Given that the Spring/Summer months also usually mean a whole lot more rain, we’ve been looking at a bunch of raincoat options, and reviewing them and giving you our thoughts in usual TPL style. One company we couldn’t pass up is called RAINS, and, quite literally all they do is make outerwear products for the rain. Surely, a company that specializes in only making one product like this would do a good job, so we had to take a look and review it. We went with their Long Jacket ($125) for this review. We actually purchased it from Huckberry, though they are now sold out. Still, when we talk about the shopping experience, we’ll be talking about Huckberry.
Packaging & Experience
The Huckberry website is very neat and organized, and it is very easy to navigate and place your order. They offer free shipping and returns. Shipping took a few days, but could still be considered fast. Returns required you to go online and navigate through a return process — no label included in the box. Still, it was painless enough, despite some semi-tricky landing page and even email about an “Instant Voucher” allowing you to instantly order something new with the money you would be getting back once your return makes it back to them. If you did nothing, the return would go back to your credit card as usual. So, it was a bit confusing, but, in the end, it all worked out just fine if you do find yourself wanting to return something. A-
Style & Design
We went with the black long jacket for this review for two reasons. One, black is super versatile, and goes with everything. When it comes to throwing on a raincoat to brave the storms outside, you don’t want to worry about matching something to your outfit. A raincoat should go with everything, so stick to grey or blacks, at least for your first raincoat. Two, we like that this is a longer coat, so it will keep more of you dry, and can also cover the tail of a suit jacket if you want to wear it more formally for when you are caught in the rain, but need to wear a suit. Again, if you are only going to have one raincoat, make it as versatile as possible. This coat from RAINS checks all those boxes.
As to the rest of the actual coat itself, the fabric is smooth, slippery, even, and looks a bit shiny from both afar and up close. Being perfectly honest, we cannot say we are the biggest fans of the looks of this coat. It looks a bit like a trash bag, truthfully. (Though, the coat is available in many other colors, which might help mitigate this effect.) The two slanted pockets at the front add some visual interested, as do the buttons up the front, and the pull cords for the hood. Still, the overall look of this coat is not exactly sleek. The rear of the coat as a cool vent at the top, and the hood also has an extended visor, which is very practical and a nice detail. But this coat looks and feels like a cross between a poncho and a raincoat, but isn’t quite either. Finally, the detailing at the cuff is odd, with a quarter being elastic, along with a button that scrunches it all together. Not a very clean finish to the cuff. B-
Quality & Construction
This coat definitely keeps you dry. It’s like wearing a lightweight tarp. And, indeed, this coat is quite lightweight. Great for the summer, less good for the colder months. On that note, it’s not very breathable and feels a bit suffocating at times. It doesn’t seem to have much ventilation either. Speaking of, these coats smell terrible out of the bag, and the smell didn’t seem to dissipate even after a few days of sitting around. I think with enough wear the smell would go away, but it’s extremely off-putting. It smells like some sort of chemical and artificial rubber concoction. It’s just not good. Trust us.
In short, yes, this coat will keep you dry, but not with any tech fabric or moisture wicking like something from Ministry of Supply, but instead just by nature of you wearing a rubber layer over your clothes. Some people might prefer that, but considering the look, smell, and lack of ventilation it causes, we don’t. Still, it’s well-made, and not at all something that feels like it won’t last. So, you can’t really fault RAINS for making a poorly made garment. It’s not at all poorly made. It’s just that we don’t find ourselves very much desiring to wear it. B-
The Fit
(Note: I am 6’1” and 165 lbs. and usually wear a size S or 15” shirt in a slim fit.)
I went with my usual size Small in outerwear, though also tried a medium. Both fit pretty poorly, with a ton of room in the chest, waist, and arms. No, a raincoat does not need to really be slim, per se, but when it looks like a trash bag, and kind of fits like one too, it’s not helping the case. This could stand to be a bit slimmer. The medium was way to big, while the small was simply too big. For anyone who is a bit slim, or who wants a slimmer fitting coat, pass on this. If you want a coat with a bit more room, then maybe look a bit more into this. B-
Value & Conclusion
RAINS Long Jacket — $125: As far as raincoats go, the price here is quite reasonable. It’s way, way less than the Ministry of Supply offering we have also reviewed, and even way less than the T. M. Lewin options as well. Still, it’s also less of a raincoat. Less layered, less structured, less styled, and less comfortable. As a cheap raincoat option, perhaps this is worth considering. But if you’re going to only buy one, our pick is still the Ministry of Supply raincoat. Final Grade: B-