Hardshell Jacket and Softshell jacket?

Question

whats the diffrence between the two? are you supposed to wear them at the same time? ????? or seperate? is that a way of rating them or something?

Answer 1

Most salespersons will tell you the softshell is a good replacement to the hardshell...however, this is not 100% accurate as there are several types of softshells. Additionally, they both do have specific qualities and uses.

The typical hardshell jacket has a water-repellant outer side made of nylon or a nylon blend. They can be simple like a Columbia or Mountain Hardwear jacket (both the same company BTW) with little bells and whistles...or something like
The North Face Mountaineering/Ice Climbing jacket or a Spyder jacket with lots of doo-dads, reinforced kevlar elbow pads, etc. etc.

Laminated to the outer shell is the Waterproof/Breathable material...ie. Gore-Tex or the company brand version of Gore-Tex. Usually a ski jacket will have an additional liner to protect the membrane. Hardshell rain jackets usually do not.

The waterproof softshell, ie. Mountain Hardwear's Alchemy Jacket, Is a nylon shell, usually made of Schoeller or some similar material that has water repellancy and is windproof. Laminated to the back of that is the waterproof membrane and then inside is a fleece or wicking material. There are several variations on this design, so what one company may be doing may not be the same for another. Malden Mills also has a waterproof fleece...really neat stuff, not as breathable but waterproof and warm. I've only seen the material used in scuba suits.

There are lots of soft-shells out there that are NOT waterproof. They are windproof, but once it rains or you get slushy snow on it you will freeze. You will know the difference in price as the waterproof softshells will usually run a $100-$150 more in price than the best non-waterproof softshell. I think the MSRP for a lot of them was about $300 last year. I haven't looked this year to be honest because I'm more interested in ski boot prices than yet another jacket.

Softshells are great for active sports. Excellent for climbing, skiing, snowshoeing, biking, etc. If you buy a good one, there really is no downside to them, at least not from theones I've seen and the people I know who have one. I've tested a few and was fairly well satisfied.

The one advantage a good hardshell has over almost all softshells is that it will be warmer. The material of the softshell is one sandwiched layer on top of another creating no dead air space. Most of the hardshells have at least a light liner not stuck to the waterproof laminate, so there is a tad more dead air to keep you warmer. Unless you have zero body fat or plan to ski when the temps are -0F chances are you won't notice.

Personally, I won't buy a softshell until the prices come down or I get a sweet pro-deal. I know what they cost to make and I know what the MSRP is...it is friggin' highway robbery.

If you are on a budget, I say buy a windstopper fleece and lightweight rain jacket. I ski in a fleece and keep the rainjacket stashed in my pack. If it starts to get wet outside I simply layer up. Plus, then you have a rain jacket you can wear in the summer and a fleece. My real ski jacket has only seen the light of day 6 times in the past 4 years.

Answer 2

Softshell is basically like a heavy sweatshirt. If you ride mostly in southern California, this is the best type to have (buy it down to your knees if you wanna be in style). Hardshell is the waterproof material that most windbreakers and snow jackets are made of, and is best for any resort where there is wind or where it snows or rains a lot. (if you are on the east coast, in colorado, or anyplace super cold, this is what you want.) If you like wearing layers like a sweatshirt underneath, then get an uninsulated jacket. If you would rather just wear a long-sleeved tee, buy an insulated one.