No. 1 hiking wind shell is the Patagonia Houdini Jacket. At 105g it's the second lightest of the five, and ¥16,500 is the lowest price of the five, and it folds into a chest pocket. For people who want to cut every gram, I put the 72g Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell at No. 2.
The Gear Nerd's Pick
A wind shell stays in the pack while you walk and only comes out on ridges and at breaks. The less it's worn, the more likely a heavy one gets left at home. So before fabric toughness or comfort, I sort by weight and packed size.
Key points
- Price per gram across the 5 ranked ranges from ¥127.5 to ¥336.1, about a 2.6x spread. The lowest is the 138g Mammut and the highest is the 72g Black Diamond
- The official pages give fabric thickness (denier) for 3 of the 5: 15, 20 and 30 denier, and the thinner it is, the lighter it is
- All 5 have a water-repellent treatment, but none is waterproof. mont-bell explains that no amount of water-repellent treatment on a fabric with no waterproofing makes it usable as rain gear
The lightest hiking wind shell, No. 1, is the 105g Houdini. Weight and price differ by 2x
My No. 1 hiking wind shell is the Patagonia Houdini Jacket at 105g and ¥16,500. All 5 are hooded windbreakers, yet weight ranged about 2x from 72g to 150g, and price 2x from ¥16,500 to ¥33,000.
What I ranked are 5 hooded wind shells with no lining, the kind you throw on for one extra layer when it's chilly on a hike. The numbers are from the official pages of the maker or its domestic distributor.
How I chose
This is the order I looked at things when choosing a lightweight wind shell.
- Weight. It ranged from 72g to 150g, so I first sorted lightest first.
- Price per gram. I check how much you pay for lightness.
- Whether the official page gives fabric thickness (denier), and where it folds to. That's where I split close ranks.
This ranking is made from what you can buy on Rakuten. mont-bell, sold only through its official shop, is shown as out of ranking, with its numbers listed.
Quick table of the 5 lightweight wind shells
Scroll the table sideways →
| Model | Weight | Fabric | Official price | Price per gram |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 Patagonia Houdini Jacket | 105g | 1.2 oz ripstop | ¥16,500 | ¥157.1 |
| No. 2 Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell | 72g (M) | 15 denier | ¥24,200 | ¥336.1 |
| No. 3 Mammut Convey WB Hooded Jacket AF | 138g | 20 denier | ¥17,600 | ¥127.5 |
| No. 4 The North Face Swallowtail Hoodie | About 125g (L) | Double-woven nylon | ¥19,800 | ¥158.4 |
| No. 5 Arc'teryx Squamish Hoody | 150g | 30 denier | ¥33,000 | ¥220.0 |
| Out of ranking: mont-bell EX Light Wind Parka | 56g (average) | 7 denier | ¥11,000 | ¥196.4 |
| Out of ranking: mont-bell Wind Blast Parka | 178g (average) | 40 denier | ¥8,400 | ¥47.2 |
Denier is the unit of thread thickness, and the smaller the number, the thinner the fabric. Counting the out-of-ranking ones, for the five that state it, thinner was roughly lighter.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Patagonia Men's Houdini Jacket
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥17,800 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥19,800, and change daily. For clothing, check the maker's size chart (height, chest, waist) against your own measurements. If unsure, check the shop's return and exchange terms.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanWhy this order
| Rank | Model | Why it's ranked here |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patagonia Houdini Jacket | 105g is No. 2 lightest of the 5, and ¥16,500 is the lowest of the 5 |
| 2 | Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell | The lightest at 72g, but ¥336.1 per gram is the highest |
| 3 | Mammut Convey WB Hooded Jacket AF | It has 2 side pockets, but is 33g heavier and ¥1,100 more than No. 1 |
| 4 | The North Face Swallowtail Hoodie | Close to No. 3 in weight, and ¥2,200 more |
| 5 | Arc'teryx Squamish Hoody | The only one of the five with stretch fabric, but twice the price of No. 1 |
No. 1 Patagonia Houdini Jacket | 105g, folds into the chest pocket
I'll say this with some heat. 105g and ¥16,500. It's the lowest price of the five and the second lightest. The jacket folds into the chest pocket and has a loop for a carabiner. The fabric is 1.2oz recycled nylon ripstop with a water-repellent treatment.
One for people who want to keep the price down and still stay near 100g.
No. 2 Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell | 72g
72g in size M, fabric of 15 denier and 30g per square meter. It gives its numbers in the most detail of the five, and on lightness alone it beats No. 1. Here's the weak spot. Cutting 33g from the Houdini costs ¥7,700, about ¥233 per gram (7,700 ÷ 33).
The hood fits over a climbing helmet. It suits people who want to cut every gram.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Black Diamond Men's Distance Wind Shell
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥24,200 (as of 10/14). Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 3 Mammut Convey WB Hooded Jacket AF | two side pockets
138g and ¥17,600, ¥127.5 per gram. It has two zippered side pockets where you can put your hands or small items as you walk. The fabric is a 20-denier ripstop. What to watch is how it folds: it packs into a bag inside the hood, not a pocket.
It suits people who want everyday usability over lightness.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Mammut Convey WB Hooded Jacket AF Men
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥12,320 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥16,500, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 4 The North Face Swallowtail Hoodie | double-woven fabric
The face against your skin is a smooth double-woven fabric that doesn't stick to skin. The pockets on both sides let wind through when opened. Here's the weak spot. The weight of about 125g is for size L, and I didn't let the 13g gap to No. 3 decide the order.
It suits people who often throw it on directly over a short-sleeve shirt.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
The North Face Swallowtail Hoodie (men's)
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥13,860 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥19,800, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanNo. 5 Arc'teryx Squamish Hoody | stretchy 30 denier
It's ranked 5th, but the construction is in a class of its own. A stretchy 30-denier fabric, it folds into the chest pocket to clip on a harness, and the hood fits over a helmet. Here's the weak spot. ¥33,000 is twice No. 1, and 150g is the heaviest of the five.
For people who swing their arms a lot on rock, it's a jacket that would rank much higher.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
Arc'teryx Squamish Hoody Men's
Lowest price on Rakuten: ¥33,000 (as of 10/14). Prices vary by shop, up to ¥37,800, and change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanOut of ranking: mont-bell EX Light Wind Parka and Wind Blast Parka (bought at the official online shop)
The EX Light Wind Parka is 56g (average) and ¥11,000, 49g lighter and ¥5,500 cheaper than the No. 1 Houdini. The fabric is 7 denier, and it packs to 11.5×8×4.5cm. The Wind Blast Parka is 178g (average) and ¥8,400, 40-denier fabric, 73g heavier and ¥8,100 cheaper than No. 1.
Wind shell vs. rainwear: water-repellent and waterproof are different things
Everything listed here has a water-repellent treatment. But water repellency is the surface of the fabric beading water so it rolls off, which is separate from waterproofing, which keeps water out. In its official guidance, mont-bell writes that no amount of water-repellent treatment on a fabric with no waterproofing makes it usable as rain gear.
The makers' wording is modest too. Patagonia says "repels light moisture" and Mammut says "also handles light rain." A wind shell is one layer for wind and chill, and for rain you carry rainwear separately.
I put the rain-side jacket together in rain jacket rankings, compared by water resistance and weight. The undershirt to wear under a wind shell, on the other hand, I compared in base layer rankings.
For rocky sections with helmet and harness, I lined up the 115g finetrack Ascent Beyond Hoodie review, released on September 3, against the No. 5 Squamish.
Who is it for?
This suits people who want to throw on one layer lighter than rain gear for windy ridges and morning and evening chill.
None of the 5 is waterproof, so for a rain-gear substitute there are other ways to choose. If you already use a rain jacket as a windbreaker and aren't bothered by stuffiness, or you own a thin softshell, what you have is enough.
FAQ
How many grams makes a wind shell lightweight?
The 5 ranked weigh 72–150g, with a median of 125g. Up to around 100g is on the light side, and around 150g is on the heavy side.
If I have rainwear, do I not need a wind shell?
If you already wear your rain jacket as a windbreaker too and aren't bothered by stuffiness, I think you don't need to add one. If you do, choose by weight and price; the No. 1 Houdini is 105g.
Can I walk in light rain with just a wind shell?
It's no substitute for rain gear. None of the 5 is waterproof, and the makers' own descriptions stop at "light moisture" and "light rain."
Which ones fold into a pocket?
Patagonia, Black Diamond and Arc'teryx fold into the chest pocket. The Mammut packs into a bag inside the hood, and the official wording for The North Face is that it stows behind the hood. For the out-of-ranking mont-bell, the Wind Blast is a chest pocket and the EX Light an inner pocket.
Gear in this article
Ad · Images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- mont-bell official online store: EX Light Wind Parka
- mont-bell official online store: Wind Blast Parka Men's
- mont-bell customer service: About water repellency
- Patagonia official online shop: Men's Houdini Jacket
- Blue Sheep (Black Diamond's domestic distributor, which took over Lost Arrow's business): Men's Distance Wind Shell
- Mammut official online store: Convey WB Hooded Jacket AF Men
- The North Face official store: Swallowtail Hoodie (men's)
- Arc'teryx official online store: Squamish Hoody Men's
