2017 RAIN GEAR BUYER’S GUIDE

Do you own rain gear?

No, we don’t mean that $0.52 emergency rain poncho from Amazon. While that Amazon Special might keep you dry, these days you should expect much more from your rain gear. At these prices, you should demand it. We sure did in our testing. We got wet, so you don’t have to.

Not only did we expect these rain suits to keep us dry, but they also had to fit well (not like a plastic poncho), be comfortable, have excellent breathability, provide great freedom of movement, reduce noise during the swing, be lightweight and much more. What we found was that consumers now have some incredible modern design options. You no longer have to wear a plastic bag with a logo.

The process of buying anything in today’s time has become stressful and time-consuming. We feel the best reviews are those that help you make the right choices and help you get the most out of your time and money. This way you can buy with confidence and eliminate a lot of the guesswork. We are here to help show you how a product will perform before you buy.

One key to our testing protocols is that we test products head-to-head. We select the top products from each category and put them through extensive and detailed head-to-head testing. We test both in the lab and in the field. We score each product across a range of weighted categories. We then rank the products, explain why, and give awards to the best performing products in the category.

THE METRICS

We’re always fine-tuning the process to make sure we’re collecting the best data possible. Continuing that trend we’ve updated and refined this year’s analysis to bring you the best buying advice possible.

RAIN JACKET FEATURES CHART

Name	Material	Cost	Sizes	Color Options
CROSS SPORTSWEAR M EDGE	FTX	$403.69	S-XXL	4
PROQUIP PX5 STORM FORCE	Sophisticated membrane technology	$159.82	S-XXXL	4
NIKE HYPERADAPT STORM-FIT	Storm-FIT	$179.95	S-XXL	1
SUN MOUNTAIN ELITE	37.5 material	$299.00	M-XXL	3
ZERO RESTRICTION GORE STEALTH	GORE-TEX	$199.99	SML-XXL	1
PROQUIP AQUASTORM PX1 JACKET	DUPONT w/ teflon	$74.98	S-XXXL	6
FOOTJOY HYDROLITE	Hydrolite	$160.00	S-XXL	7
PEAK PERFORMANCE HERIOT	GORE-TEX	$300.31	S-XXL	2
ZERO RESTRICTION PACKABLE	SPLASH GEAR FABRIC	$191.96	M-L	2
PUMA STORM PRO	stormCELL PROTECTION	$173.33	S-XXL	1
PING ZERO GRAVITY	Pertex Shield+	$220.95	S-XXXL	2
GALVIN GREEN PACLITE TOP	GORE-TEX
GALVIN GREEN ARROW	GORE-TEX	$300.95	S-XXXXL	4
CROSS SPORTSWEAR M PRO	FTX	$276.64	S-XXXL	3
ADIDAS CLIMAPROOF	CLIMAPROOF POLYESTER	$109.74	S-XL	2
NIKE STORM *	Storm-FIT	$149.99	S-XXL	2
CALLAWAY PERFORMANCE	Opti-Repel	$111.16	S-XXXL	3
LINKSOUL WEATHERMAN	Waterproof Membrane	$176.00	S-XXL	3
ANTIGUA ANTECH *	ANTECH	$130.00	M-XXL	1

*Indicates that submission is sold only as a complete suit

 

 

RAIN PANT FEATURES CHART

Name	Material	Cost	Sizes	LENGTH OPTIONS	Style Options
CROSS SPORTSWEAR M EDGE	FTX	$311.29	S-XXL	ADJUSTS	3
PROQUIP PX5 STORM FORCE	Sophisticated membrane technology	$106.19	S-XXXL	5	2
NIKE HYPERADAPT STORM-FIT	Storm-FIT	$145.00	S-XXL	ADJUSTS	1
SUN MOUNTAIN ELITE	37.5	$259.00	S-XXL	ADJUSTS	1
ZERO RESTRICTION GORE STEALTH	GORE-TEX¨	$355.00	SML-XXL	ADJUSTS	1
PROQUIP TOURFLEX PX3 PANTS	TEFLON	$97.99	S-XXXL	5	1
FOOTJOY HYDROLITE	Hydrolite	$99.95	XS-XXL	11	1
PEAK PERFORMANCE HERIOT	GORE-TEX¨	$231.02	S-XXL	2	2
ZERO RESTRICTION PACKABLE	SPLASH GEAR FABRIC	$110.90	SML-XXXL	1	2
PUMA STORM PRO	stormCELL technology	$157.45	S-XXL	ADJUSTS	1
PING TOUR	Pertex Shield+	$240.00	S-XXL	3	1
GALVIN GREEN AUGUST	GORE-TEX¨ Paclite¨Ê	$210.00	S-XXXL	9	5
GALVIN GREEN ALF	GORE-TEX¨	$221.00	S-XXXXL	11	1
CROSS SPORTSWEAR M PRO	FTX	$230.43	S-XXXL	3	3
ADIDAS CLIMAPROOF	CLIMAPROOF	$59.99	S-XL	1	1
NIKE STORM *	Storm-FIT	$149.99	S-XXL	1	2
CALLAWAY PERFORMANCE	Opti-Repel/Opti-Dri	$109.95	S-XXL	2	1
ANTIGUA ANTECH *	Polyester	$130.00	M-XXL	1	1
LINKSOUL WEATHERMAN	WATERPROOF MEMBRANE	$150.00	M-XL	1	3

*Indicates that submission is sold only as a complete suit

We put in hours of testing utilizing data-driven protocols to test new metrics. The numbers are better than ever.

Over the course of the test, testers hit balls wearing each set of rain gear both in wet and dry conditions. For each suit testers hit shots and gave some scores during and some after the test. We were particularly interested in the phrasing of the testing questions, so prompt words were discussed before testing to ensure objectivity. By choosing when particular questions were asked, we were able to limit bias.

There were opportunities for breaks in the test both in an attempt to limit sweat and tester fatigue.

We also examined the stitching and zippers without our testers present. This was done to see where the suits may leak over time.

Waterproofing (35 points) – Does even the slightest amount of water seep through the suit or does it bead off? Does the tapering around the wrists, ankles, and neck keep water out of the suit? Since the goal of a rain suit is to keep out water, we deemed waterproofing to be the most important metric. Suits that didn’t perform well in this category had both flaws in design and material. Some top finishers were made of impervious Gore-Tex while others were made of similar alternative materials.

Breathability (20 points) – Does the heat created between the suit and the body have any means of escaping? Can the heat escape through vent-like technology? Does the suit breath through the fabric itself? The worst suits in terms of breathability felt like literal black trash bags. Some top finishers featured material that repels water on the outside while attracting it on the inside. This means that not only does the suit keep you dry, but it also removes your sweat from your skin to keep you cool. According to industry experts, breathability is far more important than most realize.

Comfort (25 points) -Score is given based on whether there are any flaws in the suit’s design or construction. Questioning for this category was done while the tester was hitting, as comfort is especially important during a shot. Comfort while walking was also considered. While playing in the rain, your suit cannot hurt your ability to play. Top performers felt as though nothing was there.

Fit (20 points) – How well do the pants taper around the ankle, legs, arms, and midsection? How much adjustability is provided in the waist? Can the jacket’s midsection be tapered? Can the neck opening be tightened? This is important because rain gear is worn over other clothes it’s important to have adjustability. One must be able to ensure that the suit does not impede the swing, and a poorly fitting suit does just that.

Final grades were awarded based on total scores. Best Overall is our highest overall scoring rain suit, and awards are given to the top five suits. Also, more specific Best in Class recognitions are awarded to gear in certain categories (like pants, jacket, waterproofing, or fit) that push the industry’s design envelope.

We also give an “Editor’s Choice” and a “Best Buy” award to those products that provide value products that compete with the bigger names on performance.

THE BEST RAIN GEAR OF 2017

 

2017 RAIN GEAR BUYERS GUIDE

Name	Comfort	Breathability	Waterproofing	Fit	Score
CROSS SPORTSWEAR EDGE	1st	9th	7th	1st	92.7
PROQUIP PX5 STORMFORCE	1st	7th	5th	3rd	92.1
NIKE HYDERADAPT STORM-FIT	3rd	9th	5th	5th	90.7
SUN MOUNTAIN ELITE	13th	16th	1st	2nd	89.6
ZERO RESTRICTION STEALTH	6th	8th	2nd	5th	88.1
PROQUIP TEFLON	14th	4th	2nd	14th	82.5
FOOTJOY HYDROLITE	12th	11th	9th	10th	82.25
PEAK PERFORMANCE HERIOT	15th	17th	4th	7th	82
ZERO RESTRICTION PACKABLE	4th	3rd	11th	11th	81.5
PUMA STORM PRO	7th	2nd	12th	12th	81.25
PING ZERO GRAVITY	9th	12th	8th	13th	80.75
GALVIN GREEN AUGUST/PACLITE	7th	13th	13th	8th	79.75
GALVIN GREEN ALF/ARROW	10th	13th	10th	16th	79.5
CROSS SPORTSWEAR PRO	4th	1st	16th	4th	79.25
ADIDAS CLIMAPROOF	10th	4th	15th	9th	79
NIKE STORM	15th	18th	14th	17th	71.5
CALLAWAY PERFORMANCE	17th	6th	18th	15th	67
LINKSOUL RAIN GEAR	18th	15th	17th	19th	61
ANTIGUIA ANTECH	19th	19th	19th	18th	59.5