This is a water *resistant* jacket, at best.
I purchased this exactly one month ago, and have worn it as a commuting jacket (ten minute walk) a half dozen times, where it did its job well.
However, I wore it on two hikes this weekend with light to medium rain. Both times, it soaked right through, which was frustrating, to say the least - not to mention dangerous, given that this gear has failed to do its only job.
It's a shame, too. I love the fit, color, style, and hat support. But this was a waste of money.

Update: OR reached out to me and stated the jacket is meant for emergency use. So keep that in mind if you are in all day rain or you are through hiking the AT (lots of rain) this shell isnt intended to be out in it for prolonged periods. And while I dont know what the delineation or limitations for the word emergency is; I would suggest that if the goal once it starts raining is to get somewhere sheltered asap, thats probably the intended use (short duration). If your use case has you going into the rain and staying there a more durable shell would be advised.

Original review: There are plenty of great and not so great reviews of this jacket which make me believe the QC on this product is not where it should be and getting a good one is a gamble.
I've had this jacket for less than a year. It has wet through 3 out of the 5 times Ive had it rain or drizzle and now wets through if its cloudy out. Its a good wind jacket and its light weight. I just could not and would not rely on it to keep anything dry. I think there are jackets that will not wet through like this for less and more.

This jacket among my favorite pieces of gear we sell. I like it so much I snag one for my friends to use all the time. I don't always end up using on my trips, but at 5.8 ounces, it's always in my pack. Its saved me from thunderstorm in the desert, sleet and snow in the mountains, and gusty winds at the top of peaks. Its such a good piece of gear that I grab an extra for my friends in case they don't have one.



Probably because I only use it in inclement weather, I don't have a picture of me wearing it, but here's one of a buddy who used the men's version for some wind protection recently.

Got to test this for a day of scrambling on American Fork Twins in Utah in August--you cannot ask for a better ultralight emergency shell/wind jacket/primary shell in warm weather. On the day I tested I was working hard on the uphill in ~70deg temps and never felt overheated. The summit brought HIGH winds as soon as we topped out and the Helium withstood it no problem. I'd have confidence bringing this jacket as a primary packable shell for backpacking, mountain biking, day hikes in all but the coldest temps. SUPER versatile layer!

I used this jacket on the PCT this year and it does its job as intended. this year was a high moisture year for the Pacific Crest Trail and this jacket kept me dry through it all. I bought this jacket a couple of months before I left for my trip and got some testing in before it went with me so I knew it worked. But after putting on 1000+ miles on the jacket I've got an even better idea of how well it works. It isn't the most breathable jacket on the market but for the price and weight its a fantastic option. While going through the dessert section of California I experienced high winds, rain, and snow which was unusual for southern California. And I was very glad I went with the helium instead of just a windbreaker like many others on the trail does. After 600 of miles of hiking through the desert with a couple of small rainstorms I really got to but this thing to the test as we got rained on and snowed on for 5 days straight with high winds and overall miserable conditions, but this jacket kept me dry and relatively warm by keeping the wind at bay. The Jacket has put up with the beating of a thru-hike and is still in great condition. It's my go-to jacket for all of my backpacking trips where the forecast isn't looking great, and it's so light that I keep it with me on trips where the weather is supposed to be great as most people who spend lots of time in the mountains can tell you the forecast isn't always accurate. With how light this jacket is at only 6.5 ounces theres no reason to not bring it on fair-weather trips as an extra layer if it gets chilly or the wind picks up. All in all its a great layer that is Water and windproof that you can count on. When this one wears out ( which probably won't be for a while) I'll definitely be getting a new one.



Picture: Summit of San Jacinto CA.

Picture Credit: @Wasatch_weirdo

This jacket packs down slim and light and works amazingly well. Perfect for days when the forecast is iffy, but you still want to get after it.

If you're like me, you might get tired of following the boy scout motto to "be prepared" from time to time--especially for quick trips. Then you caught in a desert T-storm miles away from your car, pull this bad boy from the depths of your pack, and thank your annoyingly responsible self for having purchased, and packed, the Helium II. Light and compact, its the perfect backup plan.

The Helium II is very ultralight. It can easily be taken on any adventure due to its tiny pack size. This jacket blocks rain and wind well. The elastic cuffs and the drawcord on the hood will ensure that you stay dry in a rainstorm. The jacket was made to be very low profile weighing only 6.4 ounces. There is only one pocket in the chest to stash your phone, wallet, and keys. I am 6'0 175 lbs and a large fits me well. It is more of a slim fit, if I wanted to layer a lot, I would go with an XL. I would recommend this jacket to anyone that likes to travel light because they can always store this in their daypack just in case the weather changes in a hurry. If you want something with more pockets or something a little bit thicker, I would recommend going with the Outdoor Research Guardian or the Interstellar.

If you plan to wear this over a down vest beware. You will be wise to size up. The return shipping is on you! For that reason, I will be reordering from REI.

No frills, minimal features, but it has kept me dry in a couple unexpected downpours and some major rainstorms! It's not breathable so expect some humidity to build up. It's a sacrifice of breath ability for weight. I've used it hiking, backpacking, camping, and climbing. It packs into its own pocket (about the size of a baseball), and although I wouldn't recommend this method - the whole thing packs into my pants pocket easily and comfortably too. Wind and rain resistant as it gets and for only (I cannot stress this enough) 6 oz! A wonderful insurance policy.



The first couple times I wore it, I kept reaching to put my hands in the jacket pockets only to find none were there. There is one pocket on the chest which I found odd.



The hood's nice and adjustable too. There's a draw cord on the hood and on the bottom. At 6 oz (yessss) there's no reason for me to not keep this jacket in my pack.



The Medium and the Small also fit me well. Guess I'm right in between - just depends on if you want to have more layers underneath (I stuck with the medium).

This is a great lightweight piece to throw in your pack if there's a chance of rain, but you don't want to waste the space or weight bringing your burly rain gear. I found it to be great for spring bike commuting and around town use. This would be a great emergency rain shell for those of us in the generally dry western ranges that often have afternoon thunderstorms and rain showers. I did find myself wishing it was an inch or two longer, but I'm relatively tall and wear a medium, so this won't be an issue for many folks.

Am looking forward to putting some serious miles on this jacket, Tested it a few times and the water-proofing is sweet, breathability is sub-par but for the weight of this thing, I can't complain at all. Will update this review after 2652+ miles along the Pacific Crest Trail. It does run a little small so I sized up so I can layer and have the sleeves fit my monkey arms. But as of now, I love this jacket.

Greatest of all time. I have loved this windbreaker! Its been great to have fishing and backpacking. Super lightweight and can pack up super small. It's been super great to have.

Used this jacket for a weekend filming a bike race in Comfort, Texas. It turned out to be perfect testing conditions for this piece. Very high winds and gusts on Day 1 and light rain in the evenings. This ended up being the PERFECT piece--highly breathable for carrying around my 40lb+ pack on singletrack, it is crazy lightweight and doesn't feel muggy in warmer weather. Also crazy packable when i needed to stash it. This jacket definitely made my wishlist as the perfect emergency layer for backpacking, and even a great everyday rain jacket since it's waterproof unlike some other "water resistant" layers in this category.

I absolutely love this jacket for hiking! It's insanely light weight while still being incredibly durable!

The downfall of this jacket is the zipper. Since I got the jacket the zipper has always been tough to use. I took it off the other day and the zipper guide came off and is stuck in the zipper mechanism.

Used on a sail boat and keeps me dry!

I got this for my dad as a birthday gift. He lives in Seattle, and the stereotype is true, it rains a lot. My dad told me he was in need of a rain jacket and that he also needed a new Patagonia Houdini (which is not waterproof). With this jacket I was able to get him everything he wanted in one jacket! This jacket also functions as a Houdini, meaning it can conveniently fold into its own pocket. So far my dad had been super satisfied and is staying dry in the rainy Seattle fall.

I had high hopes for this jacket from all the great review. I needed something light to for my recent trip of the high sierra route. I am so lucky it didnt rain the whole trip because the pit seam was torn on the first day before when I went to put it on. Luckily I was able to patch it and make it usable for the rest of the trip. It kept me extra warm over my down and on chilly mornings but because of the durability, its going back.

What more can you ask from a packable rain jacket! Keeps you dry, is super light to stuff in a pack, and looks great!