Marmot Oracle Review

Comfort & Mobility
The Marmot Oracle is loaded with good design features, and is the most comfortable of all the rain jackets that we tested. The entire collar is lined with fleece making it super cozy and adding warmth, while also giving the collar a little bit more structure and visible appeal when the hood is removed (yes the hood is removable). The inside of the cuffs are also lined with fleece for extra coziness.

The fit and cut of the jacket are well thought out and testers found the Oracle to be comfortable and uninhibiting during long reaches and awkward movement. It layered well, and the waistline didn’t ride up too much when we raised our arms keeping our bodies covered and dry.

Aside from comfort and mobility, we thought the Oracle just looked good. It fit really well and generally lacked the boxy look that many rain shells have.

Breathability
None of the rain jackets that we tested proved to be very breathable. Almost all of the jackets boast a “waterproof breathable technology” of some kind, but please interpret these claims loosely. We found that when we wore the jackets for any kind of high exertion activity (and we pointedly took at least one hard 1 hour run in each jacket… in the rain, in addition to climbing in them, hiking in them, walking in them and biking in them) we found that we were promptly creating our own weather inside the jacket. The only thing that saved us from our self-made monsoon was the fact that each jacket we tested had pit zips to let out some of moisture.

Marmot’s Oracle Rain Jacket has large mesh lined pockets that can be left open in addition to the pit zips to help with breathability. While the jacket wasn’t very breathable with the vents all closed, once we opened the pit zips and the pockets there was considerable air circulation with little loss on weather protection. All in all, a good design.

Water Resistance
As with all the rain shells we tested, the Oracle is completely water proof. With 20,000mm in water resistance, Marmot’s layered Membrain fabric did the trick and we didn’t have any trouble with water leaking or seeping in on any part of the jacket. All the seams are taped, and the zippers are all housed in storm flaps. No water coming in through this jacket.

Weight & Bulk
While the Oracle packs down nice and small inside one of the pockets all the features of this jacket make it heavy. At 17.9 ounces it is the heaviest rain shell that we tested, making it not suitable for light and fast endeavors. Additionally, when packed up inside its pocket it was one of the larger “packages” of all the jackets that we tested. If you seek a light rain shell with a minimalist design, look elsewhere, the Oracle might be more accurately described as a packable hardshell rather than a rain shell.

Feature Functions
Where most of the shells that we tested have a minimalist feel and generally only have two or three pockets, the Oracle has 5; a little excessive maybe, but still useful at times. The best pocket that the jacket has is an interior water proof pocket that is perfect for stashing your electronic devices, keeping the away from the outside rain, and the condensation inside the jacket.

The hood is of good design and all the cinches are easily operated for good adjustability. And as a bonus, the hood zips completely off. While we didn’t use this feature, we thought it was nice to have the option. The waistline cinches are the easiest to operate of all the rain shells we tested. The loose ends of the elastic cord are threaded through the inside of the pockets, so all it takes is a quick pull on the cord in the pocket and the waist cinches up tight. Pretty cool. The cuffs are easily closed with a simple Velcro strap, all the zippers are smooth, and the pit zips go with one hand.

Best Application
Any activity in wet or rainy conditions; around town use. Since this jacket has a fully lined collar it could also comfortably cross over as a shell for skiing or other winter activities, but layer up. As with all rain jackets, breathability is poor so layer with a synthetic base layer in high intensity adventures or suffer the clammy consequences.