The Finest Windbreakers and Wind Shirts for Mountaineering

March 24, 2025

24

Windbreakers and wind shirts are ultralight light-weight jackets, operating shells, pullovers, or anoraks weighing 2 to five ounces that path runners, hikers, and backpackers put on as a barrier to stop winds from stripping away their physique warmth. They’re normally product of extremely breathable and skinny (low denier) nylon that may be worn over a fleece or base layer to dam the wind and preserve you hotter when mountaineering or path operating. They’re amazingly heat, contemplating how light-weight they’re.

Listed below are the most effective windbreakers and wind shirts and shells obtainable in the present day. Notice: when looking for windbreakers and wind shells, retailers might record them underneath path operating jackets or operating jackets since there’s a lot overlap with mountaineering and backpacking.

1. Patagonia Houdini Jacket

The Patagonia Houdini is among the most legendary wind shirts obtainable in the present day. Weighing simply 3.7 oz, it’s made with a 15 denier 100% nylon ripstop shell with a DWR end for improved water resistance. Elastic wrist cuffs make it straightforward to drag up the sleeves if you happen to get too heat, whereas a drawcord cinches the hem. The hood adjusts with a single drawstring, whereas the jacket packs snugly into its zippered chest pocket with a carabiner clip-in loop. A ladies’s model is on the market. Learn the SectionHiker Houdini Evaluate.

2. Enlightened Gear Copperfield Wind Shirt

Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Wind Shirt

The Enlightened Gear Copperfield Wind Shirt is an extremely refined, 2.4 oz wind shirt, obtainable with 7d, 10d, or 20d nylon with an adjustable hood, elastic wrist cuffs, a drawcord hem, and a full-length zipper. Whereas most windbreakers and windshirts have elasticized hood openings, the Copperfield hood is adjustable with pull cords, so you may fully seal off the face from drafts and stop the hood from flapping loudly and violently in excessive winds. The sleeves are lower to be snug when sporting a backpack and the match runs a couple of half-size giant for layering. A ladies’s mannequin can also be obtainable. Learn the SectionHiker Evaluate.

3. Montane Featherlight Hooded Jacket

4. Rab Very important Hoody

The Rab Very important Hoody is a light-weight hooded jacket with an elasticated hood with a stiffened peak and rear quantity adjustment, so it stays in place in sturdy winds. Made with 20 denier nylon, it has two zippered hand pockets, a entrance zip with an inside storm flap, elasticated cuffs, a hem drawcord, and inside stuff pocket. Weighing 4.6 oz, it’s a comparatively heavy windbreaker as a result of it’s so wealthy in options and inside storage. A ladies’s model can also be obtainable.

5. Montbell U.L. Stretch Wind Anorak

The Montbell U.L. Stretch Wind Anorak is a windproof prime made with 15 denier Ballistic Airlight nylon ripstop with a water repellent end. It has two zippered waist pockets, an internal zippered pocket, an adjustable hood, a zipper storage to guard the chin and face, an inside hem adjustment, and is packable into its internal pocket. A ladies’s mannequin can also be obtainable.

6. Patagonia Airshed Professional

The Patagonia Airshed Professional Pullover is constituted of 100% recycled polyester stretch-woven ripstop with a sturdy water-repellent (DWR) end made with out PFAS. The sleeves and hood are constituted of a light-weight stretch-knit that may be pushed up on the forearms for added venting and luxury, whereas the hood suits snugly to retain heat. The deep entrance closure has double zippers that permit for added venting whereas the left chest pocket converts right into a stuff sack for straightforward packing. A ladies’s mannequin can also be obtainable.

7. Mountain Hardwear Kor Airshell Hoody

The Mountain Hardwear Kor Airshell Hoody is made with Pertex Quantum Air material. It has elastic binding on its hood for a safe match with two zippered hand pockets and stuffs into an inside pocket that has a carabiner clip loop. The hoody has raglan sleeves and underarm gussets for enhanced mobility with elastic binding at cuffs and hem for a safe match and to seal in heat. A ladies’s mannequin can also be obtainable.

8. Mammut Aenergy WB Hooded jacket

The Mammut AEnergy WB Hooded Jacket is an ultralight breakable windbreaker designed for path operating, mountaineering, and ski touring jacket with a excessive neck, adjustable hood, and stiffened entrance brim. It’s extremely breathable and ultralight with a two-way YKK Vislon zipper for superior air flow and a drawstring on the hem that may be adjusted with one hand. The match is athletic, with elasticated cuffs that present wonderful performance and good wind safety. The whole jacket may be simply stowed in its zippered chest pocket. A ladies’s mannequin can also be obtainable.

9. Outside Analysis Shadow Wind Jacket

10. Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell

The Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell is a light-weight 15d Jacket with a fundamental function set together with an adjustable hood with a rear quantity adjuster and elasticized face opening, elastic wrist cuffs, a zippered chest pocket, and hem adjustment. The factor that differentiates it from different windbreakers is its DWR coating, which is woven into the jacket slightly than coating its exterior. This makes it far much less prone to sporting off as a consequence of abrasion from stuffing and unstuffing, offering longer-lasting safety in mist and drizzle. It doesn’t make the jacket waterproof like a rain jacket however does prolong its vary in variable climate. The match is slim. A ladies’s model can also be obtainable.

Windbreaker and Wind Shirt Consumers Information

Listed below are the important thing options and components to be looking out for when selecting a windbreaker or wind shirt.

Wind Resistance

The wind resistance of a windbreaker will depend on how tightly the material it’s made with is woven and options that assist seal the jacket from drafts like elastic wrist cuffs, a drawcord hem, and a completely adjustable hood. Most windbreakers and wind shirts are constituted of skinny, low-denier nylon or polyester that’s extremely breathable in addition to being windproof. Some windbreakers are lower slim which is sweet for operating, whereas others are extra generously sized so you may put on them over a mid-layer, which is commonly fascinating for mountaineering, backpacking, climbing, and mountaineering.

Breathability and Venting

Not like rain jackets, nylon windbreakers, and wind shells normally have fairly good breathability proper by means of the material, which you’ll confirm if you really feel the material turning into damp underneath your armpits from perspiration. On the whole, the thinner the material weight, measured by way of denier, the higher will probably be from a breathability standpoint. Remember the fact that very skinny materials put on out far more rapidly than thicker extra sturdy ones. Some jackets additionally use extra specialised nylon that has a really tight weave for improved wind resistance, regardless that this could imply they preserve extra warmth. If warmth buildup is a priority, it’s higher to get a wind jacket with a full-length zipper as a substitute of counting on underarm vents for extra air flow. Foregoing a hood can also be one other technique that may cut back a wind jacket’s stage of warmth retention.

Weight and Packability

Wind shells usually vary in weight from 1.5 oz as much as 6 oz and are extremely packable, normally compressing all the way down to the dimensions of an apple as a result of they’re made with such light-weight nylon. When mountaineering and backpacking, it’s usually handy to stuff a wind shirt or wind jacket loosely in your backpack, filling within the voids between stuff sacks and equipment, slightly than scrunching it up or stuffing it into its chest pocket, until you wish to connect it to a climbing harness.

Water Resistance

Most windbreakers and wind shells have a DWR coating on the outside to repel mist and drizzle, however you shouldn’t rely on a wind jacket to maintain you dry within the rain. The DWR coating may even rapidly put on off the extra instances you stuff the jacket right into a backpack or right into a pocket, rendering it ineffective. For those who want a rain jacket, purchase your self a correct rain jacket designed for that job. Equally, most rain jackets are too heat to make use of as windbreakers.

Wind Jackets vs Pullovers

Windbreakers can be found as jackets with full-length entrance zippers or pullovers with quarter-length or half-length chest zips. Full zip jackets are normally preferable by way of air flow as a result of they permit extra airflow, however pullovers are normally lighter as a result of they forego the added zipper weight or are hoodless.

Hood Adjustability

An adjustable hood is essential to seal out drafts, notably across the face. Search for jackets with neck toggles and barring that, ones with tightly becoming elasticated face openings. A rear quantity adjuster can also be helpful to downsize a hood to a human-friendly dimension if it’s helmet-compatible.

Cloth Denier

Cloth denier is a unit of measurement used to find out the fiber thickness of particular person threads used within the creation of materials. Materials with a excessive denier rely are typically thick, sturdy, sturdy, and heavier. Materials with a low denier rely are typically sheer, smooth, silky, and lighter in weight.

Venting

Whereas venting, as in pit zips is useful, it’s simply not as efficient as a full-length zipper. As a result of weight is at such a premium on wind shirts, if there are pit zips, they’ll be completely open slightly than having zippers.

SectionHiker by no means accepts cost for gear opinions or editorial protection. Whenever you purchase by means of affiliate hyperlinks on our website, we might earn a small fee at no additional price to you. Assist us proceed to check and write unsponsored and impartial gear opinions, mountaineering and backpacking FAQs, and free mountaineering guides.