A hood is a very useful feature to have a on a rain jacket. If it’s raining, the first place that the rain is going to hit is the top of your hood, and most manufacturers give you a hood on your rain jacket, since they don’t want you getting wet. But still, there is more to a men’s or women’s rain jacket with hood than just the hood. You need to make sure that the hood isn’t going to leak, for instance, and that the rest of the jacket is going to perform up to your expectations and needs.
Women’s Rain Jacket with Hood
What to look for from a women's rain jacket with hood.- Seams and Zippers – There are typically a lot of seams on a hood. You have the fabric of the hood itself, which needs to be round to accommodate your head, and then things like drawcords that need to be built in to the hood. Each one of these seams is a potential leak, if the seams and zippers on your jacket have not been properly waterproofed.
- Helmets – Some hoods are made to be big enough for just your head, while many other rain jackets with a hood are meant to be compatible with wearing a helmet. So if you’re a rock climber, skier, snowboarder or anyone else who needs a jacket that will work with a hood, look for a rain jacket that is helmet compatible.
Best Women’s Rain Jacket with Hood
Some of the very best rain jackets with hood for women.- Marmot Minimalist - If you want a Gore Tex jacket, but don't want to spend a lot then the Paclite, 2.5 layer Gore Tex the Minimalist is a good compromise. Like the name implies the Minimalist lacks much beyond the basics, like a hood, pit zips and a few pockets for your hands. But that helps keep bulk and weight down, and it helps keep the price down too, which makes it a relatively cheap women's rain jacket.
- Arc'teryx Beta AR - If you don't mind spending the money for a high quality Gore Tex jacket then the Beta AR is an ideal choice. Arc'teryx is well known for making quality jackets that don't skip on the details. Besides the obvious, like pit zips and hand pockets, it also has a helmet compatible hood, along with a minimal amount of seams that are laminated, rather than just taped, for true waterproofing. So a more expensive 3L Pro Gore Tex rain jacket, but with plenty of features to justify the price.
- GoLite Tumalo Pertex Storm - GoLite's mission statement is right there in the name, to make equipment that allows you to go lighter. And this is one of the lightest rain jackets that GoLite makes. It's a waterproof / breathable treated nylon and just the essentials, including a storm hood, as the name suggests, and pit zips plus zippered hand pockets. So if you want a rain jacket with hood that you can throw in your bag and forget about, this is it.
