7 Best Men’s Raincoats | The Strategist
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A raincoat is simply an outer layer meant to protect one’s body and other clothes from getting wet. Yet there are so many different ways to approach this problem, each with a unique set of trade-offs. Do I care more about water resistance or the presence of forever chemicals? Do I want my hood to be able to fit over a helmet, or is a hat sufficient — or would I be better off with no hood? Is ventilation for summer storms more critical than a cleaner look? It’s almost enough to make one consider an umbrella instead, until you remember the existence of wind.
Waterproofing is the obvious feature to look for when raincoat shopping, but more isn’t always better. Water resistance trades off against breathability, so you want to be sure a jacket won’t replace the wetness from external rain with steamy body sweat. And even the ideal combination of moisture repellency and breathability is no good if the garment is too dorky to wear around town. With that in mind, my colleagues and I researched and tested all the popular options to find a handful of stylish (or at least inoffensive) options to cover a broad range of aesthetic and performance needs. Whether you want to summit a tropical mountain or protect your wedding suit from spring showers, we’ve got you covered.
Updated on May 22, 2025
After additional research and testing, we reorganized our picks and added some new ones. The Patagonia Torrentshell is now our best overall pick, and the Arc’teryx Beta is our recommendation for a premium Gore-Tex jacket. The Helly Hansen Loke 2.0 is a new hiking-specific pick, and we’ve added a longer Barbour jacket for additional protection.
Most rain jackets are made of either nylon (sometimes listed as polyamide) or polyester laminated to a highly water-resistant membrane that keeps moisture out while letting air through — even if they’re not truly “waterproof.” This combination of materials offers the best blend of moisture resistance and breathability, which is essential because keeping rain out is not enough to stay dry if your sweat soaks you from within. This is often the case with truly waterproof materials like polyurethane, PVC, and rubber — which, in addition to being heavy, are entirely impermeable to air, making them unsuitable for warmer temperatures or aerobic activities such as walking briskly to escape the rain.
When choosing between various laminate materials, every brand touts its own proprietary fabric as the best. What matters most is the number of layers within the fabric. While all rain jackets have an externally facing fabric backed by a membrane, nicer jackets add a full layer of soft, protective material to the interior, resulting in a three-layer fabric. Cheaper jackets, meanwhile, use only a protective coating on the inside, which feels plasticky against bare skin and wears out more quickly over time. This is referred to as a 2.5-layer fabric.
Every brand has its own secret sauce for the membrane itself — some claim theirs to be more breathable, while others prioritize durability. However, none can match Gore-Tex in maintaining water resistance and breathability over time. I have thrifted jackets made in the ’90s that were subsequently made serviceable by a trip through the laundry using specialized cleaning products (like Nikwax Tech Wash and TX.Direct). The fabric itself (and the rights to advertise its use) is more expensive, so jackets made from the material tend to cost more. But it’s worth it if you expect your coat to last more than a few seasons of regular use.
The first line of defense against water is not actually the fabric itself but a factory-applied coating known as DWR. This finish wears out over time but can be refreshed periodically using the aforementioned Nikwax products (or similar ones). For a long time, these finishes primarily consisted of the same “forever chemicals” that gave nonstick cookware a bad name. But most outdoorsy brands have prioritized moving away from PFAs and PFCs in recent years with that in mind.
Rain-jacket length isn’t just about fit and style. A slightly longer cut will ensure that your mid- and base layers stay dry and can even provide some additional leg protection. I also prefer it as a longer-torso individual. I have reported the length of the medium-size jackets below, but smaller and larger sizes may vary.
Pit zips, or “underarm ventilation,” are crucial for dumping excess heat in jackets designed for hiking, backpacking, and other aerobic activities. Jackets that lack this feature can achieve some ventilation if you open the hand pockets, but a rain jacket will be unusable in warm and humid weather without them.
While larger brands can afford to cover a broad range of body shapes and sizes, smaller ones tend to have a more limited selection.
Most outdoor brands offer some form of “limited lifetime” warranty coverage on their products, referring to the expected lifetime of the product and not the lifespan of the purchase. Some are more generous than others in how they interpret this language. For example, Patagonia’s Ironclad Guarantee says it will repair, replace, or refund anything for any reason if you’re unsatisfied with its products, and the company means it. Over the years, I have witnessed all kinds of random bric-a-brac returned for store credit.
Fabric: 3-layer recycled nylon with H2No membrane | DWR: PFC free | Length: 31” | Pit zips: Yes | Size range: XS–3XL | Warranty: Lifetime
Patagonia’s Torrentshell is a classic because it works as well as jackets costing much more but is more durable than anything cheaper. (If something goes wrong, Patagonia will make it right with a repair or an exchange.) That’s because the Torrentshell is made with a three-layer fabric, which adds an interior lining to improve comfort, breathability, and durability compared with the 2.5-layer jackets with exposed membranes that are more popular in the sub-$200 price range. As a result, I comfortably wore it over a T-shirt during a spring shower on a warm day, further aided by the ample pit zips, which I was happy to have while hiking uphill.
Stylewise, it is available in ten seasonally rotating colors, each with sizes ranging from XS to 3XL. The fit is boxy through the torso to accommodate extra layers and is long in the arms (which terminate in Velcro closures) to protect those layers from precipitation. I also appreciated that, at 31 inches long in the medium size, it’s about an inch or two longer than most jackets of this style, providing just a bit of extra thigh protection.
“I’ve tested two different versions of the Torrentshell,” says Strategist associate editor Jeremy Rellosa, “and both of those jackets have been my go-to rain shells for almost every type of hike or backpacking trip I’ve gone on, from Patagonia to Nepal.” Plus, it gets the stamp of approval from Strategist columnist Chris Black and photographer Corey Jermaine, who tells us that he has worn his in some of the “ugliest rain” you can imagine and that the jacket is as fashionable as it is functional.
Fabric: Stretch polyester | DWR: Yes | Length: 29” | Pit zips: Yes | Size range: XXS–3XL | Warranty: 30-day returns
If you live in an urban or suburban setting where cover is never too far away, you can get away with a much lighter and wearable rain jacket such as the Uniqlo Blocktech Parka. This slightly stretchy polyester jacket has a smooth, thin membrane that is highly breathable and soft against the skin, but it’s not nearly as waterproof as my other picks. It’s aided by an effective DWR finish on the exterior, but this will fade over time. It did start to wet out while I was gardening in a drizzle for about an hour, but it’s more than enough protection for walking a few blocks from the subway to your destination or the hundred yards from your car to a store’s entrance.
Besides its affordable price and attractive color options, the Blocktech Parka’s fit is its best trait. “It’s slightly slimmer than other medium cuts, but it doesn’t drape in a baggy way,” says Rellosa. Nicolas Lazaro, an editorial manager at Buck Mason also praises its “flattering structure with just enough stretch for comfort.” It’s among the few rain jackets available in an XXS size.
The Blocktech Parka has a casual, flattering city-friendly fit.
Photo: Michael Zhao
Fabric: 3-layer recycled nylon face with Gore-Tex membrane and C-Knit liner | DWR: PFC free | Length: 30” | Pit zips: No | Size range: XS–3XL | Warranty: Lifetime
If you want a rain jacket that will last for as long as you take proper care of it and that looks as good in the city as it does on the trail, the Arc’teryx Beta is worth the upgrade. Its fit is more tailored than most hiking-oriented jackets without feeling tight or reading as skinny. The fact that it has a head-sized hood instead of a larger (and often unsightly) helmet-compatible one and sacrifices pit-zip ventilation in the name of a cleaner silhouette suggests the Beta is more of a fashion-forward, hiking-capable rain jacket than a trail-first garment. (If you like the Beta’s looks but want those features, the Beta SL is a good option at $500.) However, it still has a stitched-in Recco reflector, which can help search-and-rescue teams find a wearer in an emergency.
Putting aside the undeniable cachet of the prominent “dead bird” logo, the Beta is a thoughtfully patterned garment constructed of uncompromising materials to the highest standards. Nowadays, each outdoor brand touts its own proprietary waterproof membrane technology, but none can match Gore-Tex’s track record in performance and reliability over time. And in addition to improving breathability, the C-Knit backing cloth has a smoother, less plasticky feel than the liner materials found on less expensive Gore-Tex laminates. Similarly, few brands stand behind their products the way Arc’teryx does. I inherited my first Arc’teryx Gore-Tex shell from a friend in 2010 after it had already been used for two winters. By the time I handed it off to a friend in 2024, it had been repaired only once under warranty (for a minor tear that was entirely my fault). And it was still completely waterproof after over a decade of washing and re-treating according to the instructions.
As part of Arc’teryx’s efforts to reduce the use of forever chemicals in its products, the latest Beta uses a PFC-free ePE Gore-Tex membrane and a PFA-free DWR finish. The brand explains that this material will begin to look as if it’s soaking through long before it actually does when compared with older Gore-Tex laminates — a claim backed by my testing observations across several weeks of heavy rain this spring.
The Black Sapphire color I tested looks black at first but has a subtle inky-blue hue that looks lovely in the sunlight.
Photo: Michael Zhao
Fabric: 2.5-layer nylon with Helly Tech membrane | DWR: PFC free | Length: 29” | Pit zips: Yes | Size range: S–3XL | Warranty: Limited lifetime
The Helly Hansen Loke 2.0 is a recent update to a long-standing classic with a feature set that belies its affordable price. While the new version no longer costs less than $100, it’s still pretty close, despite adding a Recco reflector, a fully repairable main zipper, and a PFC-free DWR finish — rare in this price range. Combine that with the zippered underarm ventilation, solid construction, and stylishly discreet branding (with tone-matched logos on most colors) that people already loved about the older version, and you can see why the sequel may end up being more popular than the original.
The Loke 2.0 is made of 2.5-layer nylon-faced fabric, so the interior is slick and rubbery compared with higher-priced three-layer jackets. However, it wasn’t as plasticky and instantly clammy-feeling as some other jackets I tried in its price range. Like any 2.5-layer jacket, it won’t be the most durable garment in the long term, but Helly Hansen does offer a limited lifetime warranty if you encounter any major issues in the first few years of ownership.
Fabric: Polyurethane-coated polyester | DWR: N/A | Length: 31.5” | Pit zips: Grommeted vents | Recco: No | Size range: XS–XXL | Warranty: Two years
If you’re searching for a slicker-style rain jacket that won’t look too outdoorsy in an urban environment, the Rains jacket offers an elegant combination of retro styling and modern materials, which is why it’s also one of Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie’s top picks for women’s raincoats.
It’s made of lightweight polyester fabric with a thin polyurethane coating that offers durable protection from all external moisture; the side pockets are protected by buttoned flaps, which keep moisture from beading and pooling inside. While the coated fabric is not as breathable as the membrane fabrics used in many of my other picks, the Rains offers some relief from balmy conditions in the form of physical vent holes grommeted into the armpits and concealed vents running across the back. It’s perfect for spring and fall showers but not ideal for summer storms. “If you run hot like me, you’ll likely work up a sweat in this if you’re commuting in temperatures warmer than about 50 degrees,” says Rellosa.
The Rains jacket fits like a hiking shell but has the look of a retro raincoat.
Photo: Jeremy Rellosa
Fabric: Waxed cotton | DWR: Wax | Length: 30” | Pit zips: No | Size range: 32–52 (suit-jacket sizing) | Warranty: One-year
Unlike the other materials in this list, waxed cotton requires no plastic or artificial chemicals to resist water while maintaining breathability. And when it comes to waxed-cotton jackets, you’d better have a really good reason to consider anything other than Barbour (I own a couple myself). The British brand didn’t invent waxed-cotton garments but has become synonymous with their production over the past century — during which they’ve protected people ranging from World War II submarine crews to Queen Elizabeth II from the dreary British climate.
Fashion reporter Anthony Rotunno, in his Strategist review of the iconic Bedale, called it “the best thing I bought in the last decade,” citing its effortlessly sophisticated styling, impressive durability, and refined fit: “It’s trim while still hanging loose, making it easy to wear without ever looking bulky.” As a more recent Barbour purchaser, I agree wholeheartedly with his assessment. However, I prefer the extra three inches of weather protection the longer Beaufort model provides.
Fabric: Waxed cotton | DWR: Wax | Length: 33” | Pit zips: No | Size range: 34–52 (suit-jacket sizing) | Warranty: One-year
My newer Beaufort shrugs off everything short of a downpour for the time being, but the wax will wear off with time. When it does, I look forward to reapplying it myself. You can also send it to Barbour for a full rewaxing, though this costs a lot more and may require a wait.
Fabric: Polyester-cotton blend with membrane liner | DWR: Yes | Length: Thigh | Pit zips: No | Size range: S–XXL | Warranty: One-year
The Stormchaser mackintosh is one of Rellosa’s favorite raincoats because its basic silhouette complements dressier outfits (as opposed to the look of a hiking jacket, which can feel odd with more formal clothing) and it has tiny magnetic pocket closures that snap shut to keep valuables dry.
The mackintosh (or mac) jacket has the body coverage of a full-length raincoat but lacks an ungainly hood, which would look out of place on top of a suit. Mack Weldon’s take also adds the lightweight, breathable membrane of a hiking rain jacket for improved weather protection. Just be sure to bring an umbrella for your head.
Additional reporting by Jeremy Rellosa.
• Chris Black, Strategist style columnist
• Brandon Garr, fashion stylist
• Katherine Gillespie, Strategist writer
• Corey Jermaine, photographer
• Nicolas Lazaro, editorial manager at Buck Mason
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