Let’s Find This Reader a Raincoat!

I recently scored a Stutterheim off a local trading app in exchange for some local beers (a men’s medium, so it’s giant but in a way I’m into?) and it’s fantastic! I also have a pullover Anorak from Mountain Equipment Co-op (like REI) that’s ideal for when I need a shorter jacket (biking, hiking, warmer days, etc.) but because of the half zip and kangaroo pocket, it still feels cute!

Hello!
I’m a geography student in Vancouver, Canada and do field work in the rain in for many hours a week. It gets very humid inside your raincoat if it is not lined. If you’re from somewhere where it rains alot but isn’t freezing cold i suggest layering something like a patagonia nano puff under a gortex shell to get rid of the layer moisture that gets stuck and it’ll keep you warmer and drier! If your find that it is absorbing the rain and not wicking it, you can also spray it down with some nikwax to maintain/ increase how waterproof it is.

Good luck on your search!

I wear this coat almost every day in rainy Oregon- it’s made it through three rainy seasons and is everything:

https://www.pendleton-usa.com/product/womens-techrain-hooded-long-coat/10437.html?dwvar_10437_color=3060&cgid=W450#start=12&sz=30&cgid=W450

I bought a Barbour jacket a few years ago. It was EXPENSIVE but I love it so much and will never need another raincoat. It has a removable hood, removable winter liner, and the company will repair/rewax it for you as needed, so it will last forever. The best thing, though, is the cozy handwarmer pockets – the second I stuck my hands in there, I was sold.

I bought a Helly Hansen rain jacket a few years ago on sale at REI and it is hands down my favorite coat, in general – not just my favorite rain jacket. It’s gore-tex, long, hooded, and slightly lined (but just barely – enough for it not to feel like you’re wearing a clammy, wet garbage bag). I looked online and found their Valkyrie jacket looks the most similar to the one I purchased. Hope you love it!

The raincoats from BRGN are the best! I have the Lun model and love it. Quality coats made in the rainiest city in Norway.
https://brgn.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw8fr7BRDSARIsAK0Qqr4aS9DmK27bveAjdqnn2-fQC8EC5HEK90j1YyEZ2RXiMEzgju21XGwaAoaGEALw_wcB

Hi from cold and wet Denmark! for autumn and early winter cycling on this side of the globe: Ilse Jacobsen raincoats

https://www.stylepit.dk/ilse-jacobsen-gra-rain37l-356591-19?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImc_hpcak7AIVCgB7Ch331AhLEAQYAyABEgITLvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I live in the PNW and love love my stutterheim. Keeps me so dry on long rainy walks and I have never had a coat that gets as many compliments. People always tell me how much they love it and ask the brand. Also! Mine is 5 years old and is in great shape. Highly recommend.

I have too many raincoats to admit to but the one I find myself reaching for more often than not is a Lululemon Rain Haven — it’s tailored and has a million pockets and is the perfect length. Good luck with your search!!

I love my Joules raincoat! It’s a British brand, and they make rain coats that have a classic look to them, and they have the cutest lining and details. And the exterior is a waterproof cotton, so it’s not made of that loud swishy material. I don’t think they have the style I bought anymore, but this one is close! https://www.joulesusa.com/Women/Clothing/Coast-Mid/Length-Waterproof-Jacket?size=10&id=212752|FRNAVY|10

They are a Canadian company so I don’t know if they sell abroad, but I love my Mountain Equipment Co-op raincoat. I don’t think they have the model I bought, but this is similar:

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5053-510/Confidante-Insulated-Jacket

Oh man. I’m going down a raincoat rabbit hole right now. Reading about water columns and breathability rates and everything. I already have two (not cheap) but they’re not cutting it and am obsessed with my husband’s Fjallraven Keb Shell coat. It’s insane, I have yet to find a coat with a higher water column (why, why am I doing this to myself? I could be reading novels or watching shows) and he also wore it to Antarctica with just a hoody underneath. But it’s never too hot either, and I am Dutch so I bring my kids to daycare on my bike, which means I pedal for three. It’s also insanely expensive though…

Costco has a Pendleton rain coat in both blue and yellow for only $65!!

https://www.costco.com/pendleton-ladies-rain-jacket.product.100581155.html

Another great Swedish brand for raincoats and parkas is Didriksons! I have one of their winter coats and it’s sooo warm and even in horrible rainy weather I can ride my bike in it and don’t get wet at all!

Love this list of ethical options! https://eco-age.com/magazine/best-responsible-raincoats-shower-season/

Love my Armor Lux raincoat in classic and poppy yellow!

I live in the UK and have worn a Didrikson’s winter coat for the last 2 years, very warm and waterproof, I can’t recommend it enough. But for an actual raincoat I haven’t found anything better than Paramo. They are breathable and extremely waterproof https://www.paramo-clothing.com/en-gb/

I had a nice mid-weight raincoat for many years that was from athleta. The fabric itself was waterproof so it didn’t have that stiff rubber feeling.

Loving the other suggestions in the comments too! Lots of great options.

Does anyone have particular suggestions for plus size raincoats? I hold my weight in my stomach and most raincoats tend to be cut straight to the body, which means I have to size up and they don’t fit my shoulders correctly. Something with a more generous cut without becoming too much material is so hard to find.

I have a lined Boden one that I really like and it is really warm – so warm I didn’t even use it last winter in Portugal.
Mine is just yellow, but they do a lot of cool patterns.

I love my Stutterheim raincoat. I cycle everywhere and Germany can be quite rainy! My husband has the same coat and we even wore them on our wedding day which was just so rainy.

Sustainable Dutch brand Teym makes an awesome parka: https://nl.teym.eu/pages/the-parka-women. I’ve been eyeing the pink one forever as I’m not sure I can pull it off. I recently saw a girl on the street in Amsterdam wearing it and it was so strangely uplifting to see someone in a baby pink raincoat amidst everyone wearing either black or navy coats. Their parkas are pricey but really well-made. And stylish! Which is rare for a raincoat.

I’m completely in love with a Scottish company – Protected Species. They are based out of Glasgow – a very rainy city in Scotland. The jackets are beautiful – fully waterproof but not dowdy. I recently bought their winter Parker (new mum so needed something cosy and waterproof for pram walks!). Can’t recommend it more highly!