veralite I used to be blissful to see that I used to be completely dry beneath. 

Greatest Finances: Frogg Toggs Extremely-Lite2 Rain Swimsuit

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Key Options

• Sizes: Males’s S-3X; ladies’s S-XXL
• Value: $30 to $40
• Materials: DriPore Gen 2

Execs

• Very, very light-weight
• Cheap
• Comes with rain pants

Cons

• Not waterproof in stormy situations
• Much less sturdy than different rain jackets 

The Frogg Toggs Extremely-Lite comes up many times as a wonderful worth choose for backpackers and fishermen, and was beneficial in each OL’s roundup of the greatest backpacking rain jackets and the greatest rain gear for fishing. 

A part of that is that the Frogg Toggs Ultralite Swimsuit is extraordinarily low-cost, nevertheless it’s additionally partly as a result of it’s a fairly good shell layer. Out of the field, the fabric is extraordinarily waterproof, capable of maintain off standing water for over 24 hours. But it surely has a number of fail factors to bear in mind. The primary is the entrance zipper, which has no waterproofing, just a bit flap to guard it. In a typical rain bathe, that’s adequate. In a real downpour, anticipate water to soak in by way of this opening. It’s additionally much less sturdy than different choices, simply selecting up tears and snags from brushing towards snags or rocks. That’s sufficient by itself to make it a no-go for hunters; if it wasn’t, the noise generated by this rain jacket would do the trick. 

However if you happen to don’t thoughts slightly noise, or changing your rain jacket each season, the low weight and low worth level of the Frogg Toggs Ultralite Swimsuit is hard to beat. 

Greatest for Backcountry Looking: Sitka Thunderhead 

Key Options 

• Sizes: Males’s M-3X
• Value: $360
• Waterproofing: 3L GORE-TEX

Execs 

• Lifeless quiet
• Articulated elbows and knees 
• Gusseted wrist cuffs 
• Put on as a single outer layer

Cons

The Sitka Thunderhead’s design excels at spot and stalk looking with a number of added bonuses. At the beginning, this technique is quiet. Lifeless quiet. And it’s powerful as nails. Sometimes you don’t get sturdiness and silence in a single set of substances. To not point out, each single characteristic of the jacket and pants are simply accessed when you put on a backpack.

This jacket is streamlined sufficient to put on throughout archery season and offers simply sufficient heat that you may put on it with among the greatest base layers, but it’s large enough to get a puffy vest beneath. And the pants are reduce in order that I simply wore them over my common looking pants in an emergency.

Nevertheless, if I knew that my looking day was going to be always moist, I might put on them with solely a base layer beneath with out sacrificing any of the options of my common looking pants. I’m considering Alaska Moose or Pacific NorthWest Roosevelt Elk. It rains torrentially in each locations. My expertise normally goes: If the season is 10 days it is going to rain on daily basis of my hunt. However the Thunderhead rain gear is rugged sufficient for anybody to put on for 10 days as their major clothes, and you may be assured that it’ll maintain you dry and silent. —Chad Bryson

Learn Subsequent: Greatest Looking Rain Gear

What to Think about Earlier than Shopping for a Rain Jacket

DWR End vs. Waterproof Membrane

The most effective rain jackets will usually have each a water-resistant membrane and a DWR end. Waterproof membrane, from the likes of Gore-Tex, Pertex, or Toray, are usually sandwiched in between the outer shell materials of a rain jacket and the internal lining. Some are totally waterproof, stopping all moisture switch between the outer shell materials and the internal lining, whereas others are breathable, permitting solely a one-way switch of air and moisture. DWR (sturdy water repellent) finishes are utilized on to the outer shell of a rain jacket, stopping water from penetrating the outer shell cloth. As a result of they’re on the outermost layer, DWR finishes usually degrade over time, and should be reapplied to make sure efficacy. 

Value

The most effective waterproof membranes from the likes of Gore-Tex can run up the value of rain jackets into the a whole bunch of {dollars}. Think about what degree of waterproofness you really need earlier than committing to a worth level. 

Weight

Ideally, your rain jacket will spend most of its time in your pack. An unnecessarily heavy rain jacket can crush your pack, which can adversely have an effect on backpackers and backpack hunters.  

Sturdiness

The lightest weight rain jackets are steadily much less sturdy than heavier weight rain jackets. When you plan to spend so much of time going by way of the comb and muck then it’s value spending a bit extra when it comes to money and weight to get a extra sturdy possibility. 

Pit Vents and Breathability

Because it seems, rain isn’t the one factor that may soak your layers. There’s additionally sweat. Many individuals who take pleasure in out of doors recreation sweat a lot that they’ll utterly soak by way of their base layers. That’s a serious drawback if the climate turns and the temperature drops. To keep away from this drawback, some waterproof supplies try and stability “breathability” with waterproofness, permitting among the extra warmth and moisture that your physique is producing to flee to the surface once more. One other means that rain jackets assist to expel warmth and moisture is thru strategically positioned pit vents. Nevertheless, each of those choices can enable rain to ultimately creep again inside your rain jacket. Think about your personal wants earlier than making a ultimate resolution. 

FAQs

Learn Subsequent: The Greatest Climbing Jackets

Remaining Ideas on the Greatest Rain Jackets

Staying dry is important to creating probably the most out of the outside. When you’re able to improve your rain jacket, there’s an possibility on the market, no matter your funds, local weather, and exercise of selection.