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What’s the best lightweight rain jacket for men and women?
To help you find the lightest rain jacket for your needs, here we’ve reviewed some of the best rain jackets for hiking. All of these rain jackets are durable, waterproof and designed to withstand everything from light drizzle to heavy storms to some degree. Some of them are also packable and thus can be easily taken on every single trip.
In this list we’ve included both men’s and women’s rain jackets.
Table of Contents
Best Lightweight Rain Jacket For Hiking
What are the options? And which one to choose?
First, let’s start with some great, light rain jackets for women.
Best Rain Jacket For Women
Find the lightweight ladies jacket of your dreams.
1. Columbia Women’s Arcadia Ii Jacket (click for more details)
An extremely lightweight and waterproof packable hiking jacket.
Overall the best women’s lightweight rain jacket, our favorite.
With shell made of 100% Nylon and 100% Polyester lining, here we have a very practical rain hiking jacket. First of all, it’s waterproof and breathable, and designed to protect you both from light drizzle and heavy downpour. Secondly, the jacket features two zippered pockets and an adjustable storm hood. It may sound like nothing much, but that’s exactly what most of us need, the basics.
The jacket is also very small and packable — it packs into a pocket.
PROS: Lightweightness, compact size (packability)
BEST FOR: Day hikes, sightseeing, traveling
2. The North Face Women’s Venture 2 (click for more details)
A standard-fit women’s breathable waterproof jacket.
It’s the one for everything jacket. From the outside it looks like a regular everyday jacket. Add to that a Durable Water-Repellent (DWR) finish, quality materials and the best features of activewear, and you’ll have a durable and packable lightweight rain jacket. Yes, this is also one of those jackets that packs down into a small pouch.
The jacket is both windproof and waterproof.
PROS: Packable, designed for year-round use, hood
BEST FOR: Hiking, everyday use, traveling
3. Little Donkey Andy Women’s Waterproof Rain Jacket (click for more details)
Durable ladies lightweight jacket with hood.
There are two, roomy zippered pockets on the sides of the jacket, and one interior security pocket. The latter is very useful for storing things like your phone, compact backpacking camera or wallet. Being one of the best hiking rain jacket made of 100% Polyester, it’s fully waterproof and windproof. Thanks to its design, the jacket looks good both in the woods and during a daily commute.
The jacket is available in several colors.
PROS: Versatility
BEST FOR: Hiking, everyday use, traveling
Best Rain Jacket (Men’s)
Looking for the best waterproof hiking jacket for men?
Check out these lightweight rain jackets.
4. Columbia Men’s Glennaker Lake Rain Jacket (click for more details)
Extra durable and light waterproof jacket with hood.
Overall, the best lightweight rain jacket for men, our favorite. Designed for adventures, the jacket is 100% Nylon. Similar to some other rain jackets in this guide, it’s a light, packable rain jacket that you can easily take with you every single time. It’s just so small and compact that it makes sense to pack it with you, just in case you’ll need it (if it starts raining or is more windy than planned).
The jacket features stow-away hood and two zippered hand pockets.
PROS: Packable, hood
BEST FOR: Hiking, everyday use, traveling
5. MARMOT Men’s Precip Lightweight Waterproof Rain Jacket (click for more details)
A 4-season rain jacket for backpacking and everyday.
It’s not the warmest lightweight jacket you can find, but it’s just as good with snow as it is with rain. And when paired with an extra warm mid-layer and a good Merino base layer, it will keep you protected also on winter hikes. Being waterproof and adventure-ready, the jacket is also breathable (very important in cold weather; so you don’t sweat).
The jacket has 3 pockets – two zippered side pockets and one back pocket.
PROS: Designed for year-round use, hood
BEST FOR: Year-round hiking, cycling, traveling
6. FROGG TOGGS Men’s Toadz HD Rockslide (click for more details)
A lightweight walking jacket with zippered chest pocket.
The jacket features an adjustable hood and three secure pockets. There are two zippered side pockets for your hands or essentials, and one zippered check pocket. All of the zippers are splash resistant, and will help to keep your belongings not only safe but also dry. Just like others mentioned above, this jacket looks good both on adventures and in the city.
The jacket is available in several colors.
PROS: Versatility, chest pocket
BEST FOR: Hiking, everyday use, traveling
7. SWISSWELL Men’s Rain Suit (click for more details)
A set of an ultralight rain jacket and rain pants.
It’s not just a lightweight, breathable waterproof jacket, but here you also get a pair of waterproof rain pants. So, if you’re looking at the overall value for the money, this may as well be the best backpacking rain jacket for your needs. True, it’s not the prettiest on the list (for me personally, though, because you may think differently), but it does it’s job — it protects you against the elements, and it does it well.
The jacket features three secure, zippered pockets — two on the sides, and one on the chest. Just like all the best ultralight rain gear.
The set is packable and can easily be taken with you everywhere you go.
PROS: Packability, overall value for money
BEST FOR: Hiking, cycling, outdoor work
How to Find the Best Lightweight Rain Jacket For Yourself?
How to find the best hiking rain jacket for your needs?
Let’s make this as simple as possible.
Generally speaking it’s mostly about these 4 simple things.
1. Water Resistance
How much water resistance do you need?
Most of rain jackets will do well during light rain. Many will do well if it’s raining for an hour or two. And only a few will keep you dry and warm if it’s raining non-stop for hours on end, and you want to be active and hiking. So, if it’s raining really a lot, mostly it’s better to just adjust your plan, instead of trying to battle the nature.
2. Features
Side pockets, inner pockets, adjustable hood, extras.
Make a list of the most important things, things you definitely can’t go without. And stick to that list when shopping for the jacket. Because, for example, there are also rain jackets with no pockets at all. So, yes, it’s important to pay attention to small things like these.
3. Durability
Mostly, it goes hand in hand with your budget
Good and truly durable jackets aren’t cheap. If you need one that you plan to use a lot, be prepared to spend extra.
4. Your Budget
You can easily find a rain jacket for 20 dollars, as well as for 200 dollars.
And, of course, there are also cheap raincoats (better to avoid!).
So, first of all decide upon your budget. Generally, it should reflect how much are you planning to use it. If it’s going to be only once in a while, don’t put too much focus on it, better go on more trips instead. However, if you are going to use it a lot — both at home and during the hiking trips, get the most comfortable and overall the best rain jacket you can afford at this moment.
After footwear and backpack, most likely, it’s the next most important piece in your packing list. If you are warm and dry, you do better, feel better and look better — and who doesn’t want to look and feel better?
What is your experience with rain jackets? What’s the best lightweight rain jacket you have tried so far? Have you tried any good packable rain jacket?
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