Patagonia Granite Crest Jacket Review

What hiker doesn’t know the feeling of letting their mind go wherever it wants to while walking really far? That’s what I do most of the time, although when I’m testing gear I generally try to be paying attention to how the gear is performing.

I did a little of both in my most recent round of gear testing, and my mind-wandering merged with my focused attention into a series of thoughts I had quite frequently while testing the Patagonia Granite Crest Women’s Rain Jacket:

Does Patagonia ever miss? How many pieces of Patagonia apparel and/or gear have I used in my lifetime? Oh wow, that’s actually really hard to count. Well, regardless, can I think of any of them that have been disappointing? *Silence* … Wait, what was I thinking about?

While I can generate a “cons” list for most pieces of gear if I’m being picky, I have to say … Patagonia usually gets it mostly right for me, and the Granite Crest Rain Jacket is no exception.

Patagonia Granite Crest Rain Jacket At-a-Glance

MSRP: $279
Weight: 12.6 oz | 357 g
Fit: Regular
Materials: 3-layer H2No® Performance Standard NetPlus® 100% postconsumer recycled nylon ripstop with a PFC/PFAS-free durable water resistant (DWR) finish

Men’s Granite Crest rain jacket here

Circumstance of Review

I tested the Granite Crest Rain Jacket throughout fall and winter while hiking and running in Michigan, New York, and Kentucky. Weather conditions were mostly cold and included scattered showers, heavy rain, snow, and my personal favorite, wintry mix. The jacket performed well in all conditions.

Patagonia Granite Crest Rain Jacket Features

Waterproofing

It works! You may not know it, but it rains a LOT where I live in lower Michigan. I’m talking Seattle-level rain. In fact, the average inches of rain in Ann Arbor and Seattle are nearly identical, plus it snows quite a bit more in Ann Arbor. So I had no problem testing the waterproofness of this jacket.

I spent hours out in wet conditions and never really had any issues. Of course, I had to contend with moisture inside the jacket from perspiration (if water can’t get in, it also can’t really get out — “waterproof breathable” is a bit of a misnomer in my opinion). But the vents (see below) helped a ton with that and overall I stayed warm and comfortable.

In addition to the fact that the waterproofing works, it’s extra cool to me that this jacket is made from recycled fish nets, which helps reduce ocean plastic pollution. We need more of this type of conscientiousness in the outdoor industry, and from corporations in general.

Double bonus: all three layers of this shell and the durable water resistant (DWR) finish are made without perflourinated chemicals (PFCs/PFAS), which are human-made chemicals that do not occur naturally, do not break down in the environment, and have been linked with harmful health effects in animals and humans. I feel so relieved by that.

The materials and waterproofing are among the key features that set the Granite Crest apart from Patagonia’s ever-popular Torrentshell. The Granite Crest is just slightly better suited for all-day movement on the trail in wet conditions.

Hood

When I test a piece of gear with a hood, I am prepared to criticize heavily. I can’t stand when hoods aren’t designed to be easily and adequately adjustable. But I didn’t have any complaints! The adjustments are easy to reach, easy to use, and the outcome is a hood that fits close to the face and that doesn’t block peripheral vision.

The hood is the other feature that just slightly sets the Granite Crest apart from the Torrentshell, as the Torrentshell isn’t helmet compatible.

Vents

The two-way vents have watertight zippers that allow for effective ventilation in high output efforts. It takes a lot to get me feeling too warm when it’s wet and cold, so I didn’t have a ton of opportunities to use these. But when I did, they were easy to work and provided effective ventilation without significantly compromising protection from the elements.

Pockets & Zippers

The zippers are watertight and the main front middle zipper has a zipper garage so that it doesn’t rub on your chin/face. The very tall pockets allow you to still fit your hands in the pockets when you’ve got a backpack, harness, or some other form of obstructing hipbelt on.

The jacket is also packable into the chest pocket. I personally don’t care that much when jackets can compact inside a backpack anyway, but it’s a nice option.

Patagonia Granite Crest Pros

Relaxed Fit

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good fits-like-a-glove rain jacket or something with less extra space, like the OR Helium. More slim fitting and less spacious jackets like the Helium are great for trail running or thru-hiking in mostly dry conditions (e.g., most trails in the western US).

But the Granite Crest is a more versatile choice that can be used as a stand-alone rain jacket, or as part of a variable layering system. I wore it as a stand-alone piece a number of times in slightly warmer conditions, with just a wool baselayer underneath. I also paired it with my Melanzana fleece hoody, and with a long-time favorite combo: a wool baselayer and the Arc’teryx Atom Jacket.

It was easy to cinch in extra material when I was wearing the Granite Crest as a stand-alone piece, and it was never bunchy as part of a layering system. I am 5’2”, weigh about 110lbs, and I tested an XS. I didn’t realize until later that the Granite Crest also comes in an XXS, which may have fit just slightly better in retrospect.

Versatile

As a thru-hiker, it can be tempting to try to cut as many ounces as possible by purchasing gear that is purpose-built for the ultralight backpacking crowd.

If you have the money to do that, amazing. If you don’t, you might be wise to consider something you can use in more scenarios than just thru-hiking. The Granite Crest would be a good choice for that.

It’s helmet compatible, the tall pockets allow you to still put your hands in them with a harness or hipbelt on, it can withstand extended high output activity in wet conditions, and it’s roomy enough for a range of solid layering systems underneath.

Plus, in my opinion, it’s honestly nice to have a heavier rain jacket on a thru-hike. You never know when you’re going to get stuck in several consecutive days of nonstop rain and be glad you have it. I learned this the hard way with many moments of Type 3 fun.

Durable

After six months of use, I see zero signs of wear and tear. To be fair, I’m pretty neurotic about taking care of my gear, but I don’t think that’s why this is still looking so sharp. I think it’s just a high-quality piece of apparel.

Ethics

As always, I’m not just reviewing the gear, but also the company that creates it. Patagonia is widely praised for doing its best to protect the earth as our precious playground, and likewise to respect the humans who are making the clothing and gear we buy.

I’ll keep watching for signs of concern, but in general when I buy something from Patagonia I don’t feel as worried that I’m actually harming someone or the planet or both. The real kicker is that if you really want to offset social and environmental impact, you can also buy gently used clothing and gear from Patagonia Worn Wear. I highly recommend checking that out.

Patagonia Granite Crest Cons

Somewhat Redundant With Torrentshell

The only con that I can think is the Granite Crest may be slightly unnecessary. I get that companies are always trying to create new products, and I definitely can tell a difference between the Granite Crest and the Torrentshell, but overall I think it’s pretty minimal.

The feel of the Granite Crest is better and less “crinkly.” Still, I think it’s hard to justify the extra $100 the Granite Crest costs over the Torrentshell.

Overall

The Granite Crest is now among one of my top go-to rain jackets. If I’m being completely honest, I still prefer the Arc’teryx Beta FL hardshell I tested a couple years ago. That jacket has been discontinued, but I suspect I’d feel similarly about the Beta AR.

However, those jackets are made out of Gore-Tex, which contains the PFAS I mentioned above. These “forever chemicals” are everywhere, not just in our rain gear, but it seems we’d be wise to limit our contact with them as much as possible and it appears they are soon to be banned from our raingear.

I haven’t decided if I will continue to wear Gore-Tex yet — I’m a scientist and I need more information. But you can bet I’ll be reaching for the Granite Crest in the meantime.

Shop the Women’s Patagonia Granite Crest Rain Jacket

Shop the Men’s Patagonia Granite Crest Rain Jacket

Comparable Items

Patagonia Torrentshell 3L
MSRP: $179

Black Diamond Stormline Rain Shell
MSRP: $180

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The Patagonia Granite Crest Rain Jacket was donated for purpose of review.