Submitted by chipotle96 t3_xtxq6z in BuyItForLife
Looking for a good quality rain jacket that is also wind proof. I’d prefer it to be long as well and have a big hood.
I’ve been looking at Columbia or Helly Hansen, but I’m not sure if they have long term quality or if I should be looking at some other brands?
Any suggestions?
Lands end, LL Bean, Patagonia, North face - all solid buys.
Lands end squall stadium coat. They always have some version of that. Anything “squall” is excellent.
I love my Happy Rainy Days full length coat. I've had it for many years. It is a Dutch company, so it is made for a taller lady - which works well for me and my crazy long arms.
The LL Bean Trail Model Rain Coat has held up well for me when working in the rain!
Good to know! I’m of Dutch heritage, so it’s always hard to find things with long enough sleeves!
I LOVE my Icewear raincoat!!!
It has all the features you want: 3 different closure types: zipper, velcro, and snaps. It’s long and lined. There are closures on the wrists so water won’t drip down your arm when you reach up! It’s got a roomy hood with a cord in the front that when you pull it, the trim around the hood creates a duck-like bill so water doesn’t run into your eyes.
It held up like a champ in Hurricane Ian’s 30 knot winds!
I’ve had HH for over a decade with no signs of wear.
I've had Helly Hansen and Columbia rain shells. HH was a heavier 3 layer shell and the Columbia is a lighter, more packable 2 layer.
HH was probably better overall. I got rid of it after a few years though because the liners in the sleeves always poked out of the cuffs and would wick water inside the sleeve. It still looked like brand new and the DWR was still beading water pretty well.
Columbia has held up really well for 2ish years now. The one I have is nice and lightweight and it layers very well. A couple of drawbacks such as the original DWR wearing out fairly quickly and I've having to treat it already. Not that big of a deal since this is bound to happen with any breathable rain shell just seemed to happen pretty quickly. Wish mine had some pit zips too, otherwise it's just about perfect.
I've also had a Columbia 3-in-1 parka that I used for 10+ years. Still perfectly functional. The only issue I've ever had was the end one of the shock cords used to cinch up the hem pulled out from the stitching. I was able to to fish it back in and reanchor it. I've just retired it got covered in sap and I was given another brand new parka
I would recommend either one as they're great value for the money. I'm sure if you wanted to spend some more you could find something a bit more durable or fully featured but both of the brands you mentioned are solid choices, in my opinion.
I don't own one (yet), but seconded! Have been researching good raincoats for the last week because I'm in the market for one myself, and this is the one I'll order when they come back in stock in a shop nearby. Reviews are raving on this coat. It's very rain and wind proof, the breathability is average but nice enough (even more so with the pit zippers opened up). They have a longer and a shorter model, if I'm remembering correctly. The only thing that might not be suitable for OP, is the hood. People mention that you can't comfortably wear a helmet underneath, so it might not be big enough.
Since no one’s mentioned it, I’m a big fan of my Eddie Bauer “girl on the go” trench. I’ve worn it in the city and on hikes. I like the removable liner, and I believe it’s guaranteed for life. No quality issues in 4 years of ownership so far.
I don’t think a helmet would work under the hood. I didn’t know there was a long and short lol I wonder which one I ended up with probably the short. That’s also how I found out about the jacket. Lots of research. This jacket is a minimum of $100 less than any comparable 3L goretex jacket on the market. Patagonia’s “h2no” is very comparable to goretex and Patagonia’s ethics are a nice addition. I have never purchased Patagonia gear before because of the price tag, but this is actually a “budget” option for me considering what I would have had to pay for a gortex jacket.
From my personal experience: this thing is bomb proof and confidence inspiring. I took it to Vietnam this summer and it shed water and was incredibly breathable. I took it on a small backpacking trip with my buddy a week or so ago and my only leak came from the very top of the right pocket. With the zipper all the way up, somehow some water got in.
Sorry for the essay, I love this jacket
Arc'teryx
Outdoor Research
Patagonia
Any of the electrospun fibers. Anything else, even lightweight goretex, will lack in breathability IMO.
Ascentshell is my favorite material (OR's brand) as it's the best value.
Arc’teryx worth the money? Thanks
If you can afford it, it's often regarded as one of the best brands for durability. It's out of my price-range comfort zone, but I wouldn't hesitate to say the money gets you a better product.
Understood, they are a bit out of my comfort spending as well for the amount of use I will put it through. Thank you.
I'm quite happy with my Helly Hansen raincoat, it's long and cute.
I was about to write this when reading the question. I own one. Absolutely love it. It has the best hoodie I have ever tried. I’m wearing glasses, and living in Northern Europe when it’s getting raining and windy very often. So I use it often as I was biking, running, or just walking. It’s water repellent, and the best thing is that the water drips from the hoodie perfectly, not to my face. The hoodie can be tight enough that I don’t need to worry it’s blown away by the wind when I was riding my bike. When the weather gets too cold, I can also wear beanie underneath my hoodie.
I am not a sweaty person, but it has zipper underneath the armpit.
LL Bean womens rain coats are excellent. Long, good fabric, good hood design.
Hey, so I hope you're still reading this.
All the rain jackets mentioned here have a big problem: they use durable water repellant spray on the outside, and this spray has to be constantly reapplied, and each time the jacket's performance reduces.
You should strongly consider Columbia Outdry instead. Anything that says "Outdry" on it uses a different technology. Instead of sandwiching the waterproof membrane between an inner and outer layer, they put the waterproof layer directly on the outside. This means no durable water repellant is ever required. It will be permanently waterproof, forever, yet breathable unlike those old fisherman coats. This technology seems to be the industry's best-kept secret. You can find Columbia Outdry jackets on their website, or Amazon or eBay or Poshmark for older models.
However, the jacket I suspect you may like the most is no longer in production, but easily buyable through 3rd parties; my girlfriend has the Columbia Outdry Mackintosh, which is a stylish trench-coat-style raincoat. Here's a Google search for it where you can browse a variety of sites to find your size and colour:
If you don't like how this looks, just keep browsing for Outdry Jackets on Columbia/eBay/Amazon/Poshmark until you see something you like, I've bought several of my Outdry jackets that way!
Look for a "hard outer shell" but I love my winter coats. Living in the Midwest, we get ridiculous amounts of wind year round. I prefer a soft shell hoodie, fleece, and hard shell. Get those three pieces and you can mix and match to any warmth and protection level. Patagonia, REI, Arteryx, Columbia, and most winter brands are great.
I'm currently hanging on to Colombia gear lately, though. I've had the same hard shell and soft shell for over 10 years. My boots I bought used and are still like new after 8 years with me. My Columbia fleeces outlasted my North Face, but I love fleeces and usually buy a new one every 1-2 years..
ispeektroof t1_iqskj35 wrote
Columbia is solid. Don’t know about Helly Hansen. If you want a BIFL product I would recommend Pendleton wool jacket. It will last a lifetime provided you care for it. It isn’t rain or wind proof, but it will keep you warm if soaked. And they come long.