Guide to Buying a Rain Jacket

As a former gear-head and longtime salesman at a large specialty outdoor retailer, I have learned more than I ever thought possible about waterproof jackets. To distill everything I learned down to 2 points, it would be these: not all rain jackets are created equal AND you will usually get what you pay for.

For any waterproof jacket, there is always a tradeoff between waterproofness, breathability, and price.  The goal of this guide is to help you evaluate how to best make these tradeoffs to get a jacket that works for your budget and needs.


Waterproofness (and Breathability)
Since you’re researching a product to use in the rain, I imagine staying dry is one of your top concerns. One important thing to know (that I don’t think many people outside of the garment industry do know) is that when a manufacturer uses the term “waterproof”, they don’t necessarily mean that you won’t feel wet when using the jacket – they are only stating that water drops will not penetrate from the outside to the inside of the garment. (*Note, the terms “weatherproof” and “water resistant” are NOT the same as waterproof and basically mean the inside of the jacket will get wet). Sometimes the outer fabric of the jacket will absorb water over time and may feel wet from the inside. We call this problem “wet-out” in the industry and manufacturers seek to overcome it by treating the outer fabric of their jackets with a durable water repellant or “DWR” (akin to wax on a car) to prevent water from soaking in. DWR treatments wear off with use and over time - if you own an older jacket that is “wetting out” you can purchase a spray-on DWR re-treatment at any outdoor gear store that will restore the water repellency of the garment without the need to buy a whole new jacket. (Personally I recommend Nikwax TX Direct Spray).

Breathability is a major related concern in waterproof garments – manufacturers could easily make all jackets totally waterproof but not at all breathable (think old-school rain slickers) but these jackets wouldn’t be very functional for anyone who actually wants to be active in the rain. If you’ve ever gone hiking in a plastic poncho on a warm or humid day you know that things can get pretty wet inside a waterproof layer than is not breathable at all. Hence, manufacturers have invested in technology to make fabrics that are both waterproof AND breathable.

All truly waterproof jackets will have a few features in common – a physical barrier attached to the outer fabric that keeps out the rain and waterproof tape applied to all seams on the interior of the jacket (“taped seams”).
Common names for the waterproof laminate or membrane layer produced by high-end manufacturers include: H2No (Patagonia), HyVent (The North Face), Precip (Marmot), OutDry (Mountain Hardwear, Columbia),  Goretex  (historically the gold standard for waterproofness), and eVent. To get really geeky about it, Goretex and eVent are actually "more" waterproof and breathable than the other technologies, but as far as the general user is concerned all of these technologies work well to keep water out of your jacket and off of your skin. In almost all cases, jackets with the supe
rior waterproofing technology are more expensive (usually by $100+) than their less-advanced counterparts. However, its up to you whether the extra cost is worth it for extra breathability and durability. (Note: Depending on what kind of inner lining they jacket has y ou may not be able to see the white waterproof barrier or seam tape, but if the tag claims that the jacket is waterproof and is from a reputable manufacturer you can be sure that these features are there.)

Other Features
Other features to consider include the availability and adjustability of a hood (hoods that are highly adjustable are worth a great deal in my opinion), waterproof zippers (essentially zippers that have been turned inside out and will provide extra protection from water entering the jacket), number and location of pockets, weight of the garment (lightweight is generally considered to be more functional over a wider range of uses, but also costs more), color, fit style (sport-specific vs regular vs oversize), and extra features for activities such as skiing/snowboarding, rock climbing, mountaineering, running, walking around town, etc.

Generally speaking, you can find a solid waterproof/breathable jacket that will last for several years of frequent use that will retail for around $100-$150 from common manufacturers such as The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, and Patagonia. Keep in mind that each of these brands produces a line of jackets with a range of prices to meet every variety of customer needs, with full-featured jackets reaching upwards of $600 for ultra high-end manufactures such as Arc’Teryx. In my experience, if you find a new jacket that is listed at a retail price significantly less than $100 that claims to be waterproof, it probably isn’t (or is cheaply made and won’t be waterproof for very long). If you shop around and compare deals, you can find great waterproof jackets between $100-$200 (which might even include high-performance technologies like Goretex or eVent). Of course, with this knowledge you can shop for waterproof jackets on eBay and find even better deals to score a high-end jacket for less than half of the retail price in the store.

Hope this sheds some light on the complexities of waterproof rain jackets and helps make the decision of which one is right for you a little easier. Thanks for reading!