Independent technical database · Waterproofing
The World's Independent Guide to Waterproof Jackets
Compare waterproof jackets, membranes and technologies without the marketing noise. Research jackets by activity, weather, budget and performance.
Jacket Finder
6 verified records searchableThe finder searches only jacket records with sourced specifications and a dated official source. Records still being researched are deliberately excluded, so the result count is small while the database is built.
Activity
Compared against the manufacturer's own documented price in the selected region. Currencies are not converted.
6 verified jackets match your requirements
Current · Research-based assessment · 3L
- No filters applied — shown because the record is published and verified
Current · Research-based assessment · 3L
- No filters applied — shown because the record is published and verified
Current · Research-based assessment · 3L
- No filters applied — shown because the record is published and verified
Current · Manufacturer data only
- No filters applied — shown because the record is published and verified
- Rab Men's Downpour Eco Waterproof JacketPrice not documented
Current, regional availability · Research-based assessment · 2.5L
- No filters applied — shown because the record is published and verified
Current · Research-based assessment · 2.5L
- No filters applied — shown because the record is published and verified
Results are listed in the order you chose, not ranked by an editorial verdict. Nothing here is a score, a manufacturer claim of superiority, or a physical test result.
Find a waterproof jacket that fits your needs
Research-based guidance; not a field-tested ranking
Start with your activity, the conditions you expect and the features you will actually use. Our buying guide compares a researched shortlist using documented specifications, explains the compromises and links to the evidence behind each entry.
Explore the waterproof jacket shortlistWaterproof Technologies Explained
18 membrane platforms documented
W. L. Gore & Associates
GORE-TEX
The most widely licensed waterproof laminate platform in outdoor clothing. Gore certifies finished garments rather than selling fabric alone, which is why construction quality is comparatively consistent across brands.
W. L. Gore & Associates
GORE-TEX ePE
Gore's PFC-free-membrane platform, introduced to replace expanded PTFE in much of its consumer range. Thinner and lighter membranes are typical, with the same garment-level certification approach.
W. L. Gore & Associates
GORE-TEX PRO
The most rugged tier of the GORE-TEX range, built only as a three-layer laminate for alpine and professional use. Variants trade abrasion resistance against stretch and breathability within one garment.
Patagonia
H2No Performance Standard
H2No is a testing standard rather than a single membrane. Patagonia specifies laminates from several suppliers and holds them to its own wet and wash cycle protocol.
The North Face
FUTURELIGHT
An electrospun membrane platform built around air permeability, so a shell can vent passively rather than relying only on zips. Face fabrics and backers vary widely across the range.
The North Face
DryVent
The North Face's volume waterproof platform, used across accessible price points in 2L, 2.5L and 3L builds.
Mitsui / Pertex
Pertex Shield
A fabric-supplier platform used widely by British and European mountain brands, often in very light hiking and emergency shells.
Columbia
OutDry Extreme
Inverts normal shell construction by putting the waterproof layer outermost, so there is no face fabric to wet out and no DWR to reproof.
Waterproof Ratings Explained
Hydrostatic head, in millimetres
- 5,000 mm
- Light, brief rain
- 10,000 mm
- General hiking and everyday rain
- 20,000 mm
- Sustained rain and pressure points
- 30,000+ mm
- Headroom beyond most real use
What the number means
A hydrostatic head figure records the height of a water column a fabric withstood before water was forced through, under one laboratory method. It describes resistance to water pressure — nothing else.
Important caveat
Laboratory methods and manufacturer testing differ, and some of the best-known laminates — including every GORE-TEX product — publish no figure at all. A single number should never be the only measure of real-world jacket performance.
Latest Reviews
Patagonia Torrentshell 3L
A straightforward three-layer rain shell built around repairability and a moderate price rather than around low weight or alpine features.
Arc'teryx Beta Jacket
A pared-back all-round hardshell where the money goes into hood, cuff and pattern engineering rather than into extra features.
Rab Downpour Eco
A light, inexpensive recycled-fabric rain shell aimed at hillwalkers who want protection in a pack rather than a technical alpine layer.
Popular Comparisons
Waterproof Jacket Brands
29 brands in the database
Learn About Waterproofing
Fundamentals
What the words on a hangtag actually describe.
Ratings & Measurement
Hydrostatic head, MVTR, RET and the standards behind them.
Materials & Construction
Membranes, laminates, seams, zips and chemistry.
Care & Longevity
Washing, reproofing, repair and storage.
Buying Advice
Choosing, layering and judging features.
Featured Guides
Researched and sourced, with a visible last-updated date
- 2026-09-15Waterproof Ratings ExplainedA millimetre rating is one laboratory measurement of one flat patch of fabric. What it records, which standards govern it, why identical numbers are not comparable, and what decides whether a jacket keeps you dry.
- 2026-09-15What Does 20,000 mm Waterproof Mean?What the extra pressure resistance buys, where it stops making a practical difference, and why two jackets sharing the figure can behave differently in the same downpour.
- 2026-09-15Is 10,000 mm Waterproof Enough?What a 10,000 mm rating covers in real use, how it compares with 5,000 mm, 20,000 mm and 30,000 mm, and a decision framework that puts the number in its proper place.
- 2026-09-15Hydrostatic Head ExplainedThe test itself: how it is run, which standards define it, how results must be reported, why figures from different methods are not interchangeable, and why a laboratory pressure result cannot predict how a finished jacket behaves in rain.
Independent by design
We separate manufacturer specifications from editorial assessment. When we physically test a jacket, we say so. When we haven't, we say that too. If a manufacturer doesn't publish a specification, we don't invent one.
The waterproofing briefing
New reviews, specification corrections and membrane research. No sponsored placements, no discount codes.