Rab Important Jacket Overview | CleverHiker

Backside Line

The Rab Important Jacket is a light-weight and extremely packable windbreaker, excellent for windy hikes, path runs, or backpacking journeys. Made with Atmos woven nylon cloth, this jacket excels at blocking the wind whereas sustaining first rate breathability. Its minimalist design options an elastic hood and cuffs and a drawcord hem to maintain gusts at bay. Weighing just some ounces and packing into its personal pocket, it’s a straightforward addition to your daypack for unpredictable climate. Its lower cost level and nice efficiency makes it one in every of our greatest windbreakers.

The Important is likely one of the few windbreakers in our lineup with zip hand pockets. We love these for stowing gloves or a cellphone on the go. Nevertheless, they’re positioned the place a backpack waist strap runs. The hood comes with a singular structured brim set again from the elastic fringe of the hood. We liked the comfortable becoming elastic across the hood and wrists, which saved the jacket comfortable and safe once we examined it on a particularly windy day in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains.

The Rab Important shouldn’t be essentially the most breathable jacket we examined, but it surely comes with a singular function to spice up air flow. A small snap closure on the chest permits the jacket to be totally unzipped to spice up airflow whereas remaining safe. We liked this operate to be used on path runs once we began to heat up. Affordably priced, the Important supplies wonderful worth and efficiency. It’s positive to please entry-level fanatics and seasoned veterans alike and earns a spot as one in every of our top-rated windbreakers.

How We Examined

Over two months, we wore the Rab Important on hikes and runs in addition to backcountry and cross-country ski journeys to discipline check its efficiency in a number of circumstances. Our checks consisted of real-world publicity to the wind and components. We additionally used a blow drier to check wind resistance and likewise accomplished a one-hour run whereas deliberately overdressed to check its breathability and moisture administration.

Wind & Climate Resistance

The Rab Important is constructed with 20-denier Atmos woven nylon with fluorocarbon-free DWR therapy. This is likely one of the thicker jackets we’ve examined, and its heft makes it barely extra weatherproof than others in our lineup. We took this jacket with us on a chilly December day above treeline in Alaska’s Chugach Vary and wanted each ounce of safety it supplied. As we have been pummeled by excessive winds and pelted by snow and ice, it saved us heat and safe with solely a mid-layer beneath. 

The jacket’s DWR therapy is sufficient to repel ice and snow successfully. Its rain resistance is on par with different windbreakers because it wets via shortly when uncovered to moist climate.

Breathability

For a value-priced layer, the breathability supplied by Rab Important is about what we might anticipate. We put this jacket’s breathability to the check by deliberately overdressing with a heavy base and mid-layer beneath it on a winter path run. After one hour, the jacket was soaked via with sweat and confirmed heavy beading of moisture on the inside. Whereas not essentially the most breathable jacket in our lineup, it does include a singular function to extend air flow. At chest top on the within of the jacket, a small snap permits the jacket to stay safe whereas totally unzipped if you’ll want to air the jacket out. We liked this for path operating once we wanted to dump plenty of warmth and sweat shortly.

Weight & Packability

With a measured weight of 4.8 ounces (males’s medium), the Important sits on the heavier aspect of our lineup. This small weight penalty is hardly notable within the discipline, but it surely weighs greater than twice as a lot because the lightest jacket we reviewed. 

Although the Important doesn’t include a reversible pocket for stowing, it may be pushed into both of its zippered hand pockets. With out a double zipper pull, closing it may be difficult. It’s not as packable as others however can match right into a operating vest or different small area with a little bit tinkering.

Consolation & Match

The Rab Important has a trim match however with out the brief sleeves arms or tight-fitting torsos of different slim-cut jackets. It’s unfastened sufficient to layer beneath within the winter however nonetheless trim sufficient to be worn comfortably with solely a base layer beneath. The elastic cuffs and hood preserve the jacket securely in place and an elastic cinch on the waist permits you to dial within the match. 

The brim of the hood is barely set again from the elastic face opening. This implies it catches the wind like a sail when going face-first into robust breezes. The elastic hood opening retains it safe, however we felt that the hood could be ripped off as a result of brim’s sail-like construction. It is a minor downside. The Important is a well-crafted jacket that may match quite a lot of our bodies nicely.

Ought to You Purchase the Rab Important Jacket?

The Rab Important supplies wonderful efficiency and worth at its sub-hundred-dollar worth. It’s barely thicker and heavier than different jackets in our lineups, making it excellent for many who desire a windbreaker that may solidly resist the climate. Although it’s not as breathable as different jackets we examined, its distinctive chest snap means that you can dump warmth shortly with the jacket totally unzipped. Two zippered pockets improve performance, and the jacket might be stuffed into both pocket for straightforward stowing. The Rab Important is flexible sufficient for use for a number of actions – and trim and classy sufficient so that you can look good doing it.

What Different Windbreaker Ought to You Contemplate?

Head to our gear information to see the complete lineup of greatest windbreakers.

Black Diamond Alpine Begin Overview: With a extra versatile materials and a roomier match than the Important, the Alpine Begin is ideal for alpine adventures or these requiring a excessive diploma of mobility.

Montbell Tachyon Overview: If the Important left you wanting a extra breathable jacket, the Tachyon is likely one of the most ethereal and ventilated jackets we examined.

Patagonia Houdini Overview: With an identical nylon building, the Houdini is extra packable zipping into its personal chest pocket right into a tiny bundle.