A rain jacket is an essential piece of kit when it comes to time outdoors and adventures, and if treated correctly will last you a very long time. Whether you decide to go for a hard shell or a lighter layer, you’ll be adding a vital layer to your system. Use our comparison table below to look side by side at waterproofing, size, weight and other vital statistics to help you make a decision about the best rain jacket for your needs. Adding a good quality rain jacket to your kit does not need to mean adding much extra weight or bulk to your pack when not wearing either.
This article is part of our guide to the very best waterproof rain jackets for hiking, be sure to check out the rest of this guide for our top buying tips:
Arc'teryx Beta LT (2024 version) | Black Diamond StormLine (now Fineline Stretch Shell) | Outdoor Research Helium Rain | Marmot PreCip Eco | Arc’teryx Beta | Marmot Minimalist | Rab Firewall Waterproof Jacket | Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 | The North Face Venture 2 | Columbia Watertight II | The North Face Dryzzle Futurelight | |
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Our Awards | Best Women's Performance | Best Stretchy | Best Ultralight | Best Men's Performance | Best Womens | Best Overall Versatile Women's Jacket | Best Mens | Best Budget | |||
Catergory | Performance / Hiking | Daily Use / Hiking | Hiking | Daily Use / Hiking | Performance / Hiking | Daily Use / Hiking | All round outdoors use, extreme conditions | Performance / Hiking | Daily Use / Hiking | Daily Use | Daily Use / Hiking |
Weight | 13.9 oz. | 11.3 oz. | 6.3 oz. | 10.6 oz. | 10.6 oz. | 13 oz. | 16.8 oz. | 13.2 oz. | 11.6 oz. | 13 oz. | 12 oz. |
Waterproof | 3L Gore-Tex | 2.5L BD.dry | 2.4L Pertex | 2.5L NanoPro | 3L Gore-Tex | 2.5L Gore-Tex | 3 L Pertex | 2.5L Pertex | 2.5L Dryvent | 2L Omni-Tech | 3L Futurelight |
Pockets | 2 zippered hand | 2 zippered hand | 2 zippered hand | 2 Zippered Hand | 2 Zippered Hand | 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered chest | 3 pockets (2 hand) | 2 zippered chest | 2 zippered hand | 2 zippered hand pockets; 2 internal drop-in pockets | 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered chest |
Pit Zips | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Packable | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Price | Price not available | Price not available | $162.39 | Price not available | Price not available | $144.57 | $235.00 | Price not available | $154.80 | Price not available | $229.50 |
Conclusion
Choosing a rain jacket needs to be a personal preference and will be dictated by where you plan to use it the most from the level of waterproofing you need. For example, if you live somewhere with well-known heavy rain, looking at a hard shell is going to be likely a better buy than something more lightweight and just for the occasional shower. You can read more about this in our guide to the differences between waterproofing, water resistant and water repellent here. A rain jacket actually adds an extra layer of safety to your kit too – it may seem like an obvious purchase, but having protection against heavy downpours in cold situations can make a huge difference, and a rain jacket is an extra layer of insulation too.
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