Softshell at a glance
- Blocks
- Wind, and light rain for a while
- Does not block
- Sustained rain
- Breathability
- Far higher than a hardshell
- Typical use
- Hiking pants and cold-dry outer layers
What makes a fabric a softshell
Softshell describes a construction rather than a specific material. A woven face fabric, usually nylon or polyester with a few percent elastane, is bonded or knitted to a backing that is often brushed for warmth. The result stretches in at least two directions, blocks most wind, and passes water vapour far more freely than any waterproof membrane can.
The name is a deliberate contrast with a hardshell, which is a waterproof rain jacket. A hardshell keeps rain out and traps sweat in. A softshell does the opposite trade.
Wind resistance is the point, not waterproofing
Moving air strips heat from you far faster than still air of the same temperature, so a fabric tight enough to cut wind is worth more on an exposed ridge than extra thickness would be. That is the property you are actually buying.
Most softshells are rated as wind-resistant rather than windproof, and a small number use a membrane to reach genuinely windproof, at some cost to breathability. Either way the fabric only holds off light precipitation, using a DWR finish on the face. In sustained rain it wets out like any other unmembraned fabric.
Where softshell belongs in a layering system
The classic use is as an outer layer on cold, dry, windy days, worn instead of a rain shell rather than under one. It breathes well enough to climb in, which is exactly what a hardshell cannot do, and it is quiet and comfortable in a way coated fabrics are not.
The other common use is trousers. Most technical hiking pants are softshells or light stretch wovens, because legs generate a lot of heat, have little insulation, and are rarely worth waterproofing on their own.
What you give up
Weight and packed size, mostly. A softshell is heavier and bulkier than a light rain shell offering more actual weather protection, which is why fast-and-light hikers often skip it and pair a wind shirt with a hardshell instead.
It also cannot be your only outer layer in a wet climate. If rain is likely, a softshell is a mid layer and you still carry a waterproof.
What this means when you're choosing
- Whether the maker claims wind-resistant or windproof, since the second usually means a membrane and less breathability
- Whether the face carries a DWR finish, which is what handles drizzle and spray
- How much elastane is in the weave, since stretch is most of what separates a softshell from a plain woven
- Whether the backing is brushed, which adds warmth you may not want in summer
The common mistake
Buying a softshell expecting it to replace a rain jacket
A softshell is not waterproof and no amount of reproofing will make it so. Treat it as a wind layer that tolerates drizzle, and keep a hardshell in the pack for when it actually rains.
Common questions
Is a softshell waterproof?
No. A softshell sheds light rain because of the DWR finish on its face fabric, but it has no waterproof membrane and it wets out under sustained rain. It is a wind layer that tolerates drizzle, not a substitute for a rain shell.
Softshell or hardshell for hiking?
A softshell if the day is cold, dry and windy, because it breathes well enough to climb in. A hardshell if rain is likely, because nothing else keeps it out. Many people carry a light hardshell and wear a softshell underneath, which covers both.
Where this is defined
- ISO 11092, thermal and water-vapour resistance of textiles, International Organization for Standardization