Our Favorite Hardshell Jackets and Pants
April’s showers might bring May’s flowers, but climbers know that waterproof layers are a year-round staple. Whether you’re hiking through a downpour to get to the sport cave, climbing steep water ice mid-winter, or just living in the Pacific Northwest, a good hardshell jacket and pants can make or break your day.
We tested 10 waterproof jackets and pants, plus softshells and windlayers—on everything from windy rock laps in Washington Pass to mixed climbs in Patagonia’s Torre Valley—to find which layers are worth your while.
At a Glance
- Best All-Around Waterproof Jacket & Pant: Arc’teryx Beta ($300-400)
- Best for Alpinism: Patagonia M10 ($279-399)
- Best Lightweight Wind Jacket: Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody ($189)
- Best Lightweight Wind Pants: Rab Phantom Pants ($150)
- Bonus: Best Softshell: Mountain Equipment Squall Hooded Jacket ($190)
Best All-Around
Arc’teryx Beta Jacket & Pant
Arc’teryx’s Beta line of waterproof layers is, unsurprisingly, lower grade than the brand’s “Alpha” line—but we think that’s just fine. Most climbers don’t need a $900 weather-proof fortress to climb Mount Rainier, Bridalveil Falls, or Mount Whitney, after all.
What climbers do need is their shells to have reliable protection from downpours and gale-force winds, and the Beta Jacket and Pants certainly deliver with a PFAS-free Gore-Tex exterior. The Beta Jacket is lightweight at just 375 grams and comes complete with ventilating pit zips, harness-friendly hand warming pockets, and a roomy, helmet compatible hood. Meanwhile, the Beta Pants have a single thigh pocket, a nearly full-length side zip to provide a ton of ventilation, plus a stretchy, low-profile waistband for comfortable use with a harness.
The Beta Jacket and Pants have proven exceptionally durable after two seasons of use, on terrain including steep water-ice pillars in the Canadian Rockies and scrappy granite mixed pitches in New Hampshire.
Watch the author stem up Cool Spring (WI 5+) in Field, B.C., wearing the Arc’teryx Beta Jacket.
Best for Alpinism
Patagonia M10 Anorak Jacket & Pants
The M10 series has perhaps the most innovative hardshell design of recent memory, and one which we have already raved about at length in our field-tested review. Why? Because the M10 Pants are essentially a pair of waterproof sweatpants, which provide a completely unrestricted range of motion while climbing. It’s the first time we’ve been able to try (or attempt) a full splits in something we’d also happily wear on Patagonia’s Torre Egger.
The M10 Anorak Jacket has an equally excellent range of motion—no annoying “hem lift” when reaching far overhead—but its real beauty lies in its simple design: it has no hand-warming pockets, no pit zips, and no Velcro wrist cuffs (elasticized, instead). The result is a lightweight, packable, and unrestrictive hardshell jacket that still provides best-in-class weather protection.
Despite how much we love the M10 Anorak Jacket and Pants, there is a reason we’ve called them “best for alpinism” and not “all-around” use: their lack of features will be frustratingly spare to some.
Best Lightweight Wind Jacket
Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody
Alpine Start Hoody men’s ($189)
Alpine Start Hoody women’s ($189)
Gore-Tex jackets are the panacea of the masses. And, yes, while these layers have their place in downpours and waterfall ice climbing, most of the time a fully waterproof jacket is an uncomfortable overkill at best: breathing poorly during exertion, crinkling with every movement, and adding unnecessary weight and bulk. Enter the “wind shell” category, a varied offering of highly breathable and packable jackets which block the wind and light precipitation, all while weighing, costing, and impeding movement far less than fully waterproof shells.
Rising a literal “cut above the rest” is Black Diamond’s Alpine Start Hoody. Using wonderfully stretchy and supple Schoeller fabric it moves with and across your body, breathes moisture faster than anything short of an uphill run can accumulate, and blocks wind and light rain. The Alpine Start also stuffs easily into its breast pocket (oddly, not all wind shells we tested can boast as much).
Tester Maury Birdwell loved this jacket for quick-hit missions up Eldorado Canyon’s Naked Edge (5.11b; 450ft), desert towers in Moab, or all day objectives in Squamish. He found it to be the perfect low-altitude, summer complement to a t-shirt to provide peace of mind should the weather turn or just a bit of warmth at belays. It is also impressively durable—a noteworthy characteristic of Schoeller—holding up to squeeze chimneys and wide thrashing for numerous seasons, far better than a stiffer competitor.
While we do love the Alpine Start Hoody for its lightweight-yet-durable design, penny pinchers should check out Patagonia’s Houdini Jacket as an alternative. It’s nearly half the weight for nearly half the price.
Best Lightweight Wind Pants
Rab Phantom Pants
Rab’s Phantom Pants exist in the same realm at the Alpine Start: extremely wind and water resistant—but we wouldn’t want to jump in a shower with either. The Phantom Pants excel in dry, rocky climates where high winds can make the day feel unreasonably chilly. They offer an excellent weight-to-warmth ratio, as tester Anthony Walsh found on Aguja Saint-Exupéry, Patagonia, while bailing from Chiaro di Luna in high winds.
A note on sizing: We opted to size up to large (from our usual medium) to maximize the Phantom’s climbing performance during high-stepping and stemming cruxes. Paired with the pant’s articulated knees and inherently baggy cut, we’ve had no concerns about climbing up to 5.12 with these in the alpine.
Bonus: Best Softshell
Mountain Equipment Squall Hooded Jacket
Squall Hooded Jacket men’s ($190)
Squall Hooded Jacket women’s ($190)
We know, we know: a “soft shell” jacket probably shouldn’t be in a “hardshell” review, but we loved Mountain Equipment’s Squall Hooded Jacket so much that we couldn’t resist. Why risk sullying the reputation of this otherwise excellent article? Because layering for rugged environments like alpine rock always proves to be a challenge, and a softshell can be uniquely suited to handle it. The Squall is a thin softshell that packs into its own chest pocket. During surprise storms in California’s Sierra, the Squall repelled light rain, while the double-weave fabric proved amply stretchy for the twisting-and-turning motions of boulder scrambling.
Simple in appearance, the Squall is nonetheless feature rich: The bucket hood swallowed various helmet sizes, and dual cinches created a snug fit when Teton gusts kicked up to 35 mph. Our favorite feature was as simple as it is genius: an offset zipper. Because it sits off to the side, it doesn’t rub on the chin or nose when zipped up, keeping those sensitive-skin areas chafe-free. Overall the shape was good for wearing on top of multiple other layers, but size down if you want a more athletic fit.
How to wash a waterproof jacket or pant
The first high-end waterproof jacket our lead tester owned was a red The North Face shell he bought when at 17 years old. It was five years before he washed it for the first time, since he thought a washing machine’s deluge would “use up” all of its water-proof power. Since then, he’s learned that washing waterproof layers is an integral part of keeping them waterproof.
A waterproof layer has a breathable membrane and a durable water repellent (DWR) finish. Over time, both parts become clogged with sweat, dirt, and sunscreen—or blood, sweat, and tears if you’re climbing an offwidth—and become ineffective. To test if your layer needs a wash, hold it under a lightly flowing tap: if the water beads, you’re good to go; if it seeps into the fabric, it’s time to wash.
First, rinse out your washing machine’s soap dispenser to avoid adding any harmful products to your expensive shell. It’s best to wash hardshell products with a “technical wash” made specifically for waterproof outerwear. But, failing that, any mild detergent without stain removers will do. Mountain Equipment Company warns to not use “fabric softener, powder detergent, or bleach—these could permanently damage the waterproof membrane.” Finally, empty the jacket’s pockets and zip up all zippers, and throw it in on cold.
How to re-waterproof a jacket or pant
After your wash is complete, your beloved waterproof layer might still be absorbing moisture. If that’s the case, a “re-waterproofing” wash is also required. We recommend using a wash-in waterproof solution like Nikwax, which is simple to use and will add a fresh DWR coating to your entire piece. Just add the waterproofer to your washing machine and follow the instructions on its label.
How to make your waterproof jacket and pants last
Waterproof layers are relatively fragile, and the lighter they are the more this rings true. Therefore, don’t waste them on sunny days! Don’t wear your waterproof jacket on a pleasant day hike—your pack’s straps will prematurely wear out the jacket’s DWR coating. If mixed climbing in scrappy terrain like chimneys or offwidths, consider wearing a more supple, durable fabric like a softshell to reduce the number of tears you incur. Waterproof shells are also often overkill for warm days with rain-free forecasts. If you’re climbing alpine rock, a windproof layer like the Alpine Start Jacket and Phantom Pants should provide plenty of protection—and are far cheaper to replace if you ruin it.
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