This jacket not only resists wind, but the moisture wicking internal fleece lining adds warmth to your core on cold windy days. In this sense it was the warmest model that we tested and offered the most protection for our core. But the downfall of this piece is that it does not have a hood, which adds more overall protection and warmth from cold winds. So, while we found our core was well protected from the wind, it lost points in this metric due to our head being cold and unprotected.
This jacket was designed to inhale and exhale and was one of the most breathable models that we tested. The specialized lining pulls moisture away from your skin and disperses it to increase evaporation. The lining's fine dernier yarn is also soft to the touch, and this jacket feels great over nothing but a tank top or sports bra.
During our water resistance testing, we noticed that the Marmot Stride - Women's did not soak through to the skin, but the outer layer did hold moisture on the outside longer than the Patagonia Houdini, Arc'teryx Squamish Hoody and The North Face Cyclone Hoodie - Women's. While those models had superior water resistance, none of these wind breakers are designed to keep you dry in a downpour.
This is the heaviest of all the wind breakers we tested, but it does serve as a multi-dimensional layer and provides extra warmth. So, if you were to add the weight of a long-sleeved base layer to the weight of a lighter wind breaker, the weight of this model rivals that of the other jackets. If you prefer to use a layering system, this jacket is not the best choice. It has a tight fight and we had difficulty wearing it over a baselayer.
Because it is not suited to layering, this jacket received a mediocre rating in this metric. We also didn't like the way it rode up under the waist belt of a backpack, and when the sleeves are pushed up, the outer shell had a tendency to roll over the internal lining, which was annoying. There were a few features that added to its versatility though. The full length zipper lets you unzip it all the way to help ventilate when climbing a steep hill and the multiple pockets are nice for holding a phone, camera, keys, music player or energy bars, though they don't fit well underneath a climbing harness or backpack waist belt.
The Marmot Stride - Women's outer lining is tough, made of 100% polyester ripstop DWR. So whether you are climbing in Joshua Tree, trail running in the Rockies or bouldering in Bishop, this jacket holds up.
This jacket is best for high cardio activities on cooler days. The comfortable lining lets you wear this piece over a sleeveless tank when bouldering, rock scrambling, cycling, trail running, cross country skiing or hanging out in your cabin.
At $100, this jacket is a great value for how it functions. It's not the least expensive wind breaker out there, but you are essentially getting a two-for-one deal with the soft lining that acts as a baselayer.
