Enjoy running for a lifetime-Windbreaker Jacket Women

Here’s our roundup of the best windproof jackets women for running (or any other activity!), from the likes of Montbell, Black Diamond, inov-8, Cotopaxi, and more.
The Montbell Tachyon Hooded Jacket is a windbreaker but still keeps the rain out. Photo: iRunFar/Esther Horanyi
Ah, the cloak! This nifty piece of clothing weighs next to nothing and disappears into almost every corner of your hydration pack, yet provides comfort in the wind and cold. What’s more, it’s often a one-time purchase: buy the trench coat that best suits your needs and enjoy running for a lifetime.
To bring you this windbreaker buyer’s guide, the iRunFar team tested a range of jackets on the market in all four seasons to find out which fit best and which didn’t. In the end, we settled on the championship jacket you see here.
To learn more about our selection of the best trench coats, go to our selection tips and our FAQs. You can also learn more about our research and testing methodology. If you’re looking for a raincoat, be sure to check out our guide to the best raincoat for running.
The lightweight Cotopaxi Teca windbreaker with half zip is perfect for stretching and relaxing before or after your run. Photo: iRunFar/Esther Horanyi
The Montbell Tachyon Hooded Jacket is packed with features and an ultra-light weight of just 2.6 oz (73g), making it an affordable choice and our top pick for windbreakers.
Montbell made this jacket lightweight by using 7 denier nylon, the thinnest fabric used in windbreakers today. It feels very good, but the ripstop nylon showed no signs of wear or tear during our runs, even when worn under various hydration packs and occasionally bumped into bushes or rocks. We love how compact and lightweight it is to pack into a running vest or running belt.
The fabric has some sheen so that’s a downside if you don’t like that particular look. However, one of its advantages is that it is a quiet fabric – you will not hear a rustle or rustle in the wind and while running.
This lightweight windbreaker has many features, including a full-length zip, two zipped hand pockets, a hidden inside pocket with Velcro closure, some elastication at the waist, small slits under the arms and a drawstring. The hood has a front drawstring. tab for easy adjustment.
The jacket also features microfiber on elasticated wrists for comfort, is slightly longer in the back than the front, has multiple reflective dots, and is treated with DWR for water repellency.
The Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell is a bit more expensive than the others in this guide, but thanks to the combination of quiet fabric, plus size, some waterproofing, and good looks, we chose this jacket as our second choice.
While Black Diamond claims this windbreaker has a form-fitting fit, we found the size to be very roomy in every way, making it easy to slip into a small running bag or layering. We appreciate that the 15-denier fabric is quiet and doesn’t feel as tech-y as other windbreakers, so you can switch to beer after your run without looking like a space nerd.
Distance Wind Shell features include a full-length zip, a zippered chest pocket for jacket storage, stretchy wrists with a touch of microfiber for comfort, and a drawcord-adjustable wide hood at the back. The hood is also compatible with climbing helmets, so start your climbing adventures. The front and back of the jacket are the same length.
Several of the windbreakers featured in this guide are treated with DWR to repel water, but we found that the Distance Wind Shell fabric lasted the longest in a light rain of water before getting wet. Of course, this jacket will not replace your raincoat, but in a pinch it will help out.
The Patagonia Houdini Jacket is an iconic windbreaker jacket long loved by trail runners and mountain bikers. It provides superior wind protection in an ultra-lightweight design. It has a simple design with few bells and whistles but offers plenty of warmth and protection for its weight. The jacket has ribbed cuffs to help keep them in place (but no thumbholes) and a chest pocket for lip balm or cash after a run. Aptly named, Houdini fits comfortably and easily into your own breast pocket when you don’t need it. Like the Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell above, this jacket features a full length unified front zip and an adjustable hood that fits a climbing helmet.
Our main gripe with the Patagonia Houdini is that it’s louder and more built than our other top models, which offer comparable weight and performance. However, Houdini is cheaper than our favorites, Montbell and Black Diamond. This is a durable and reliable jacket, so if you don’t mind its noisy fabric, this jacket can be a great value for money option.
The Montbell Ex Light Wind Jacket is another award-winning product from Montbell, this time in the ultralight category, weighing just 1.6 ounces (47g). Think of the Montbell Ex Light Wind Jacket as a stripped down version of the aforementioned Montbell Tachyon Hooded Jacket, but not too stripped down.
In this Ex Light Wind jacket, we retain the same 7 denier nylon ripstop fabric, full length zippers, underarm vents, elasticated wrists with microfiber inserts, a small drawstring at the waist and Velcro closed pockets (but this time on the outside of the jacket). ). jacket), DWR trim and reflective effects. With this jacket, we’ve removed the hood, two zippered hand pockets, and an ounce of weight.
We love that it’s so compact that it fits in the palm of your hand – it’s about the size of a Clif bar – so small you can even fit the jacket into the big pocket of your running shorts.
Again, we found the fabric to be quiet and very thin, but it continued to deliver a consistent hit even when we were cleaning rocks and vegetation with it.
Made by a small company in Winona, Minnesota, the Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Wind Shirt is the most efficient ultralight hooded jacket we’ve tested, even if its ultra-bright fabric means it’s not the prettiest in its class. The Copperfield Wind Shirt weighs a whopping 1.8 ounces (51g).
The fabric is made from 10 denier nylon which is wind resistant. The jacket has a very strong waistband so you can zip up tight against any wind and is the same length front and back. You can also adjust the hood at the front with the same elastic. The wrists are also elastic for security.
As stated on the Enlightened Equipment website, this jacket is oversized in both width and length. If you prefer a more stylish jacket, please size down. On the other hand, choosing a standard jacket size can mean the jacket can be folded in multiple layers and fit into a modest running pack – we tested up to 12 liters under the jacket and it worked!
In addition, the Enlightened Equipment Copperfield windbreaker had the widest sizing of any jacket we tested. We also love that it’s a quiet fabric that makes very little noise when you’re running or in the wind.
Buy Women’s Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Shirts Buy Men’s Enlightened Equipment Copperfield Shirts
The inov-8 Windshell Windshell 2.0 jacket sits somewhere in the middle in terms of weight and price, but has the best feature set of any windbreaker we’ve tested.
Double layer on the front for extra protection! Thumb! The zippered chest pocket has a hole for the headphone cable! Chest snaps keep the jacket in place when you want to unzip it to stay warm! The hood comes off when not in use so it doesn’t blow in the wind! Badge on the hood prevents water from getting on your face! Elastic band on the hood, wrists and waist! Reflective Hits! And all this in a jacket weighing only 2.8 ounces (80 grams), which makes it really special.
The jacket also features a waist that is noticeably longer at the back than at the front for added protection. The waist and hood are not adjustable, but their fit design works so well that no adjustment is needed. As we said, this is not the lightest or cheapest jacket, but the attention to detail and multifunctional design won us over.
Fabric: 20 denier ripstop nylon; windproof front, more breathable back
Buy Women’s inov-8 Windshell 2.0 JacketBuy Men’s inov-8 Windshell Jacket
The Montbell Wind Blast Hooded Jacket isn’t ultralight or ultra-tech, but it’s a great entry-level windbreaker that suits just about everyone at an affordable price.
This is a pretty standard coat. It features a large hood with front adjustment tabs, underarm mesh vents, two zippered mesh hand pockets, microfiber elasticated wrists and a drawstring waist. It does not pack itself, but comes in a separate storage bag. It has a DWR treatment, a full length zip and the back is slightly longer than the front like other Montbell jackets.
Since this jacket is made of 40 denier nylon, it is the thickest and warmest of its kind here. One of our testers had to unzip the zipper for ventilation while running, even in very cold winds. Not everyone needs a super light and super expensive jacket, so if you want something simple and affordable then this is for you.
Sometimes you don’t need a windbreaker just for running, but you can still wear it at the start of a trail, in a cafe or bar before or after your run. Cotopaxi Teca Half Zip Trench Coat does just that.
With a huge front hand pocket, a second Velcro front pocket, a hood, a back slit and a dropped back, this colorful half-zip is ready for the run, but also great for hiking or after a run. Due to the size of the front pocket, it can only fit very light items such as gloves or headbands. The jacket tucks into a kangaroo pocket, is unisex sized and doesn’t fit at all.
This windbreaker is made from a thicker material. The thicker the warmer, so if you decide to wear it for a run, you can use the half zip to keep you cool. There is a DWR coating for waterproofing.
While iRunFar doesn’t necessarily recommend this jacket long term, we found it to perform well for up to a few hours in inclement weather. Since Cotopaxi uses scrap to create this jacket, its color options are constantly changing.
As with any other piece of clothing, the fit is the most important part and it varies from person to person. It should be noted that almost all windbreakers are made from nylon or polyester, which do not stretch, so getting the fit can be more difficult than usual.
Do you need a tighter fit, or a larger size for more room to move, or a jacket that can be worn over a running vest? The best running trench at least covers your wrists well and stays below your waistline when you raise your arms. Some have a longer back, such as the Montbell Wind Blast Hooded Jacket. Some people prefer their windbreaker to really cover their hips and opt for a longer product, but this is a personal preference.
The jacket should also have enough shoulder room when you bend over and raise your arms, such as when you raise your arms across a gravel field or bend over to tie your shoelaces. One potential downside to weighing your windbreaker carefully is that the more excess material, the more the wind will blow and blow things around. This does not actually change the protection factor, but it creates noise and can cause problems.
Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell is very light and very protective. Photo: iRunFar/Esther Horanyi
Protection from the elements, namely the wind and the cold air it brings with it, is why you are looking for the best raincoat.
When buying, keep in mind that windbreakers are not waterproof and cannot be used as raincoats. However, most trench coats are made from nylon or polyester, which are naturally waterproof. Some windbreakers in this guide have a waterproof coating, such as the Black Diamond Distance Wind Shell. Your windbreaker should protect you from light rain or snow, but it should never be used as a raincoat.
Windbreakers made of nylon or polyester, even if the material is thin, provide good wind protection. However, such fabric is usually thicker and at least warmer. Having said that, the windbreaker, made from the thinnest material in this guide, still provides solid protection!
Various features add weight but also protection. The lightest and least protective jacket is the jacket without a hood, loose cuffs, and a non-adjustable waist—a minimalist jacket. However, if you need extra protection, look for jackets with adjustable hoods, fitted cuffs, a drawstring at the waist, and thumb holes.
While a stylish, fitted jacket is nice to the touch and lighter, buying a slightly larger than usual jacket means you can wear it over your running pack to protect all of your gear, not just your body.
The lighter the clothing and equipment, the easier it is to run. Windbreaker jackets offer incredible value for money as protective clothing at a very light weight. However, keep in mind that windbreakers still vary considerably in weight – the jackets in this guide range from 1.6 ounces (47 grams) to 6.2 ounces (177 grams).
If you’re looking for the lightest windbreaker, we recommend the Montbell Ex Light Wind without a hood or the Enlightened Equipment Copperfield hooded windbreaker.
The more extras, such as pockets, zippers and hoods, the heavier the jacket, so there are compromises to be made. Another factor that increases the weight of the jacket is the material: 40 denier nylon is thicker, heavier and potentially more durable than 7 denier nylon.