There are quite a few options available to you when buying a new soft shell jacket, but a hood is definitely one of the better ones that are worth considering. Hooded soft shell jackets are great because they have the potential to make you quite a bit warmer. The head is one of those areas of the body that leaks a lot of heat. And so if you want to be warmer, a good way to do that is to capture all that heat escaping from your body. And if you want to cool off quickly, all you need to do is take the hood down.
Hooded Soft Shell Jackets
What to look for when looking for hooded soft shell jackets.- Water Resistant – Besides a hood, a water resistant exterior is likely the most useful thing you will find on a soft shell jacket. It’s a wet world out there, after all, and if you want to survive a few rain showers without getting soaked yourself, a water resistant soft shell jacket is a very good idea.
- Insulated – Many soft shell jackets also come with a bit of insulation on the inside. If you’re going to be using your jacket in the winter, or if there are plenty of cold months in the year where you live, an insulated soft shell jacket might be a good idea.
Best Hooded Soft Shell Jackets
A few of the very best hooded soft shell jackets for both men and women.Men's Hooded Soft Shell Jackets
- Marmot ROM Jacket - First up a lighter soft shell jacket, ideally suited to staying active in cool conditions. Despite being thin, it uses Gore Windstopper fabric, which blocks out a lot of wind, and will thus help keep you warm. It's also water resistant, and so you end up with a thin, lightweight jacket that will nevertheless protect you from a variety of bad weather and breath well too, which is an ideal combination. The hood also gets cinches up tight for bad weather.
- Arc'teryx Hyllus Hoody - For those cold, frigid days, the Hyllus might be a better choice of shoft shell jacket. It uses heavy 300 weight fleece to keep you well insulated from the weather outside. It also has a water resistant and wind resistant exterior, so that you will be well protected from the elements. Two zippered pockets and one zippered sleeve pocket round out the features of an excellent hooded soft shell jacket.
Women's Hooded Soft Shell Jackets
- Marmot ROM Jacket - The Marmot ROM is a thin, lightweight hooded soft shell jacket option for those cool days when you need something to keep the chill off. But this is definitely not a jacket that will fail at the first sign of bad weather. It uses Gore Windstopper laminate to keep wind chill out, and the soft shell exterior helps to further keep out wind and also makes it water resistant. But it's thin, so it also breathes well, and an all-around excellent choice for a soft shell jacket.
- Arc'teryx Hyllus Hoody - The Hyllus is a hooded soft shell jacket intended to keep you warm. The exterior is both wind and water resistant, but what really stands out here is the heavy 300 weight fleece that insulates you in even the coldest of conditions. Beyond that the jacket comes with two zippered hand pockets, plus a zippered arm pocket, and a adjustable wire hood to round out the features list.
