REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket - Women's review

The REI Co-op Rainier Rain Jacket - Women's is a shell for someone who wants venting and a named pack-away pocket rather than a jacket with warmth built in. This assessment is tied to REI product 227614, the current women's Rainier item linked from the REI Co-op rain-jacket category. That item number matters: older Rainier pages have different listed weights and construction details, so a familiar name alone is not a sufficient version check.

What the 2.5-layer label tells you

REI describes this version as a 2.5-layer HydroWall waterproof/breathable shell made with 100% recycled ripstop nylon. The seams are fully sealed, and the maker describes a durable water-repellent finish made without PFAS. Those are construction and finish statements, not a published waterproof-pressure or breathability score. The page does not provide a lab protocol or measured performance result that would let us rank it against a different membrane by numbers.

REI also calls the shell windproof up to 60 mph. That is the maker's claim, not an independent wind test performed for this review. The jacket is not a warm layer: its documented use is as a shell over clothing the wearer selects. The surface treatment can need renewal, and the care page advises cleaning and drying the garment before considering new DWR. No reproofing product is included by that advice.

Useful details for active rain

Two feature claims separate this Rainier from simpler shells in the same brand family. REI lists underarm pit zips, so a buyer can choose a vent opening when exertion rises; the listing does not give the zip length or promise a particular cooling effect. It also describes a self-stow route into the left-hand pocket. That answers whether the jacket can be packed into itself, but REI supplies no packed dimensions, so the listing cannot tell you how much room the bundle will take in a daypack.

The listed details are practical rather than decorative: an adjustable hood with visor, articulated elbows, hook-and-loop cuffs, a drawcord hem, a weatherproof front zipper with stormflap and brushed collar lining, two zippered hand pockets, and two inside drop pockets. The exact page lists 9.9 ounces and a 28-inch back length. Those are REI's values, not measurements made for this assessment; the page gives no information about how either changes across sizes. The category and product pages identify a women's fit block and list sizes through 3X, but that does not establish personal fit, movement, or room for your chosen midlayer.

How it differs from the current Trailmade

The women's Trailmade item C06632 is a separate product, not another name for this Rainier. REI describes the current Trailmade as a two-layer polyester shell with mesh and taffeta lining, and its current feature list does not document pit zips or self-stowing. By contrast, the 227614 Rainier page explicitly names both features and identifies a 2.5-layer recycled-ripstop-nylon shell. The manufacturer-listed weights also differ—9.9 ounces for this Rainier and 13.1 ounces for Trailmade—but a lighter listing value alone is not proof of comfort or field performance. These records give you a useful feature distinction; they do not settle which cut will work better for a particular body or activity.

What to verify before choosing

Use the exact 227614 page and the size chart for the color and size you are considering. REI's no-PFAS wording applies to the DWR finish in this review; it is not a statement about every component or measured residual content. The listing does not confirm helmet compatibility, a packed volume, numerical waterproof or breathability results, or how the jacket behaves after extended wear. If those details are essential, treat them as open questions rather than filling them in from another Rainier version.

REI's listed care is machine wash cold, no bleach or fabric softener, and tumble dry low. Its care guidance discusses cleaning, drying, and renewing DWR when needed. Follow the label on the exact garment, especially if a secondhand item or older edition is involved. This review is a source-based reading of the 227614 listing: it does not claim a try-on, ownership, weather test, laboratory test, or personal measurement.