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Heading into the backcountry without a reliable waterproof jacket is risky at best—and downright dangerous at worst (rain gear is one of the Ten Essentials, after all). But any old slicker won’t do. Rain jackets vary widely in quality, price, weight, and intended use; picking the right one can be the difference between a frustrating, uncomfortable outing and a smooth, protected one. We scoured the market to find the very best picks available today, from a barely-there emergency jacket to a heavy-duty alpine shield.
At a Glance
Best Emergency
Rab Phantom Hoody
Weight: 3.7 oz (women’s S)
Sizes: XS-XL
Pros and Cons
⊕ Extremely light
⊕ Protective
⊕ Breathable
⊗ Leaky in downpours
⊗ Limited adjustability
Rab has long been on top of the technical fabric world, churning out shell after category-smashing shell. Case in point: the Phantom, which, as one of the lightest waterproof-breathable shells on the market, has the weight of a trashbag poncho, the rain protection of a hardshell, and yet somehow the airy feel of a softshell. Oh, and it packs down to the size of a kiwi.
The Phantom is made of a 7-denier, 2.5-layer Pertex Shield fabric that designers paired with a minimalist feature package that includes elastic cuffs and an itty-bitty storage pocket at the chest that fits a gel pack or set of keys. It also has a tiny wire brim on the elastic hood that shielded us from pelting rain in the Pacific Northwest and 70-mph wind gusts in the Colorado Rockies. The newest version swaps out the old anorak style for a full zip, allowing for extra venting. And even without pit zips, we stayed comfy on humid uphills in three seasons thanks to the super thin fabric’s supreme breathability.
The Phantom isn’t some magic bullet, though. Its whispiness calls for TLC to prevent ripping, and it’s far too lightweight to be used in winter. And for truly rainy climates, you’ll want to look elsewhere: In deluges that lasted more than 90 minutes, we felt some drops sneak through at the shoulder and lower back.
But every tester agreed that the weight and functionality in the majority of cases more than offset its uneven performance at the watery extreme. If light weight tops your wish list—we’re looking at you, ultralighters and trail runners—or you simply need an emergency layer that will mostly live in your pack, this one’s for you.
Best Ultralight
Marmot Superalloy Bio Jacket
Weight: 5 oz (women’s M)
Sizes: XS-XL
Pros and Cons
⊕ Very light and packable
⊕ Partially plant-based
⊗ No hand pockets
If you’re happy snoozing in a half-sleeping bag and eating only cold noodles all to save a couple of ounces, then move on: This isn’t the absolute lightest shell on the market. But for the rest of us, the Superalloy delivers a comfortable combo of protection, breathability, and features while still weighing no more than a hockey puck. “I like that it packs to the size of a pickleball in my jogging fanny pack, so I can whip it out whenever it gets wet or breezy,” says Alaska-based tester Sarah Glaser.
Not only did it shield us from everything from drizzle to deluge, but the proprietary 2.5-layer, microporous NanoPro fabric proved breathable enough to wear when it wasn’t raining, even without pit zips. “I wore it hiking along the Eagle River with a large pack on a 50-degree day,” Glaser says. “My friend was sweaty after not taking off her shell, but I was completely dry.” And the super thin, 12-denier fabric stood up to abrasion from jogging while wearing a belt attached to a 90-pound husky without any fraying or loss of waterproofing.
Despite its meager weight, this shell offers a handful of crucial features: a one-way-adjustable hood, cinchable hem, and a chest pocket—though it’s too small for larger smartphones. And the fabric is made from 60 percent plant-based nylon, slashing the fossil fuel content without sacrificing durability. Fit note: The cut is best for shorter and more petite frames; one 5’11” tester wished for a few more inches in the hem and sleeves.
Most Comfortable
Rab Downpour Light Jacket
$165 at Backcountry $165 at Amazon
Weight: 7.1 oz. (w’s 10)
Sizes: XS-XL
Pros and Cons
⊕ Super stretchy
⊕ Lightweight and packable
⊕ Great price
⊗ Limited ventilation
⊗ Hood slides with a ponytail
Need a waterproof shell, but hate the feel of waterproof shells? The Downpour Light is your jacket, thanks to an impressive combo of stretch, softness, and waterproofness. “The stretchy fabric easily followed my movements, never making me feel restricted, whether I was commuting through Seattle in the rain or backpacking in the North Cascades,” said Washington-based tester Ciera Shaver.
Rab pulls that off with its proprietary, unusually flexy PU membrane paired with the stretch-woven nylon Proflex face fabric, which kept testers dry in everything from a Seattle downpour to a dewy bushwhack on North Carolina’s Art Loeb Trail. The shell delivered decent breathability, too, though Shaver wished for pit zips for extra venting. The Downpour Light’s impressive weight and size (packed to roughly bocce ball dimensions) doesn’t come at the cost of features, either, with an adjustable, brimmed hood, cinchable hem and cuffs, and hand pockets.
Best Value
Black Diamond Fineline Stretch Shell
$180 at REI $180 at Black Diamond
Weight: 9.5 oz (women’s S)
Sizes: XXS-XXL
Pros and Cons
⊕ Stretchy fabric
⊕ Full feature set
⊕ Affordable
⊗ Only moderately breathable
⊗ Sticky waterproof zipper
This do-it-all shell handles a gamut of weather conditions and activities far better than some jackets that cost twice as much. The one-way adjustable hood, cinchable hem and cuffs, and waterproof main zipper warded off surprise showers at 8,000 feet in New Mexico’s Zuni Mountains. The hood also accommodates climbing and cycling helmets, and the jacket’s slight stretch meant no restricted movement when reaching or mountain biking. And while the Fineline has technical chops, its slim cut looked sleek enough for a rainy stroll on the streets of New Orleans.
Though the proprietary, 2.5-layer fabric’s breathability is middle of the pack, smooth-running pit zips quickly dropped heat. “The shell was easy to vent during high-output activities without stopping to fuss around,” says New Mexico-based tester Kendra Brown. The 50-denier nylon stood up to hours of brush clearing and trail building on New Mexico’s Mt. Taylor. Ding: Like most waterproof zippers, the thick, chunky pull requires two hands to fully zip.
Best Rain Suit
Outdoor Research Aspire 3L Jacket and Pant
$249 at REI (Jacket) $199 at REI (Pants)
Weight: 12.4 oz (w’s M jacket); 13.2 oz (w’s M pants)
Sizes: XXS-4X
Pros and Cons
⊕ Very breathable
⊕ Slightly stretchy
⊕ Certified carbon neutral
⊗ Too slim for layering
When you need a full-body force field, reach for this trusty set. From backpacking in steady rain, to bushwhacking through wet brush, to hours spent kneeling in damp bushes picking blueberries, the Aspire set kept us protected and happy.
Outdoor Research’s new proprietary fabric, AscentShell Dry, is a three-layer material with a 40-denier, 100-percent recycled nylon face and a high-performance DWR coating. “I backpacked 7 miles into an Alaskan cabin in the Chugach National Forest, gaining 2,000 feet in elevation and wearing a 40-pound pack,” says tester Kate Paskievitch. “At the end, I was still nice and dry, not sweaty.”
Two-way zippers running from hem to armpits also let us dump heat quickly. An exceptionally well-fitting hood stayed clear of our eyes. The Aspire jacket also has three pockets (two hand and one chest) and an adjustable hem and cuffs. The jacket’s slim cut makes it uncomfortable to wear with thicker midlayers, but the pants easily accommodated thick baselayers. Testers also appreciated the pants’ three-quarter-length side zips that made them easy to slip on over boots and the simple waist drawstring to keep them in place. Together, the jacket and pants pack down neatly to the size of a quart-jar.
Best for Torrential Rain
Houdini BFF
Weight: 12.1 oz (w’s M)
Sizes: XXS-XL
Pros and Cons
⊕ Super protective
⊕ Durable
⊕ Actually recyclable
⊗ Middling breathability
⊗ Stiff collar
⊗ Pricey
On some trips, all you need is a “just in case” shell. On others—deep backcountry treks, remote summits, climates where the rain doesn’t let up for a week straight—you want the equivalent of armor. That’s what you get with this trusty workhorse.
Tester Jackie Bourgaize hunkered down in the BFF for three consecutive rainy days in the Canadian Rockies and emerged dry, thanks to well-designed features like an adjustable, brimmed hood that “fits like a ball cap,” adjustable cuffs, and high collar that zips to under the nose. Drawback: That stiff, high collar is annoying when partially unzipped.
The 60-denier face fabric (partially recycled) still looked new after extended backcountry testing along the Great Divide Trail in British Columbia and Alberta. Weight and packability are good for a shell this protective, but breathability of the proprietary polyester membrane lags behind the pack (pit zips help). Eco cred: Houdini will collect your retired BFF at the end of its life for recycling into new fabric.
Best Everyday
Fjällräven Vardag Rain Parka
$350 at Public Lands $350 at Fjällräven
Weight: 1 lb (w’s S)
Sizes: XXS-XXL
Pros and Cons
⊕ Full-coverage style
⊕ Soft and stretchy
⊗ Heavy and bulky
⊗ Not very breathable
Tundra-ready technical shells have their place, but it ain’t your daily dog walk. For activities on the more casual end of the spectrum, from around-town wear to car camping to dayhikes, this stylish parka has you covered (down to mid-thigh, no less). The polyester face fabric felt soft and supple, with stretch that allowed unrestricted movement even when taking long strides uphill (snaps also allow you to fasten the extended tail around your legs).
The PU membrane shielded tester Lauren Danilek from rain and wind while dayhiking and camping in Washington’s central Cascades as well as strolling around Leavenworth. “When the rain picked up, I could throw my hood on and cinch the back for a nice fit around my head,” she reported. Cinched, the hood still allowed for a wide peripheral view and the stiff brim kept rain out of testers’ eyes. Two huge pockets hold a paperback or small tablet, and the generous cut fits a puffy underneath.
While she loved the thick jacket’s waterproofing, it was too warm for strenuous hikes, especially without pit zips. (It doesn’t help that the mesh ventilation panel is easily covered by a backpack.)
Best for Shoulder Seasons
Páramo Velez Adventure Smock
Weight: 1.6 lbs (w’s M)
Sizes: XS-3XL
Pros and Cons
⊕ Soft and supple
⊕ Lots of venting options
⊕ Easy to repair and actually recyclable
⊗ Heavy and bulky
⊗ Too warm for summer weather
Almost all the technical shells on this list rely on a waterproof-breathable membrane for weatherproofness. But the Velez, from UK-based brand Páramo, uses a DWR-coated polyester face fabric as the first line of defense, with a fast-wicking layer underneath that blocks and pushes water back out via tiny hydrophobic “hairs.” That’s also how the jacket breathes, pulling sweat away from the skin. Páramo is currently the only brand with this tech available in the U.S.
The result: “On a hike in cold, heavy rain at Cape Chignecto in Nova Scotia, I stayed warm and dry with no clamminess,” says tester Donna Campbell. It’s durable, too. Another tester failed to make a dent, even while mushroom foraging through thorny brush.
You get plentiful features: a two-way-adjustable hood with wired brim; an enormous front pocket that swallowed a map, notebook, and even a couple of stuffed animals; two more zippered pockets (one interior); and adjustable cuffs and hem. The double layers trap heat between them for extra insulation, making this jacket best for temps in the 50s and below. Given the heft of the jacket, testers appreciated the extra venting features, which include front-facing bicep zips and a side-zipping front flap that can be worn over a hipbelt.
The price you pay for a comfortable, breathable jacket that never wets out? Weight and lack of packability. But most testers were happy to pony up. And, should you outlive your heavy-duty rain jacket, Páramo will recycle it back into new fabric.
Other Products We Tested
- Cotopaxi Impermio 3L Hooded Jacket ($225): Stretchy and featured enough for hiking, but also stylish enough for everyday. The Fjallraven Vardag is a more protective crossover jacket.
- Helly Hansen Verglas Infinity Shell 2.0 ($350): Bomber and breathable, this is a shell for mountaineering, hardcore backpacking, and ski touring, but the details and the packability of the Houdini BFF give it the edge.
- Kuhl Women’s Stretch Voyagr ($179): A basic, solid pick for most activities at a nice price, but it’s too bulky for extended trips.
- Montane Cetus ($350): Smart features and a longer cut in the sleeves and hem make this a top choice for taller women. Ding: Pricey for what you get.
- Rab Namche Paclite Jacket ($265): Backpackers will appreciate this shell’s combo of durability, breathability, and features, but the other Rab jackets offer better value.
- REI XeroCloud 3L Jacket ($189; $199 for long cut): This all-arounder scored high for breathability and its soft, slightly stretchy fabric. But it’s a bit more expensive than other shells in its class (like the Black Diamond and Salewa).
- Salewa Puez Aqua 4 2.5L Women’s Powertex Jacket ($140): This budget pick delivers a sleek look, light weight, and reliable performance, but the Black Diamond Fineline Stretch is more durable.
How to Choose a Hardshell
Consider these key factors when shopping for a waterproof jacket:
Durability: Think about what activities you’ll be doing most. If you’re a hardcore mountaineer, you’ll need a durable shell (check the fabric’s denier; the higher the number, the tougher it is) with high-quality features like a helmet-friendly hood and large pockets. Three-layer shells, as opposed to 2.5- or 2-layer, tend to be toughest.
Weight: Bombproof shells are clutch in mountain weather, but they’re the heaviest and among the most expensive you can buy. If you’re a dayhiker or ultralight backpacker (or just live in a dry climate), a much lighter hardshell will save space and weight in your pack.
Feature Set: Climbing? Make sure your shell fits over your helmet, has a harness-compatible hem and pockets, and enough stretch for you to move freely.
Breathability: Breathability is the major x-factor in all hardshells. Different people prefer different technologies, but air-permeable membranes (like NeoShell, Outdoor Research’s AscentShell, and Pertex Shield Air) and the Gore-Tex family of fabrics are all good bets. Pit zips and long side zips or vents allow you to cool down quickly, no matter the membrane
How We Test
- Number of Testers: 47
- Number of Jackets Tested: 45
- Miles Hiked, Biked, and Run: 2,242
- Days in the Field: 524
- Lowest Temperature Experienced: -5F (Chugach Range, AK)
- Most Consecutive Days of Rain Endured: 12 (Manning Park, BC)
- Highest Windspeed Weathered: 60 mph (Martha’s Vineyard, MA)
- Highest Elevation Reached: 14,344 ft. (La Plata Peak, CO)
We tried as many new waterproof women’s shells as we could get our hands on and reconsidered the best-performing shells of recent years that are still on the market. Our team of testers hiked, backpacked, biked, ran, paddled, and berry-picked in rain squalls from Alaska to New Mexico to Vermont. These women—trail runners, dog walkers, kayakers, climbers, and field scientists—evaluated each shell for waterproofness, breathability, durability, fit, and features.
Meet Our Testers
Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan
Kwak-Hefferan manages the women’s shells category for Outside from her home base of Missoula, Montana. Over her 13 years of testing and reviewing technical jackets, she’s been driven out of Washington’s Enchantments by freezing rain, hopped across Colombia’s squishy páramo landscape, and got engaged in a downpour at Glacier National Park.
Donna Campbell
Campbell, a longtime tester, logs hundreds of soggy kilometers of hiking each season from her home base on Prince Edward Island.
Jackie Bourgaize
Bourgaize never lets the weather stop her from exploring the most rugged corners of the Canadian Rockies, her home range.