We hope that you love our articles and find them useful and informative! In full transparency, we may collect a small commission (at no cost to you!) when you click on some of the links in this post. These funds allow us to keep the site up and continue to write great articles. Click here to learn about our review process and affiliate structure.
The GORE R3 Active Hooded Jacket keeps rain and wind out, while remaining breathable and soft. This jacket will help protect you from nasty elements. While it’s not the cheapest jacket available, it keeps you comfortable in cold to cool, wet conditions.
PROS:
Keeps rain out, but breaths incredible well
Softer fabric than other rain jackets
Nice freedom of movement
Plenty of pockets
CONS:
Fit is short in sleeves and shoulders
Pricey. Keeping rain and the elements out is not cheap
Records indicate that 2018 was one of the rainiest years for many cities across the United States. And with continued wacky weather patterns, it’s hard to know if the next sunny day will be the start of a drought – or just a blip in an otherwise rainy month.
For many of us, we need to get our runs in regardless of the weather. Sure, treadmills are fine. But sometimes (maybe all the time for some runners) you just have to get outside. After all, races are held outdoors, rain or shine. Not on a treadmill.
So when the weather turns wet, it’s key to have a nice running rain jacket. While there are many options out there, one of our favorites is the GORE R3 Active Hooded Jacket. This medium weight jacket will keep you warm and dry in a variety of temperatures regardless of how hard it’s raining. It balances keeping you dry with breathable material so that you don’t overheat.
Water Resistance
Any rain jacket’s main job is to keep the rain out. The R3 GORE jacket does that job incredibly well.
Utilizing GORE-TEX technical fabric, water won’t soak through the jacket. Plus the material does a good job at blocking wind. While the fabric isn’t super-soft, it remains comfortable while providing plenty of movement, so you don’t feel restricted.
Sealed seams further keep water out. Zippers are treated to shed water. The pocket zippers and area near the neck feature a fabric flap that adds additional protection from the elements.
Breathability / Ventilation
GORE-TEX fabric helps keep you from overheating. It allows air and moisture to escape from inside the jacket. But it doesn’t allow rain or water to enter from the outside.
Openings in the back allow for more ventilation and air flow. These flaps are made to increase breathability while still preventing rain from getting in the jacket.
Fit & Comfort
Overall, the fit is very good. While we’ve found some GORE Wear products to be a tad small, this jacket fits close to size.
Like a lot of rain jackets, the material is somewhat stiff. But we didn’t find it hindered us when running.
The torso area is a bit more roomy than other jackets. Not big enough to wear a pack underneath – so the roominess doesn’t serve any real function.
If anything felt a bit small it was the sleeves. They were a tad short. The shoulders also felt a bit small. Reaching out to grab things pulled a bit on the fabric.
Hood
Key to any good rain jacket is a waterproof hood. The R3 GORE jacket is no exception. The hood fully covers your head. Adjustable cords in the front and back of the hood allow you to cinch it tight.
The hood itself has a stiff brim to shield your eyes from rain. But the hood is also big enough to allow you to wear a brimmed hat underneath.
Peering up from the jacket, there is a high collar. Combined with the hood, it’s pretty hard for rain to get through around your face and neck.
When not in use, the hood sits behind your head. While sometimes a flapping hood can be crazy annoying, this hood was heavy enough that it didn’t shift around too much.
Adjustability
Besides the two cords to tighten the hood, the R3 jacket also has a cord to tighten around the waist. This is accessible through the side pockets – another way in which water is kept out of potential openings.
The cuffs on the sleeves can be tightened or loosened with adjustable velcro straps. Personally, we found not too much adjustment was needed. The cuffs themselves were fairly tight. The velcro just served to make them even tighter.
Pockets
Two side pockets offer storage with zippers to protect objects from falling out. The right pocket also features a smaller key pocket to keep car and house keys separate from everything else.
Hands-on Review
After multiple test runs in the R3 rain jacket, I can say it’s one of the best rain jackets I’ve used.
In terms of keeping me dry. Check. Even in heavy rain, water stayed out and I remained shielded from the elements.
Likewise, the jacket breathed well. I never felt too hot wearing this jacket. I tend to sweat a lot, so I can’t say I was totally dry inside the jacket. But compared to other jackets I’ve used, this one certainly allowed the most airflow.
I was able to adjust the jacket to keep out heavy rain. And when the weather changed, I could take off the hood and unzip the jacket and still feel comfortable wearing it.
It is a tad heavy for summer rain. I felt like I’d get too warm running in humid 65+ temperatures. But for shoulder seasons in the 30s-50s, this jacket performs great.
Ben is an avid road and trail runner, and has completed multiple marathons and ultras. A former running store owner, he now shares his knowledge and experience writing these articles.
