A Women’s Hooded Rain Jacket From Mountain Hardware
Table of Contents
PlayHardHK recently gave me a Women’s Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Jacket and asked me to field-test and review it. From the moment I put it on, I could feel that I was wearing a very high-quality women’s hooded rain jacket.
Not only was the fabric soft on my skin, but it was super quiet, and even a bit stretchy. Even more, it was airy, flowy, and comfortable to wear.
So far, I’ve used it on a few rainy hikes, and I can definitely say it’s a great hiking jacket. I’ve also used it around the city. And, in both cases, I found it both breathable, and of course, waterproof.
For a lightweight woman’s rain jacket, I think it’s quite stylish too, but that’s ultimately a function of personal taste.
In short, I like the Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Jacket because it’s:
- Comfortable to wear
- Quiet (no loud swishy noise)
- Waterproof yet breathable
- Lightweight
- Packable (it stows away into one small pocket)
- Durable (the fabric feels quite strong)
- Functional (good location of pockets/smooth-zippers)
Below I’ll go into much more detail about why I really like this women’s rain jacket so much.
But first…
Exclusive ForSomethingMore 15% Storewide Discount
If you’re already keen to get your own Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Jacket, I’m excited to share with you an exclusive ForSomethingMore discount!
Click here to get 15% off storewide at PlayHardHK!
Since the 15%-discount link applies storewide, you can use it for the Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Jacket.
And…
You can also use it for many of the other great brands in their shop such as:
- Mammut
- Lowe Alpine
- Odlo
- Houdini
- FiberTec
- And more!
Another way to get the 15% storewide discount is by using the affiliate discount code “forsomethingmore” when you check out.
Feel free to share this discount with friends and family, but…
***This offer is only good until August 31, 2021.***
Take some time to browse, but don’t miss out on your chance to save a good chunk of change!
If you’re still curious to learn more about why I like this women’s hooded rain jacket so much, read on.
Questions Or Comments About This Women’s Hooded Rain Jacket?
It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway…
If you have questions about the Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Jacket, hiking jackets for women, or women’s rain jackets in general, leave a comment below, and I’ll get back to you!
How It Performs – Not All Women’s Hooded Rain Jackets Are Made Equal
Due to the lightweight and comfortable fabric, I find the Stretch Ozonic jacket great for both the city and the mountains.
The Mountain Hardware Stretch Ozonic is not one of those heavy, stiff, super-intense hardshells.
Although I’ve only used it so far for hiking and around the city, I think it’d be perfect as a travel raincoat, as a piece of casual raingear, and certainly as a lightweight backpacking/camping rain jacket.
It’s really versatile, and that’s one reason I like it.
Waterproof Yet Breathable
I have worn some other women’s hooded rain jackets, and they have been unbearably hot.
Fortunately, this jacket is super breathable and thus cool!
The hikes I’ve used it on are on the easy to moderate side. However, I’ve done these hikes during Hong Kong’s hot and humid summertime.
So far, the Stretch Ozonic has remained breathable yet waterproof in these conditions, thus I’m convinced it’ll perform really well just about anywhere.
A Super Quiet Women’s Hooded Rain Jacket
Another thing I like about the Stretch Ozonic jacket is that the fabric is not rigid.
It felt soft and comfortable on my skin. It did not feel sticky or clingy like some other waterproof/breathable materials I’ve worn. Also, it flowed nicely with my body.
It was also super quiet when I was hiking, i.e. no annoying swishy sound.
Lightweight and Packable
Something I immediately noticed about the Stretch Ozonic is that it’s super lightweight.
What I mean is that the feeling of the jacket in my hand was soft and gentle.
But also, I mean that the jacket is actually not heavy, as it only weighs 280 g (9.9 oz).
And one of my favorite features is that it’s packable.
Basically, you can pack the entire jacket into the front chest pocket, and when you’re done, the jacket will be about the size of a grapefruit.
Since the size and weight of your gear are both crucial in a backpacking or camping context, that’s again why I think the Stretch Ozonic Jacket would be great for both.
Comfortable Stretch Fit
I don’t know much about textiles science, so I don’t have any idea how Mountain Hardware’s proprietary Dry Q fabric is able to be waterproof, breathable, and stretchy, but indeed it is all three!
While wearing a backpack, the bit of stretchiness in the Dry Q fabric made this jacket super comfortable to wear.
And again, the fabric wasn’t sticky or clingy like some other materials I’ve experienced with other women’s raincoats.
How It’s Made – A Women’s Hooded Rain Jacket That’s Lightweight Yet Durable
Dry Q Fabric Technology
Again, I’m definitely not a materials scientist, but I can tell you that Dry Q Fabric is Mountain Hardwear’s proprietary waterproof and breathable fabric.
Dry Q comes in 3 different levels.
- 1. Dry Q Elite (not-stretchy, most durable, most waterproof, most breathable)
- 2. Dry Q Active (stretchy, durable, waterproof, breathable)
- 3. Dry Q Core (not-stretchy, least durable, least waterproof, least breathable)
Mountain Hardwear made this women’s hooded rain jacket, the Stretch Ozonic, out of Dry Q Active.
Or in other words:
This particular fabric provides a great balance between functionality and comfort.
And, while the fabric feels lightweight, at a strength rating of 40 denier, it’s actually quite strong.
Smooth Zippers On This Women’s Hooded Rain Jacket
I’ve owned a number of women’s rain jackets.
Whether it’s because the zipper has gotten caught in the coat material, or simply because the zipper is stiff and difficult to zip up or down, I’ve often found the zipper a tricky part of the jacket.
Fortunately, the Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic has robust, smooth, and water-resistant zippers.
And so far:
The fabric has not gotten caught in the zipper even once. (This includes both when the jacket has been wet and dry.)
In addition, the Stretch Ozonic has armpit zippers, “pit zips.”
The pit zips are another reason I’ve stayed dry and cool while wearing this jacket, instead of getting soaked in my own sweat.
Form-Fitting Hood
After all this talk of how this is a women’s hooded rain jacket, it’s only fitting to talk a bit about the hood.
Put simply, it fit my head really well.
The fit was excellent due to the fact that it’s fully adjustable.
It has an elastic pull-string in the back that allowed me to tighten the hood exactly around my head.
There is also a semi-rigid brim on the front of the hood, and it definitely kept the rain from getting into my eyes and face.
If you haven’t used a lot of other women’s rain jackets, all this talk about the hood might not seem super important.
But from someone who has used many other jackets, I can tell you:
Whether I’ve been navigating in the rain in Bosnia Herzegovina on a self-guided Via Dinarica Trail itinerary, or even just caught in the rain on a hike up Devil’s Peak in Hong Kong, a face full of water is not something I’ve ever wanted.
Fortunately, the hood on the Stretch Ozonic Jacket is excellent and certainly kept the water out of my eyes!
Well Placed Easy Access Pockets
The pockets on the Stretch Ozonic Jacket are generously sized, well placed, and easy to access from an ergonomic standpoint.
All of the pockets are made of mesh.
So, even if you put something wet into the pocket, you will be able to dry it out easily and thus don’t have to worry about stinky mold growing.
How To Care For It – Wash This Women’s Hooded Rain Jacket In Special Soaps
There is a bit of a process you’ll need to go through, every 30-40 uses, to make sure your jacket is at peak performance.
To oversimplify a bit:
First use FiberTec Pro Wash Eco and then second, use FiberTec Textile Guard Eco.
Here’s a short video I made on how to use FiberTec washes.
Both of these are available at PlayHardHK, which means you can use your 15%-discount store-wide to get these at a bargain price too!
Since both products are biodegradable and thus quite environmentally friendly, I feel really good using them!
And, they make my jacket happy too!
Money For Value – Great Bang For Your Buck In This Women’s Hooded Rain Jacket
At the time of writing, and with the 15%-discount store wide (good until Aug 31, 2021), the Stretch Ozonic Jacket costs HK$1,521.50 (US$195) from PlayHardHK.
Seeing as this women’s hooded rain jacket normally costs HK$1,970 (US$253), I’d say, grab one as soon as you can!
Quite likely, you’ll never see a better price on this jacket.
It’s Great Value
Savings aside, even if this jacket was only available for full price, I’d still say it’s GREAT money for value.
Again, it’s not only a rain jacket. I’ve used it while hiking, and I’ve also used it while exploring around the city. I plan to use it while backpacking or camping, so to say it’s versatile is quite an understatement.
It’s also built really well, so I’m confident it’ll last for a very long time.
And, again, it’s super comfortable to wear.
Ultimately, if you’re in the market for a women’s hooded rain jacket, I highly recommend the Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Jacket.
Wrapping Up This Stretch Ozonic Jacket Review
After field-testing the Stretch Ozonic Jacket, I can confidently say, it’ll be replacing my current rain jacket!
I like it because it’s comfortable to wear, quiet (no loud swishy noise), waterproof yet breathable, lightweight, packable, durable, and functional.
If you have any questions about all of this, feel free to leave me a comment below, and I’ll get back to you just as soon as I can!
And in the meantime, stay dry out there!
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