The 3 Best Hardshell Jackets for Women (2024)

Best for Active Wear

Rab Kinetic Alpine 2.0 - Women's

Materials: Gore-Tex Pro | Category: Lightweight

The Rab Kinetic Alpine 2.0 is a solid, reliable shell jacket that feels more like a softshell. It is relatively lightweight and highly breathable yet still manages to seal out even the toughest of midwinter blizzards. We put it to the test in cold conditions and in near-freezing ones, where if you don't have a great shell, you'll be cold and wet (and miserable) very quickly. The Kinetic Alpine 2.0 held its own through the worst of the storms.

The Kinetic Alpine 2.0 is made of a supple stretch fabric with a svelte cut. As such, it may not accommodate many warm layers underneath, but since it's designed for higher-level aerobic activities, we don't see this as a problem. It is also a relatively simple shell, and a bit lighter in features, but we found them to be well-selected and consistent with the purpose and utility of the jacket. Another stretch option we like is the affordable Mountain Equipment Orbital.

Read more: Rab Kinetic Alpine 2.0 review

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Why You Should Trust Us

To begin this comparative study of women's hardshell jackets, we combed through the industry's leading models and debated the pros and cons of each. From a pool of over 40 models, we selected 10 that looked most promising and put them through our in-depth testing process. We spent at least three months with the jackets, dragging them along on various mountain adventures from the Pacific Northwest to the wilds of Montana, and all around town, just for good measure. We noted which shells were suited better for one purpose and which offered high performance across multiple activities. We passed the jackets around to our friends and let them choose which ones they wanted to take out for a day of ice climbing or ski touring. We then listened to their glee or gripes and apologized when testing went sideways, but mostly, they were psyched to try such a stellar lineup of hardshell jackets.

Our testing of hardshell jackets is divided across five rating metrics:

• Weather Protection (30% of overall score weighting)

• Mobility and Fit (20% weighting)

• Venting and Breathability (20% weighting)

• Weight (20% weighting)

• Features and Design (10% weighting)

For this review, our expert review panel is comprised of AMGA Certified Rock Guide and Mountaineer Lyra Pierotti and science teacher and endurance athlete Amber King. Lyra guides mountains worldwide, teaches avalanche courses all winter, and trains athletes as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She calls the Pacific Northwest her home "basecamp." Amber is originally from Canada and ended up in southwest Colorado after completing her B.Sc. and B.Ed. Degrees. Here she discovered trail running, completing her first half, full, and ultra marathons in one year. When she's not busy training as an endurance athlete, splitboarding, or pack rafting, Amber teaches high school science.

Analysis and Test Results

Phase one of testing involves thorough research into the product, brands, and available models. After learning as much as possible about the details of fabric technology, we selected what looked like the most reliable or high-value models. We polled a broad network of outdoor professionals to see what holds up over time and then ran our selection of jackets through rigorous field tests. To help you select the right hardshell, we tested each jacket and took notes on five mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive metrics: Weather protection, mobility and fit, venting and breathability, weight, and features and design. We also took durability and versatility into account. Read on to learn more about how we assessed each jacket for quality.

Value

We might be a bunch of gearheads here at GearLab, but that doesn't mean we like wasting our money on bogus new gear just for the sake of newness. We are critics at heart, and we take our jobs as seriously as our play. We have high expectations and the resources to cut through the marketing hype. Our rigorous selection process cuts through most of the weeds, and then the jackets get a thorough field testing to confirm or deny our original hypothesis (that is to say, the hope that we were purchasing a decent hardshell). Products like the Patagonia Triolet, Rab Kinetic Alpine 2.0, or even the Mountain Equipment Orbital offer a good performance to price ratio.

Weather Protection

First and foremost, a hardshell jacket must be weatherproof. This is the most important metric because, ultimately, this layer is critical for your safety in a changing and harsh weather environment. To fully assess each jacket for its ability to weather any storm, we tested each one in inclement weather (rain or snow, depending on the intended use of each jacket). The standards are high for hardshell fabrics, so we look critically at anything that can compromise the jacket's weatherproof performance. This can include sleeves or torso lengths that are too short or a poorly designed hood.

We also considered how well the jackets sealed out the wind. This often comes with snow and rain and allowed us to rate how "warm" or "cool" a jacket might feel. Thicker, burlier models fared better in weather protection but might lose points in breathability. There were several levels of hardshell material used in the jackets we reviewed. The burliest and most weatherproof was hands down the Arc'teryx Alpha SV, with its ultra-rugged N100d 3L Gore-Tex Pro fabric. This was the most durable jacket in the review, yet it still managed to be relatively lightweight.

Some jackets were geared toward milder climates, utilizing less burly fabrics to save weight or improve breathability. The next level down on the weatherproof spectrum is the Arc'teryx Beta AR with two types of Gore-Tex Pro fabric, strategically placed for more durability on the arms and better breathability at the core. The Outdoor Research Archangel also impressed us with its Gore-Tex Pro fabrics. After testing extensively in Pacific Northwest storms and cold inland climates while ice climbing in Montana, we found the Mammut Nordwand Pro provided outstanding weather protection, too. It is an excellent shell for use in cold regions.

Mobility and Fit

Hardshell jackets are not known for being soft and supple; that's why we love softshell jackets. Hardshells tend to be stiffer, and they are not necessarily known to be a go-to for comfort and ease of movement—they're to keep you alive in terrible weather. That said, technology is improving dramatically. Paneling design can significantly improve the mobility of these jackets, and increasingly, stretchy fabrics are emerging which still display impressive waterproof properties. To assess each jacket's mobility, we climbed steep ice, went backcountry skiing, scratched up mixed climbs, and hiked in inclement weather, running each jacket through the proverbial wringer.

Most Arc'teryx jackets feel distinctly more plasticky; however, the panel designs and gusseted underarms, as well as some raglan sleeve designs, allow these stiffer fabrics to feel surprisingly mobile. We particularly loved the athletic fit and movement in the Arc'teryx Beta AR, which was specifically designed for technical climbing. Arc'teryx has figured out stitching patterns that allow a very natural articulation pattern in their jackets.

The Rab Kinetic Alpine 2.0 is an impressive advance in the use of stretchy fabric in a hardshell. It allows total range of motion and still provides impressive protection from even the burliest storms we could find in the Pacific Northwest winter. However, this jacket feels less like a traditional hardshell and more like a stretchy, supple softshell.

Venting and Breathability

It's Thursday; time for your dawn patrol ski tour with the ladies. There's a classic midwinter inversion, and the temps are frigid when you leave the cars at the trailhead. Light snowfall sets a lovely ambiance. You slowly warm up, picking up the pace as your body adjusts to the early morning workout.

The coffee is kicking in, and there's a glint of sun on the horizon. As you climb up a few hundred feet, you enter warmer air; you've exited the cold sink of air in the valley! Suddenly, you're overheating. You don't want to stop your crew on the climb; you can tell they've all just started to hit their strides. But you also know you don't want to get all sweaty, especially for the ski back down to the cars through that frigid valley air mass. Plus, it's starting to snow even more, so you need to stay dry from the inside and the outside. You may have exceeded the breathability of your hardshell jacket as you entered the warmer, more humid air, but you're not worried — that's what those pit zips are for. You unzip your side vents without skipping a stride, and you're back in lock-step with your best friends. It's so great when things just flow.

We generally found that the most breathable jackets were also the most versatile, easily switching between skiing, ice climbing, hiking, and even running. We love a simple jacket that breathes without the need for vents, like the Rab Kinetic Alpine 2.0. However, you're likely to be working hard in humid environments (if it's raining), and humidity sometimes inhibits the diffusion of water vapor from inside your jacket to the outside. In these cases, pit zips are much more critical for breathability. We looked at the number of vents each jacket had, how big they were, in what direction(s) they zipped/unzipped, and how well they worked in their particular positions.

We liked pit zips that opened from either end of the zipper, like on the Patagonia Triolet. This design promotes airflow by opening two smaller vent holes at the inner arm and torso.

Weight

If you're looking for an ultra-durable shell to take with you on long, multi-day adventures, it's important that it balances burly weather protection with relative lightweight. You might sacrifice an ounce or two for extra durability and weather protection; however, technology is increasingly allowing for lighter and lighter fabrics that stand up to the worst weather Mother Nature can throw at you.

The lightest shell in this review is by far the Patagonia Storm10, which reminds us of their beloved Houdini jacket, but completely waterproof--a sort of dream come true. It didn't steal the show due to other limitations, but if you're looking for a great hardshell for milder climates, lower elevations, and higher-paced activities, check this one out. We loved it for skate skiing and for trips with good forecasts where we still wanted a proper 3-layer shell with us, just in case.

The most impressive jackets offered a high level of versatility for impressively low weight. We loved the Arc'teryx jackets for their ability to balance mobility and durability in an impressively lightweight package for the full suite of features they offer. This is a category that each consumer must calibrate for their specific uses.

Features and Design

Sometimes the little things can make a big difference. When looking at features, we considered many attributes that make a hardshell jacket more versatile, comfortable, and functional. For example, we looked at how big the pull tabs were to adjust hoods and hems. We also looked at pocket design, their number, depth, and position. Most of the jackets in this review are helmet and harness compatible, but some had specific pocket designs we preferred, like Napoleon chest pockets and internal chest pockets. We scanned each jacket, from hood to hem, to pull out any features that matched or confused the ultimate purpose of the jacket. We awarded simple features on ultralight jackets similar to more extensive and full feature sets on burlier jackets.

The most essential, standout features include, roughly in this order: hood quality, pockets (especially chest), and adjustability features. A hood needs to be big enough to accommodate a helmet but adjustable enough to be comfortable when not wearing one. These are technical hardshell jackets designed to stand up to alpine use, where you will likely be wearing a helmet. We also felt it was essential to have a hood that moved with you when you turned to look side to side or behind you — it's annoying to turn your head and find yourself looking at the inside of your hood instead of your partner climbing up to meet you at the belay.

Chest pockets are a favorite feature among our reviewers. A decent chest pocket allows ease of access to crucial items like electronics, GPS, or maps, and keeps them dry in a downpour. Two of them side to side? Even better. These dual chest pockets are called Napoleon pockets, like those found on the Patagonia Triolet or Outdoor Research MicroGravity (although we didn't love these pockets on the MicroGravity; we felt they were too high up towards the chin to be easily accessed). Internal zippered chest pockets are great but harder to access, so another good alternative is a waterproof zipper on the outside. Another important pocket design aspect is whether you can access the hand pockets when you're wearing a harness.

Adjustability is a significant feature for a weatherproof hardshell jacket. This concept overlaps with the Weather Protection metric but goes a step further: how easy was it to adjust with warm gloves on? And last but not least, we considered how the full set of features matched the best application of each jacket. The Arc'teryx Alpha SV is a burly hardshell with many features, so it matched the utility of the model very well. We also appreciate the Arc'teryx models' superior construction, with elaborate stitching and welded overlays that ensure the shell will last, and their stiffer fabrics hold up much better to friction and abrasion, such as rubbing from backpack straps.

Conclusion

A hardshell jacket is a hard nut to crack. It needs to be tough enough to keep out the weather, well-featured to suit your activity of choice, and breathable enough for you to climb, hike, paddle, ski, etc., at your pace. This means the jacket needs to keep water out, and then it needs to wick water vapor out as you sweat; that's a lot to ask when you really think about it. In this review, we identified several niche models for sport-specific athletes and more general-use hardshells that will work for a variety of adventures. We hope this review will help you navigate to the best shell jacket for you and your adventures.

Keep in mind these jackets are meant to be properly layered, depending on your activity and the weather. For shoulder-season backpacking trips, these jackets pair perfectly with a top-rated women's fleece jacket and the best women's base layers we've tested. When the weather turns snowy, these hardshells fit perfectly over our favorite women's down jackets for activities like skiing or ice climbing. If you're looking for something less burly, we've also tested the best women's softshell jackets.