After I first moved to Seattle from the Midwest 16 years in the past, I didn’t personal a rain jacket and by no means had. It’s not that I didn’t spend time exterior within the rain; I simply acquired moist. Or I’d carry an umbrella. I’ve imprecise childhood recollections of my dad throwing a plastic poncho over me when our canoe acquired caught in a day downpour, however waterproof clothes wasn’t a closet staple.
However now I used to be residing in a metropolis notorious for its precipitation. Plus, I acquired a job working on the REI Seattle Flagship retailer as a gross sales specialist. My new mates there, well-versed in important outside gear for the native situations, let me comprehend it was time: I used to be a Seattleite now, and I’d by some means additionally turn into an individual who went mountaineering in my free time.
I wanted a rain jacket.
Should you’re studying this text, it’s secure to imagine you, too, are at a crossroads. Maybe you want a brand new rain jacket, whether or not it’s your first (welcome to the membership!), a substitute or an improve. I nonetheless work for REI—albeit now as a product copy editor at headquarters. The co-op has been designing and making its personal gear for many years from its headquarters close to Seattle. Who’s higher certified to make rain gear than a bunch of Pacific Northwesterners?! I even dwell down the road from one of many co-op’s longtime product prototypers—you possibly can see a number of stitching machines by way of his front room window—so I’m particularly tickled by the concept of counting on gear that acquired its begin proper right here in Rain Metropolis, USA.
Nonetheless, it may be overwhelming to strive to determine which product is your best option for you. Beneath, I take the guesswork out by evaluating the 4 REI Co-op rain jackets obtainable this spring. I share what I’ve discovered from my very own procuring journey and from REI designers and prototype testers.
Learn on for the total article or click on on the hyperlinks under to leap forward to a piece:
- Overview: A fast have a look at the Teris GTX, XeroCloud 3L, Rainier and Trailmade REI Co-op rain jackets
- The Particulars: Drilling down on the design particulars of every jacket, from waterproofing to breathability and extra
- Conclusion: Which jacket is best for you?
Overview of REI Co-op Rain Jackets
REI Co-op Teris GTX Rain Jacket ($249; Girls’s and Males’s)
New for spring 2025, that is the co-op’s burliest rain jacket, which contains a 2-layer GORE-TEX waterproof/breathable membrane. A loose-hanging inside liner provides some heat in addition to some weight. It’s acquired all of the bells and whistles for technical efficiency on the paths, round city, and even on the slopes.
REI Co-op XeroCloud 3L Rain Jacket ($189; Girls’s and Males’s)
Additionally new for spring 2025, that is the co-op’s top-tier technical, light-weight rain jacket for mountaineering and backpacking. It’s the one jacket on this batch with 3-layer waterproofing: a HydroWall
3L laminatethat offers it distinctive waterproof efficiency and breathability. It additionally options stretchier material, elevated trim particulars and a complicated characteristic set, which I’ll dive extra into quickly.
REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket ($99.95; Girls’s and Males’s)
That is the co-op’s flagship rain jacket—beloved for years by REI Co-op Members and up to date in recent times with 100% recycled ripstop nylon shell material. It contains a 2.5-layer HydroWall waterproof/breathable laminate plus lots of the identical technical options as premium rain shells—pit zips, ample adjustability, packability into its personal pocket—however at a bangin’ worth level.
REI Co-op Trailmade Rain Jacket ($69.95; Girls’s and Males’s)
REI launched its Trailmade assortment in spring 2023, welcoming new hikers and backpackers with enjoyable, approachable gear that may be worn on the path or round city. This jacket is deliberately easy and streamlined to make it simple to get exterior and go. And like many merchandise within the Trailmade Assortment, its design was knowledgeable by an REI inclusion advisory panel of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, body-positive and adaptive communities.
The Particulars
Now, let’s get into the weeds to grasp what units these rain jackets other than one another. Learn on or click on on the hyperlinks under to leap to a piece.
- Cloth and Waterproofing
- Breathability
- Pockets
- Hood Design
- Cuff and Hem Changes
- Weight
- A Ultimate Word on Match
Cloth and Waterproofing
Let’s begin with a rain jacket’s most essential job: maintaining you dry!
All 4 jackets share some primary parts: waterproof material that’s been handled with a nonfluorinated sturdy water repellent (DWR) end, a water-proof/breathable laminate, and taped/sealed seams to stop water seepage.
The Teris, XeroCloud and Rainier are totally seam-sealed. Which means all seams are bolstered on the within to maximise the jacket’s waterproofness. The Trailmade is designed for average, on a regular basis actions; solely its important seams (essentially the most uncovered ones) are sealed—on this case, the hood, shoulders and tops of the sleeves. The jacket will maintain you dry on a drizzly hike or canine stroll however could also be extra inclined to water seepage on longer hikes in heavy rain. (Professional tip: In case your rain jacket ever begins wetting out on you, the DWR is straightforward to revive. Right here’s how.)
Past the seam taping, a lot of the variations between these 4 jackets comes within the building technique of the waterproof/breathable laminate. All 4 are thought of waterproof and breathable, however the variety of layers within the building technique results in variations in breathability, lining design and jacket weight.
The Teris GTX options GORE-TEX in a 2-layer building, whereas the XeroCloud, Rainier and Trailmade characteristic a proprietary (unique to REI HydroWall laminate (3-layer on the XeroCloud; 2.5-layer on the Rainier; 2-layer on the Trailmade). What does all that imply, you may ask?
The two-layer building of the Teris and Trailmade combines an outer layer bonded to the waterproof/breathable laminate with a full, hanging interior liner. The liner material differs a bit in these jackets, however the impact is comparable: It offers them a snug really feel on the within and provides extra heat for year-round put on with out vital layering.
Against this, the Rainier jacket’s 2.5-layer HydroWall waterproof/breathable laminate means it has a sturdy outer material, a water-proof barrier utilized inside that, after which a skinny protecting sheen—that’s the half layer—laid inside that to assist shield the laminate. This retains the jacket lighter than 2-layer jackets just like the Trailmade or Teris.
The XeroCloud is the one rain jacket among the many 4 with a 3-layer building, which is mostly thought of the best high quality and most breathable waterproof building. In it, the liner material is bonded to the membrane to guard it—a building technique that renders the complete jacket lighter and extra breathable.
As for texture and really feel, you virtually must see and contact these jackets to understand the variations of their shell materials. Nonetheless, I’ll do my finest right here:
The Rainier and Trailmade really feel and sound like traditional rain jackets. They’re louder and extra textured—you’ll discover a crinkle sound.
The XeroCloud and Teris GTX are made with a softer, quieter material. They may simply be mistaken for a gentle shell however are certainly waterproof.
Breathability
The extra power you propose to exert whereas carrying your jacket, the extra essential breathability turns into. In any case, a water-proof jacket received’t maintain you dry for those who’re sweating profusely inside it. A method rain jackets get their breathability is with pit zips: underarm vents that may be unzipped to supply extra cooling airflow to your physique. These vents are particularly worthwhile on rainwear, since waterproof membranes make jackets inherently much less breathable than non-waterproof choices like gentle shells or fleeces.
Pit zips add breathability to the Teris GTX, XeroCloud 3L and Rainier, making them nice for average bodily exercise like mountaineering and backpacking. The Trailmade doesn’t have pit zips and is finest for informal put on or mountaineering in gentle rain.
Unzip the hand pockets for much more breathability. A factor I didn’t know till I began working at REI: Should you’re not storing something in a jacket’s hand pockets, you possibly can go away them unzipped to spice up the jacket’s breathability everytime you’re working up a sweat.
The hand-pocket hack will work for each the XeroCloud 3L and Rainier, however not the Trailmade or the Teris GTX. Whereas the hand pockets on all 4 jackets are mesh-lined, the 2-layer building of the Trailmade and Teris GTX means their hand pockets have a strong layer between them and your physique, so unzipping the hand pockets doesn’t present the identical airflow as on the XeroCloud 3L and Rainier. (This isn’t actually a priority on the Teris GTX, because it already has generously sized pit zips for venting.)
Pockets
Thank goodness for pockets. Not solely do they let me maintain issues like my cellphone helpful on the path, however in addition they assist maintain my fingers heat on chilly hikes if (when) I neglect my gloves.
All 4 jackets have zippered hand pockets. The upper-priced XeroCloud and Teris GTX have a further zippered chest pocket.
The Trailmade retains issues streamlined with simply the 2 hand pockets, whereas the Rainier additionally options two massive inside drop-in pockets: spacious sufficient on your cellphone, pockets or perhaps a spare hat or pair of gloves.
Hood Design
Should you assume all jacket hoods are created equal, assume once more. You’d be amazed how a lot analysis and growth goes right into a rain jacket’s hood—and the way the varied design particulars and adjustment mechanisms can have an effect on your carrying expertise. (One other professional tip, which applies to all rain jackets: Put on a ball cap or trucker hat beneath the hood to assist in giving it some construction, enhance your visibility and likewise maintain that sideways rain out of your eyes.)
The hood on the Teris gives essentially the most adjustability of those 4 jackets. Twin entrance bungees (hidden for a smooth look) cinch down the hood. A cinchable rear bungee permits for a good tighter match to reduce interference along with your peripheral imaginative and prescient.
The XeroCloud contains a cinchable rear bungee on the hood as effectively, however no separate entrance changes. One standout characteristic it does have is a pleasant tall hood collar with some construction inbuilt for good neck protection in entrance, no matter whether or not you’ve got the hood pulled up or not.
Just like the Teris, the Rainier has twin hood-adjustment bungees within the entrance, hidden contained in the collar for a clear look. Within the again, it contains a easy vertical hook-and-loop strap that may be tightened to shift the hood’s built-in visor just a little increased up in your brow.
The Trailmade contains a easy hood. You’ll be able to cinch it down with twin bungee cords on both aspect of the chin.
Cuff and Hem Changes
All 4 jackets supply a bungee-cinchable backside hem to seal out chilly air and rain, however there are a number of variations within the stage of adjustability and the match they supply.
The Rainier and Trailmade have single hem bungees, whereas the Teris and XeroCloud supply one on either side. This enables for an much more custom-made match across the hips.
The Teris and XeroCloud share one other premium characteristic: barely longer sleeves with slanted cuffs. that present your wrists and fingers with just a little further protection from the rain.
The cuffs on the Teris, XeroCloud and Rainier regulate with a hook-and-loop strap. The cuffs on the Trailmade are usually not adjustable however they’re partly elasticized, which I discovered did an excellent job maintaining the rain out and my sleeves in place, with out having to regulate any straps or toggles.
Weight and Packability
The Teris GTX is the heaviest of those 4 jackets, partly because of the weight of its hanging liner. It ideas the scales at 20.5 ounces for the ladies’s and 24 ounces for the boys’s.
The Trailmade can also be barely heavier, due partly to its hanging liner, however nonetheless clocks in below a pound in most sizes. The ladies’s weighs 13.1 ounces and the boys’s weighs 15.5 ounces.
The Rainier and XeroCloud 3L jackets are the lightest of those 4 jackets. Should you rely ounces when selecting gear, look no additional than the Rainier (at 9.9 ounces for a girls’s small, and 11.2 ounces for a males’s medium), and the XeroCloud 3L (11.3 ounces for the ladies’s; 13.4 ounces for the boys’s).
The XeroCloud 3L and the Rainier each have a chosen “packable” pocket. You’ll be able to stuff the complete jacket into its personal left-hand pocket as a neat little storage pouch, with a double-sided zipper and bungee grasp twine.
A Ultimate Word on Match
All of those are sized to suit layers beneath as wanted.
You could find a measurement chart on the person product pages for every jacket. As a part of the co-op’s dedication to inclusive design practices, all 4 jackets can be found in a variety of sizes from Girls’s XS to 3X to Males’s S to XXL Tall. My physique measurements put me on the higher finish of the ladies’s measurement small vary; I can nonetheless simply match a base layer and light-weight puffy jacket beneath a small in any of those jackets.
That mentioned, every jacket is reduce barely otherwise to go well with various match preferences.
The Teris GTX boasts essentially the most beneficiant match of those 4 jackets. It has ample layering room by way of the torso, barely longer sleeves, a droptail hem (longer within the again than within the entrance) and an additional inch or two in total size in comparison with the opposite jackets.
Conclusion
The XeroCloud 3L suits closest to the physique of those 4 jackets, significantly by way of the waist. This isn’t to say it runs small! It suits true to measurement however contains a extra contoured match with barely much less room for layering beneath. Just like the Teris GTX, it has a extra pronounced droptail hem than the opposite two jackets, and barely longer sleeves as effectively. I used to be capable of match a base layer and light-weight puffy jacket beneath the XeroCloud however doing so made me look just a little extra “stuffed” than with the opposite three rain jackets, so for those who plan on recurrently layering this over a thicker puffy, you may think about ordering one measurement up.
The Rainier has a normal match. In comparison with the XeroCloud, it gives barely extra room for further layers beneath.
The Trailmade has a barely boxier match than the opposite three jackets. It has a beneficiant reduce by way of the chest and waist, plus a barely shorter size in each back and front.
Conclusion: Which REI Co-op rain jacket is best for you?
Select the Teris GTX rain jacket (girls’s, males’s) if you worth sturdiness, a roomy match and high-end climate safety, and aren’t searching for a brilliant light-weight jacket. It performs effectively in average to heavy rain and is burly sufficient to be used as a lightweight snowboarding jacket or informal shell for on a regular basis put on.
Select the REI Co-op XeroCloud 3L rain jacket (girls’s, males’s) for those who’re a hiker and/or backpacker seeking to improve your outerwear to one thing top-tier. Its stretchy, comfy material, glorious breathability and elevated particulars are good for many who love transferring just a little sooner or going just a little farther on the path. The jacket can also be obtainable in an extended silhouette—for each girls and males. And there’s a line of rain pants too.
Select the REI Co-op Rainier rain jacket (girls’s, males’s and girls’s lengthy line) for those who’re on the lookout for a high-performing jack-of-all-trades. The Rainier hits the candy spot for a lot of people: It’s a full-featured waterproof jacket that’s light-weight, breathable and totally seam-sealed to maintain rain out all day lengthy. Its worth level is difficult to beat for the whole lot you get with this tried-and-true piece of rainwear.
The Rainier can also be the one one in every of these three jackets provided (with a much less technical characteristic set) in children’ and toddler/toddlers’ sizes.
For the grownups, the ladies’s model can also be obtainable in an extended silhouette. Should you, like me, get pleasure from sitting on benches on wet days with out getting your butt moist, the has you (actually) lined. (Or if you’d like full head-to-toe protection, think about the Rainier rain pants).
Select the REI Co-op Trailmade rain jacket (girls’s and males’s) for those who’re on the lookout for an excellent worth on a classy, high-quality rain jacket you possibly can put on each day and for exploring native trails. It is available in a wide range of kinds—enjoyable patterns, brilliant colorblocking or extra subdued colours—to fit your private style. It doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles of extra technical mountaineering jackets, however it should do a nice job maintaining you dry in something however extended downpours. The Trailmade line additionally contains rain pants as an choice.
Curious which one was proper for me?
My life seems so much completely different now than it did once I was a newly anointed and rain-jacketless Seattleite 16 years in the past. As a longtime REI worker, I’ve had the chance to increase my rain-jacket arsenal through the years to help my passions for mountaineering, backpacking and path working.
My favourite trails as of late are steep, lengthy ones; I’m a sucker for an excellent summit view. I are inclined to sweat so much, particularly once I’m carrying my 4-year-old on my again. So, the comfy material and distinctive breathability of the XeroCloud 3L actually received me over.
Actually, I like it a lot that I even wore it for the second half of a 100-miler I ran on Orcas Island in February, throughout which it rained on us all evening lengthy. Whereas this jacket wasn’t essentially designed particularly for working, quite a lot of ultrarunning is glorified pace mountaineering—and the truth that the XeroCloud stored me comfy for 12 hours of high-exertion motion in moist, windy climate is a testomony to its spectacular waterproofing and breathability.
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Editor’s notice: This text was up to date to incorporate the brand new REI Co-op Teris GTX and XeroCloud Jackets.
The publish Which REI Co-op Rain Jacket Is Proper for You? appeared first on Unusual Path – An REI Co-op Publication.