In this article, I will go over the best cheap softshell jackets for hiking. I love softshell jackets for hiking. They provide warmth and they offer some resistance to rain and wind. If, for example, you wear a fleece instead of a softshell jacket, you would have to wear your rain jacket once it starts raining. Even when it’s only raining slightly. This is what makes the softshell jacket so convenient. When there is just a bit of wind and a bit of rain, you do not necessarily need to pull out your rain jacket.
Best cheap softshell jackets for hiking
When doing my research routing, I noticed that softshell jackets can get really expensive. Some of these prices are almost ridiculous. That said, there are a couple of gems out there that actually provide value for money.
Let’s take a look at the best cheap softshell jackets for hiking. As usual, certain combinations of size and color will make a product a lot more expensive. If you care about your budget, you should probably just go for the cheaper colors.
The mentioned prices will be based on medium-sized version of the jackets, in combination with the cheapest color. This is meant to give you an idea of the price, for a correcter price you can simply click the provided amazon links.
1. Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hooded Jacket
Price: $$$ | Quality: 5/5 | Durability: 4/5 | Breathability: 5/5 | Weight: 5/5
This list of cheap softshell jackets is rather short. The reason for this is that there are really not a lot of jackets that can compete with this “Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hooded Jacket”. It is durable, inexpensive, stretchy, it has very good breathability and it offers resitance to abrasion. If you do any kind of climbing or scrambling this is really the only budget softshell jacket I can recommend.
If you are going on multiday hiking trips, I would also recommend this jacket over the alternatives on this list because this jacket is very lightweight. Also, this product if very breathable, which is great for serious hikers, climbers or for other intensive sports.
Okay, so this jacket is absolutely amazing… why are there still two other options on this list? Well, for a budget softshell jacket, there are cheaper alternatives. This option is more expensive than the alternatives on this list. However, when you compare this jacket to jackets that are similar in quality, you will understand that this is still a budget friendly product.
Long story short, if you can afford it, this softshell jacket should be the one to buy. Only if you would describe your hiking trips as “relaxing walks”, I wouldn’t pressure you to go with this option. The reason for this is that breathability and abrasion resistancy wouldn’t matter that much for you anyway.
The only real negative about this softshell jacket is that there are certain alternatives that provide better resistance against the rain. However, good water resistance is not one of the most important features for a softshell jacket. For real protection from the rain you should still rely on your rain jacket.
This is definitely my number one recommendation!
This jacket is available for both men and women on amazon:
Men: Outdoor Research Men’s Ferrosi Hooded Jacket
Women: Outdoor Research Women’s Ferrosi Hooded Jacket
2. Columbia Ascender Softshell Jacket
Price: $$ | Quality: 4/5 | Durability: 4/5 | Breathability: 3/5 | Weight: 3/5
The next option is the Columbia Ascender Softshell Jacket. This is by no means a bad hiking jacket, but there is a real quality gap between this product and the Ferrosi jacket.
It’s a durable jacket and it might even offer some more protection from the rain. However, this does come at a cost. This jacket is a lot less breathable and a lot heavier.
If you can’t afford the Ferrosi softshell jacket, then this is a good alternative, as long as you are not planning on doing some actual climbing. This jacket doesn’t offer a lot of protection against abrasion. All that said, this jacket is still a great cheap softshell jacket.
Is this jacket still too expensive for you? No worries, the next product will be even cheaper.
Note that this softshell jacket does not come with a hoodie by default. However, there is also a hooded version available on amazon.
This jacket is available for both men and women on amazon:
Men: Columbia Men’s Ascender Softshell Jacket
Women: Columbia Women’s Kruser Ridge 2 Softshell Jacket
3. Port Authority softshell jacket
Price: $ | Quality: 3/5 | Durability: 3/5 | Breathability: 3/5 | Weight: 3/5
This cheap softshell jacket would be my recommendation for the hikers who can’t afford the “Columbia Ascender Softshell Jacket”. This jacket is a solid product for the price.
However, there is a big difference between this jacket and the previous jacket when it comes to quality and durability. Columbia is a brand that has more recognition in the hiking world than Port Authority.
The fact that this jacket is less durable than the “Columbia Ascender Softshell Jacket” means that it might actually be cheaper to buy that jacket instead (in the long run).
If money is an issue for you, and you really can’t afford to spend more on a softshell hiking jacket, this is a good buy. If you can afford more, I would still recommend any of the other options on this list.
This jacket is available for both men and women on amazon:
Men: Port Authority Men’s softshell jacket
Women: Port Authority Women’s softshell jacket
4. FoxQ softshell jacket
Price: $ | Quality: 3/5 | Durability: 3/5 | Breathability: 3/5 | Weight: 3/5
On first impression, this jacket actually looks more like a hardshell jacket than a softshell jacket. However, don’t be fooled by the looks. The jacket will keep you dry in a light rain, but it’s not comparable to a waterproof hardshell jacket at all.
That said, it does what it supposed to do, block the wind and shed light rain. It’s especially impressive for that price.
On top of all that, it’s actually breathable and lightweight.
If you want the cheapest option that is still very solid, this seems like the best option at the time of writing.
As usual, the jacket is available on amazon, but is sadly only available for men: FoxQ softshell jacket.
What is a softshell jacket?
You have heard of softshell jackets, but you might still not know what they are exactly. Well, if a hardshell jacket would be very waterproof, but not very breathable, a softshell jacket would be very breathable, but not very waterproof.
I look at a softshell jacket as part of the mid-layer. However, you can sometimes use it as an outer layer. The first function of a softshell jacket is to keep you warm. It is there for insulation. This means that you can perfectly wear it underneath your rain jacket.
The best part about a softshell jacket (in comparison with a fleece) is that it is water-resistant and 90% windproof. Notice that I use the word water-resistant and not waterproof. A softshell jacket can be used in light rain, but it will get soaked in heavy rain.
Days when it is just (slightly) raining on and off for the entire day will be the days that you most value your softshell jacket. Also, any kind of wind would go straight through a fleece, but a softshell jacket is 90% windproof.
Instead of having to put on/take off your rain jacket 20 times a day, you could simply wear a softshell jacket.
Another great thing? It is possible to find good cheap softshell jackets optimized for hiking (just take a look at the list above)!
Softshell jacket buyers guide
The buyers guide is pretty simple.
Can you afford the first option on this list (Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hooded Jacket)? Buy it! If not… keep on reading.
Can you afford the second option on this list (Columbia Ascender Softshell Jacket)? Buy it! If not…
There is only one option left, Port Authority softshell jacket, still a good pick for a cheap softshell jacket!
If you are planning on doing some actual climbing as well, I would recommend saving up for the Ferrosi Jacket, even if you can’t afford it yet.
Are there any good softshell jacket alternatives?
So, are there any good alternatives for a softshell hiking jacket.
Not really… the most popular alternative for a mid-layer would be a fleece. However, a fleece is not really a good alternative for a softshell jacket because it isn’t water-resistant or windproof.
Another popular option would be a polyester sweater. This has the same issue however, it’s not really water-resistant or windproof and therefore, not a great alternative.
Softshell jackets are a pretty unique piece of clothing.
How much should you spend on a hiking softshell jacket?
When looking for a cheap softshell jacket for hiking, you should be looking to spend something between $35 and $100. If you want to use that jacket for climbing and scrambling as well, you will have to go closer to the upper limit.
Trying to find a good hiking softshell jacket for less than $35 almost sounds like mission impossible. Unless you can get it on discounts maybe.
Conclusion
There aren’t a ton of options when it comes to cheap softshell jackets that are good for hiking. However, the ones that I was able to find are actually very good picks. Especially if you can buy the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hooded Jacket you will get a lot of value for money.
Remember, softshell jacket are not meant to keep you dry in long/heavy rain. They are designed to provide warmth (mid-layer), but they do offer some water resistancy and are 90% windproof. If you are still looking for jackets that will keep you dry in heavy rain, you might be interested in The 4 best waterproof hiking jackets.
Do you have any experience with one/multiple of these jackets? Are there any good cheap hiking softshell jackets that I missed? Let me know what you think of them in the comments below!