On this page we set out to find the best waterproof jacket for hiking, camping and general outdoors use. Here we concentrate on men’s jackets; a roundup of women’s jackets will be appearing soon.
Top Three Choices
In a hurry? Here are our top choices (you can find out more about each jacket by scrolling down the page):
Best Men’s Waterproof Jacket 2018: Winner: Best Value
Marmot’s Precip Jacket is a lightweight, water and wind-proof shell suitable for a wide range of uses.
Best Men’s Waterproof Jacket 2018: Winner: Best All-Rounder
Columbia’s Lhotse II Interchange Three-In-One Jacket has a removable insulating inner layer that acts as a stand-alone jacket for use in dry conditions. The outer layer ensures you’ll stay dry when the heavens open. Zip them together and you’ll be ready for anything!
Best Men’s Waterproof Jacket 2018: Winner: Best High-End
The Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket is expensive, but the company’s reputation speaks for itself. This is a quality garment that will do the job in the harshest of conditions. As a bonus it will draw appreciative glances from those ‘in the know’.
Best Waterproof Jacket 2018: Full Roundup
In this 2018 comparison we’ve looked at waterproof jackets from a range of manufacturers, at a range of price points.
While any one of the jackets in the list below could be considered to be the best waterproof jacket of 2018, we’ve selected three that, for us, stood out above the others on spec alone. As always, we recommend that you go to your local outdoors gear store and try a few of them on.
Click on any of the photos to view reviews (and price!) at Amazon.
These are our picks of the waterproof jackets currently available in early 2018. You can find further information about each jacket by following the relevant links.
1. Arc’teryx Macai Jacket
Arc’teryx is a premium brand and, as you might expect, the Canadian company’s Macai waterproof jacket doesn’t come cheap. In fact, it’s the most expensive jacket in our lineup. So why should you part with your hard-earned for this jacket?
The Macai features Gore-Tex waterproofing and natural down insulation (it is insulated with goose down) – thereby insuring that you remain both dry and warm even in the most demanding of conditions.
Synthetic insulation has also been used, in a system Arc’teryx term ‘Down Composite Mapping’. The Macai is no mere ‘outer shell’ of a jacket – it’s a fully insulated outdoors coat, albeit a lightweight, technical one.
The Macai has been designed for skiing and snowboarding; it’s lightweight and suitable for physical activity. Despite this, it’s also popular among those who never set foot on the slopes, and who simply want a high-quality, waterproof garment to protect them against the winter cold.
2. Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket
Whereas Arc’teryx’s ‘Alpha’ range is suited for hard-core climbing and mountain use, the company’s ‘Beta’ range is aimed at a more diverse range of activities and conditions. Whether you’re a skier, climber, hiker or simply enjoy being outdoors in demanding conditions, the Beta AR jacket is designed to keep you warm and dry.
Several reviews mention that wearing this jacket feels like you’re in your own snug, private world. Although not as specialist as the Alpha SV, the Beta AR still provides helmet compatibility.
The Arc’teryx Men’s Beta AR Jacket could well be the best waterproof jacket for demanding outdoorsmen who insist on high-quality, technical gear. However, performance wear such as this come at a price, and the Beta AR isn’t cheap.
3. Arc’teryx Alpha SV Jacket
The Alpha SV is made primarily for climbers and others whose livelihoods and/or interests mean that they spend long periods of time in harsh, mountainous conditions. As you would expect, the Alpha SV features Gore-Tex technology ensuring that it is waterproof and breathable. Lightweight, abrasion-resistant, and with a hood that is helmet compatible, the Alpha SV is a purposeful and well-made jacket.
For mere mortals who’ll never dangle on an exposed cliff-face in driving snow, it’s sometimes nice to splash out on something you know can cope with extreme conditions – even if you’ll probably never make use of its full capabilities.
4. Columbia Men’s Lhotse II Interchange Three-In-One Jacket
Like all of the jackets in Columbia’s Interchange range, the Lhotse II is ‘3 jackets in one’. You get an outer shell, plus an insulated inner layer. The inner layer can either be zipped in to provide extra insulation, or worn as a stand-alone coat.
The Lhotse II has an underarm zip-venting system that allows you to increase / decrease the ventilation as conditions dictate. The hood is removable and the cuffs are adjustable with Velcro fastenings.
The Lhotse II features Columbia’s ‘Omni-Tech’ breathable waterproof system, not to mention their ‘Omni-Heat’ thermal-reflective technology. We think there are a few more ‘Omni-whatever’ bits and pieces too. What it all adds up to is a very nice coat that will keep you warm and dry all year round.
Available in 3 different cuts – standard, big and tall, the Lhotse II is one to check out.
5. Columbia Men’s Glennaker Lake Front-Zip Rain Jacket with Hideaway Hood
The Glennaker Lake is a lightweight jacket suitable for a wide range of uses. It features Columbia’s ‘Omni-Shield’ water repelling technology. Notice that that’s ‘water repellent’, rather than ‘waterproof’. This jacket should keep you dry in light rain, but don’t expect to stay that way in a downpour.
While perhaps not suitable for use in overly-demanding situations, if you’re an occasional hiker, or want a nice-looking outdoors coat for activities such as birding or photography, then the Glennaker Lake is a nice, and relatively low-cost, choice.
6. Marmot Men’s Precip Jacket
Like most other outdoor clothing brands, Marmot has its own breathable waterproofing technology. In their case, it’s NanoPro, which, in the company’s own words, is ‘Marmot’s most comfortable waterproof/breathable coating technology ever. NanoPro’s™ superior microporous structure is dynamically air permeable, allowing for air exchange to help shed excess moisture vapor without compromising the waterproofness or windproofness of the garment.’
Marmot’s Precip jacket features NanoPro, and judging by the reviews it seems to do a good job at keeping the rain out. The Precip, like many of the waterproof jackets in this roundup, is simply a shell. It’s designed to be worn over a fleece or other insulating layer, and will provide little insulation on its own. However, we’ve found that a waterproof, windproof shell is often warm enough without additional insulation.
The Precip has ‘pitzips’ – i.e. zips in the armpits that can increase ventilation in humid conditions. Other features include chest pockets that can be accessed while wearing a pack, adjustable Velcro cuffs, and a design that allows a full range of motion in the arms.
In addition, the Precip can also pack into an integrated pack pocket.
This is a competitively-priced waterproof jacket from a respected manufacturer. Definitely a contender for the title of best waterproof jacket 2018.
7. The North Face Men’s Resolve 2 Jacket
The Resolve 2 is the updated version of The North Face’s classic waterproof jacket. The changes, as far as we can tell, are minor: perhaps a slight difference in the fit and styling of the coat.
If you’ve owed one of these jackets before, then you’ll know what you’re getting: a thin, waterproof jacket that offers little in the way of insulation but which nevertheless provides protection from the wind and rain. A mesh lining inside the coat provides at least a degree of warmth. The hood rolls up and stows away in the collar and a Velcro flap covers the zip on the front of the jacket.
The Resolve 2 doesn’t have Gore-Tex, and instead relies on The North Face’s own DryVent fabric, which claims similar waterproofing / breathability performance. The jacket is available in a wide range of colors, from subtle blacks and browns, to bright blues and yellows.
Some reviews draw attention to the Resolve 2’s large collars, which may or may not be to your taste. We feel that they probably help to cover the neck and lower face in harsh conditions. Our similar North Face jacket feels surprisingly cozy – despite strictly being a ‘shell’ layer – when the collars are zipped up to our noses.
8. The North Face Men’s Venture 2 Jacket
The Venture 2 is a similar jacket to the Resolve 2. It lacks the mesh lining of the Resolve, and is therefore even lighter. The Venture 2 is definitely a ‘shell’ layer, designed to protect the wearer from wind and rain, but offering little in the way of insulation.
One feature of the Venture 2 is that it can be bundled up and stored in its own pocket. This makes it ideal for use on hikes in which storage space is limited.
9. The North Face Men’s Dryzzle Jacket
Ignore the terrible pun in the name, the Dryzzle is a very nice bit of kit. It’s a similar jacket to the company’s own Resolve 2, but features GORE-TEX breathable waterproofing.
If you want a lightweight shell North Face jacket with the added security of Gore-Tex, then this is the one to go for. It’s ideal for taking on warm weather hikes when you’re unsure what the weather’s going to do. It takes up little space and can be stored in a small pack when not in use. In colder weather, wear it as a shell over a fleece or jumper.
Choosing A Waterproof Jacket
For me, a waterproof jacket is the most important part of my outdoors kit. It’s also the item I usually end up paying the most for.
I’ve found that whereas I can get away with buying mid-range walking boots, the equivalent waterproof jacket will often leave much to be desired.
There’s also the fact that I’ll be wearing the jacket for a variety of social occasions, not just for my forays into the wild.
I want a jacket that will not only step up to the mark in the wilderness, but also look good when I wear it to the pub.
On this page we’ve taken a look at a number of jackets that are potentially the best waterproof jacket on the market (in early 2018). Which one you choose will come down to what you intend to do with it, and your budget.
Most of the waterproof jackets we looked at are ‘shells’. These jackets are designed to be used with a base layer, such as a fleece. They are waterproof and windproof, and most can be stuffed into a backpack when not being worn.
This design makes them extrememly adaptable: the same jacket that can be taken on a day hike in the middle of winter also does a job in mountain temperatures in the depth of winter.
The windproofing means that they’re surprisingly warm, even when worn without a base layer.
Modern waterproof jackets are also designed to be ‘breathable’, which means that whereas they don’t let water in, they do let moisture out. Wearing old waterproof jackets without this facility, you’d often find that the inside of your jacket was wetter than the outside!
Gore-Tex or not Gore-Tex?
Although there are alternatives, I always look out for Gore-Tex jackets. My last two Gore-Tex jackets were still waterproof even after the other hardware had failed.
Some will say that I’m paying for the name, and that competitors have caught up with and even surpassed Gore-Tex. They may be right, but I still feel confident that paying a little bit more pays off in the end.
Certainly my current waterproof jacket, a four year old North Face with Gore-Tex, is still going strong.
Best Waterproof Jacket 2018 Round-up: Conclusion
We hope that you’ve enjoyed reading about our selection of jackets. Hopefully you can now go to the store knowing what to look out for. Most of today’s jackets are well-made and durable. Yes, paying more does bring you some benefits, but you’ve got to work out what you really need and what is superfluous.
Our choice of the very best waterproof jacket? We’d stick with what we know and go for a North Face jacket with Gore-Tex, or a similar garment from Marmot, Columbia or Berghaus. If someone else was paying, we’d go for the Arc’teryx Beta AR!