Four Waterproof Breathable (WB) Rain Shells Compared Under My Real-World Conditions!

YouTube videos:

Background:

I performed this test for three reasons:

1. I am looking for a good, WB rain shell that will not leak in a year, and:
2. I could not find any realistic tests on the internet or YouTube that compared breathability between different WB technologies in a realistic situation;
3. I could not find any tests on the Marmot Artemis.

All the testing I could find on the Artemis were demos, not tests.

I would like to get a few things out of the way: I purchased all these shells myself; no testing programs, no promotional considerations. I have no connection at all to Marmot or REI except as an REI member, and as an admitted Marmot gear lover for about 30 years. This has not stopped me from buying and using North Face, Moonstone Mountaineering, REI and others in that time. I just always seem to end up with Marmot when I want the best. That is my own bias. Also, please do not mistake me for an expert in WB technology, garment design, etc. I have been a materials scientist for 25 years, in laboratories, and I love to test things. For anything that you see that is incorrect or for any comments, please post! Thanks!

Choosing the Contenders:

The basic decisions were:

1. Find a jacket that has the best current breathability for the price, and
2. Durability. I have had, since 2000, four WB jackets that have all failed waterproofness dramatically within 12 months. I have had several replaced by manufacturers, as they are all very concerned about customer service, but they have all again failed within 12 months. By failed, I mean standing in steady, medium rain for 15-20 minutes, little to no physical exertion, and having my outer layer (inside the rain jacket) completely wet on the surface or deeper, on the shoulders and through the arms, back and chest, and not necessarily all the way to the bottom hem of the garment. These were all polyurethane-based WB coatings, and in one case, a polyurethane-based WB laminate.

Therefore, the contenders were chosen from current offerings from easily available (to me) brands, meaning, could I try them on and look at them in person before purchase. I handled Patagonia, North Face, Columbia, Arc'teryx, Marmot, REI, Mammut, and others. I chose Marmot jackets for these reasons: Marmot employs the three major types of WB tech: polyurethane coating, polyurethane laminate, and Gore-Tex laminate. I liked, in comparison to other brands, the balance of breathability ratings, waterproofness ratings, lightness, and representation of WB technology. Marmot has the best WB polyurethane coatings and laminate I could find, and a large factor was that they have introduced their new line, the Nano-Pro coating and the Nano-Pro laminate (Membrain). I wanted to test these in my own real-world conditions against the best Gore-Tex laminate for me, Gore Active. I therefore chose:

1. To represent a WB polyurethane coating, the Marmot Spectra. This is a step up from the Precip line. I like the styling and colors, and there were some upgrades I liked, from the Precip line: the addition of chest pockets, and the addition of the moldable hood brim (turns out the web site is wrong: the Spectra does not have a moldable brim. More on that later.)
2. To represent a WB polyurethane-based laminate, the Marmot Artemis. I felt it was a brilliantly conceived jacket, with some real advantages that included the stretch fabric they use. Also, the moldable brim, and the "athletic fit". I wanted to try a jacket that fit a little more closely, and that had light weight for its capabilities.
3. To represent Gore Active, the Marmot Nano AS. A very light weight design, without frills but all the necessities but one: pit zips. I have always had them, always used them, and I was very skeptical about not having them. The reputation of the Nano AS and Gore Active, though, made me want to make the comparison.
4. To represent a kind of control, I chose my REI Rainwall jacket. It uses older polyurethane-based coating technology, is very well designed, and I am very familiar with its performance. It represents many of the other excellent brands and models of WB coating tech that is available.
5. I used my Marmot DriClime Wind Shirt as my outer layer, as it transports moisture out to its surface like a demon, and because the moisture is very easy to see. The videos tell the story.

A word here about customer tech support and web site maintenance. The  Marmot web site has more than a few inaccuracies in the information and  features of these shells. During phone calls for tech support to resolve these questions, the Marmot tech support was less than helpful. They were unaware of the inaccuracies, then proceeded to answer my questions with more inaccuracies and lack of knowledge of their products. Twice, when referred to higher-level help, I had to wait for several days for call-backs that never happened. I have included, at the end of the article, screen captures of the three Marmot jackets from the Marmot web site. It can be seen that the description for the Spectra is inaccurate in that it has no moldable brim (see video). It can be seen that the description for the Nano AS is inaccurate in that the fabric is not polyester, it is nylon, and that the cloth weave is not "plain weave", it is ripstop (see video). On the phone, I was told by a representative many times that the Artemis had the Nano-Pro coating, that Membrain was a coating, NOT a laminate. I knew better, and persisted. That representative eventually was able to contact another rep inside and get set straight. Marmot, you can do better. Get your web site updated and monitored, and your representatives some training. It is not that hard. Please.

The Test:

I wanted to test the real-world breathability of the shells, under conditions that were as controlled as I could make them. I live in Portland, and it is winter, so the opportunities for testing in rain abound. The conditions I controlled for were:

• Temperature: ranging from 42 degrees to 49 degrees
• Humidity: at least 95%, up to and including light to medium steady rain.

I felt these were most important, as they have a large impact on the breathability of the shells. Here is my standard route, as mapped by Endomondo. The walk length, speed and total time of the walk were kept as much the same as I possibly could. I succeeded on that count; there was no variation in walking speed, length and total time of more than 5%. I was even able to keep my heart rate very similar through the separate walks.

The Results:

The Nano AS with Gore Active is the hands-down winner. I would not have expected this level of breathability and moisture transport without pit zips, but I proved it to myself. The polyurethane-based WB coatings and laminates are really excellent these days, but for me, under my conditions, the Nano AS proved to be the best WB shell jacket I can find and afford.

The Artemis took second place. The fabric used is nothing short of wonderful. Soft, stretchy and durable. I really wanted the Artemis to win. The styling and comfort, the hood and the fit, are all superb. But results brought this to second place. There was also an annoying tendency for the soft, non-stiffened main zipper backing to snag in the zipper. This happened literally every time I zipped or unzipped the jacket. I could see this as a major problem in winter, with gloves, or in a downpour when you want to stay dry, not fight with a snagged zipper.

Third place goes to the Spectra. Less breathable, lack of a moldable brim, too-large hood, and the larger fit, all conspired to drop this one from consideration.

In fourth place, the REI Rainwall. With a better hood, fit, and price, but with the worst breathability of the lot.  It is a great shell for the price, but not as durable as I need, and not as breathable as I want. The Rainwall had failed waterproofness.

These were all screen-captured on February 8, 2015, at approximately 7:26 pm., Pacific time.