Best Lightweight Jackets for Travel (For Men and Women)
As world travelers, aside from our technology, there’s probably nothing we value more than our travel jackets. Jackets? Really?!
Yes!
A good travel jacket can make all the difference on a terribly uncomfortably cold flight. Ever gone out and got caught in a tropical rainstorm? Do you enjoy feeling cozy? Want to protect yourself from getting sick?
Your travel jacket(s) should be your best friend.
But finding the best jackets for travel can be tricky because of all the different scenarios you might encounter and how easy a jacket might be to pack and carry (when you’re not wearing it).
If you’re a minimalist traveler like us, space in your luggage and bags is limited and precious. You’ll want to plan to economize what room you have. The greatest challenge for any traveler is to pack and plan for multiple seasons and situations. You don’t have enough space to bring all the things for all the situations. It’s also really expensive.
The best solution is to find travel gear that is functional and can serve multiple purposes, or in this case, is ready for different weather situations.
When it comes to the best jackets for travel, we’ve found that lightweight, packable jackets are the best options.
Updated: November 2023. Originally published: April 2019.
A lightweight travel jacket has the tech and features to face a variety of travel situations and is small enough that they don’t take up valuable space in your luggage.
Whether you a strolling through Europe exploring historical villages, taking a motorbike tour through central Vietnam, hiking through lush valleys in Hawaii, or braving the cool crisp air of New Zealand’s South Island, the best lightweight travel jackets work well separately and together as one system.
What to Look For in a Travel Jacket
When Jedd used to work at REI, he was taught the following information on what to look for in a jacket. The main thing you’re trying to do is regulate your body temperature to be a comfortable level. How do you do this?
1. Staying dry
- Protect yourself from wetness coming into the jacket AND from overheating causing sweat from underneath a jacket.
Why is this important?
- The less moisture touching your skin, the less your body temperature will be impacted by the weather. It’s why the temperature can be cold in two different places but will feel much colder in humid/moisture heavy environments. That being said, cold is cold! 🙂
2. Protection against the wind
Any layer on top of your skin will give you some basic protection against the wind. Certain materials do a better job blocking wind than others.
Why is this important?
When the wind touches your skin, especially if it’s wet, it can drop your body temperature. Jedd was once at a waterpark in Colorado on a 85 degree day but once he got out of the water, the wind at the park made it feel really cold.
3. Breathable is more important than waterproof
One of the biggest myths about buying a jacket is that a waterproof jacket is the best. If that were the case we’d all be wearing ponchos or the heavy duty stuff they wear on the Deadliest Catch, crab fishing in the Arctic.
What you want is a jacket that can both block a good amount of rain, but also breathes so you don’t feel clammy and sweaty underneath. Most of the time you shouldn’t be in a situation where you are caught in a quick deluge or even constant rain. In those situations, umbrellas are better shields and more helpful than jackets.
Why is this important?
Not only are big waterproof raincoats uncomfortable but they make it hard to regulate your body heat (see point #2 above). It just feels gross (and is potentially smelly too).
4. Insulate and keep enough body heat
While having a good shield to protect against water and wind is important, if you’re in a cold situation, this is not enough to keep warm. You’ll want a layer that can help insulate your body.
Layer with something like a down jacket that has built-in insulation. Word of caution, insulation and breathability should work together. You want to keep your warmth while also releasing extra heat to stay comfortable. Remember, everyone’s bodies are different and some people need a lot of insulation while other’s may need a little.
Why is this important? Warmth.
5. Find a way to make your jackets work as a system
The most ideal situation is when you can wear all three jackets separately OR together if needed. Find an outer layer, a mid-layer, and a light layer. When we were in South Korea recently and the temperature dropped below 30 degrees, Jedd used all 3 of his jackets to provide wind protection and insulation.
Why is this important?
This is the best way to maximize the functionality of your jackets, to interchange them for a variety of situations.
BONUS: look and feel matters.
Like most things in life, you’ll use the things that look and feel good to you. That counts and matters when choosing the best jackets for travel. Features like hidden pockets, cellphone pocket, earbud hole pass through, etc are user specific. If this matters to you, then seek out jackets with these features.
Let’s review our favorite travel jackets for men and women…
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Best Travel Jackets for Men and Women
Our favorite, everyday go-to jackets are our high-tech, full-zip hoodies.
This isn’t your typical college hoodie. For most situations, it’s the go-to jacket. It can protect against wind, light rain, and with the right materials, can be both breathable and insulated for warmth.
- Pros: Great for daily use and most situations. Can be used as a mid-layer. Decent wind protection.
- Cons: Poor rain protection (think drizzle at best). Not the greatest for cold situations.
- Activities: Walking around town, business casual events in the NW, lounging at home.
Best travel jackets and hoodies for women
Best travel jackets and hoodies for men
Best Lightweight Rain Jacket For Travel
We are huge fans of lightweight rain jackets. Light, compact-able, and can shield a decent amount of wind and rain, they can also be used a great first, outer layer. They are just so versatile!
- Pros: Good rain and wind protection. Can be used as the first outer layer. Can be packed down to almost nothing making it easy to bring along in any day bag.
- Cons: Not as comfortable to the skin as a mid layer. Noisy. Not the most comfortable to wear indoors. Will not last about 10 – 20 minutes in a downpour.
- Activities: Great for active use like hiking and running. Perfect for uncertain weather situations (think “chance of rain”).
Best lightweight travel rain jackets for women
Best lightweight travel rain jackets for men
Best packable down jacket
In the winter or cold situations, we live in these packable down jackets. They are so comfortable, cozy, and now days, have decent rain protection. Though they can be a little expensive, they are worth the investment. We’ve both gotten 4-5 years per down jacket we’ve owned.
- Pros: Soft, cozy and warm. Lightweight and compressible, especially when packed in its own small stuff sack. Can be used as a great mid layer for warmth. Bonus: comfortable to sleep in if needed for camping or destinations without heaters (like Mexico, Vietnam, etc…).
- Cons: Ok protection against weather elements (light snow and rain) for short periods. Can be too warm and unnecessary after the temperature reaches a certain point.
- Activities: Great for casual, cold weather conditions. Light hiking.
Best lightweight travel down jackets for women
Best lightweight travel down jacket for men
Finals tips about the best light jacket for travel
Remember, the best jackets are the ones that meet your travel needs, are comfortable to wear, and fit your style. If you don’t like the way your travel jacket fits or looks, you’re not going to use it and that defeats the whole purpose of packing a jacket.
When you do find the right jacket for your travels, treasure it because it will be your best companion for your adventures.
Do you have a favorite light travel jacket that you love? Share it with us in the comments.
You might also like these posts:
– Long Term Travel Clothing Essentials
– Packing Hacks of Frequent Travelers
– Our Favorite Alternatives to Travel Wallets
– Minimalist Travel Toiletries List for Women
– Osprey Farpoint 55 Travel Backpack Review
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