Real Deal Review: Helly Hansen Rain Gear

Working in the Pacific Northwest means working in the rain. From October through April, we often end up framing in the rain, and we don’t go home unless it becomes unsafe. I’ve reviewed foul weather gear in the past, but am always willing to try something new. Helly Hansen reached out and asked me to try their Gale rain jacket and pants.

I found the jacket to be a little heavier-duty than what I typically wear, but not uncomfortably so. Unlike a lot of rain gear, the HH Gale jacket stretches, so even with tool bags on over the coat, I can bend over and work and not get bound up. I especially like the neoprene cuffs, because they help keep water from running down my arms (some of it still gets past the cuffs, but that is always the case). Wearing a baseball cap under the hood keeps the rain from running down my neck and my safety glasses dry.

When it comes to rain pants, I much prefer the bib style version to the standard waist found on cheaper pants. Even though the tail on the jacket is longer for protection, bibs are more comfortable and never pull down as I’m working. And like the jacket, these bibs are stretchy, so climbing a ladder isn’t a chore. The bibs have a waist adjustment, so you can unsnap and widen them out a bit if they feel snug. There’s also an adjustment at the ankles.

The jacket and pants come in orange, green, navy, and black; I chose the orange jacket to be more visible on the jobsite, since we run a fair amount of heavy equipment. The jacket retails for $90, and the bibs for $80, which is about as inexpensive as it gets for quality rain gear; in fact, after wearing this gear in the record rains that we’ve had this fall and winter in our area, I would have to say that this is the best rain gear I have ever worn. Look at it this way: Every day you work instead of going home because of the rain, the gear is earning you money. hellyhansen.com