Reviews You Can Rely On

Marmot Phoenix Review

A solid all-arounder, it's impressively durable for the price while still offering a respectable weight
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Marmot Phoenix Review
Credit: Marmot
Price:  $175 List
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Manufacturer:   Marmot
By Ian Nicholson ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 21, 2018
64
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Water Resistance - 30% 7.0
  • Breathability & Venting - 25% 5.0
  • Comfort & Mobility - 20% 7.0
  • Weight - 15% 6.0
  • Durability - 5% 7.0
  • Packed Size - 5% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Marmot Phoenix is an all-purpose mid-priced rain jacket, with a level of performance that sets itself above less-costly options. Compared to a majority of more price pointed models, the Phoenix offers superior durability, long-lasting DWR, a pleasant feeling interior, and fantastic weather resistance - all while maintaining a respectable weight. We like that it is made from recycled nylon and is PFC-free for far less environmental impact during production. Our testing team found the Phoenix was extremely versatile and is light and compact enough to work as a just-in-case layer that is taken out on day hikes but is also robust enough for more rugged activities. While it offers excellent versatility, no one thing sets this solid all-arounder apart from the pack, and a few key features kept it from winning an award. With that said, it remains a sound and functional rain jacket that will keep its wearer dry in a wide range of activities, from hiking and backpacking to snowshoeing to around the town wear.
REASONS TO BUY
Durable
Long lasting DWR
Hood offers very good peripheral vision
Interior fabric feels less clammy than most
Respectable weight and compressibility
Stuffs into pocket
REASONS TO AVOID
No ventilation options
Pockets zippers aren't the best with backpacking waist-belts

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Marmot Phoenix is a solid all-around rain jacket. It's undoubtedly light and compressible enough for hiking and backpacking and is tough enough for more rugged adventures or even occasional downhill skiing. Our review team was impressed by how well it kept us dry. While it didn't exactly jump out in any single category, it remains a versatile rain shell that will hold its own, even if it isn't the best at anything.

Performance Comparison


marmot phoenix - the phoenix is a solid all-around rain jacket. it's light and...
The Phoenix is a solid all-around rain jacket. It's light and compressible enough for most hiking and backpacking adventures and is durable and packed with the right features. It also makes a good around-town jacket.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Water Resistance


Marmot uses their proprietary 2.5-layer MemBrain EVODry laminate for weather resistance in the Phoenix. This membrane is laminated to the inside of a strong exterior fabric that impressed our review team, particularly with how its DWR worked and how well it held up over time. In fact, this fabric is a step up from the Marmot PreCip's Nano Pro, and did a notably better job of keeping us dry after 4+ hours in the rain (compared to the Patagonia Torrentshell or The North Face Venture 2).

marmot phoenix - the proprietary 2.5-layer membrain evodry had some of the better dwr...
The proprietary 2.5-layer MemBrain EVODry had some of the better DWR in its price range.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

The Phoenix features Velcro closures on the cuffs, which help to seal out the elements, as well as a stout rain flap that covers the outside of its zipper.

marmot phoenix - the hood on the phoenix doesn't work very well with most climbing or...
The hood on the Phoenix doesn't work very well with most climbing or bike helmets but does offer above average range of motion and peripheral vision. The hood cinch is effective and adapts comfortably and securely to a wide range of headwear.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Its hood, while not helmet compatible, did offer above average peripheral vision. We could turn our heads nearly 90 degrees in either direction before our face would turn into the hood. The cinch on the back of the hood effectively locked it into place, regardless of our headwear; most importantly, it performed above average when it came to keeping our heads dry (and the water out).

marmot phoenix - the phoenix features basic but very effective velcro wrist closures;...
The Phoenix features basic but very effective Velcro wrist closures; they are comfortable and performed well at minimizing water seepage when executing tasks that required our arms at shoulder level or higher.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Breathability & Venting


The Phoenix provides fairly average breathability among our fleet. While it doesn't offer any ventilation options, its MemBrain EvoDry Laminate was better at passing moisture than some of the models we tested. Our review team felt this model's internal texture felt less clammy than others. It breathed better than the Patagonia Torrentshell, Marmot PreCip, and The North Face Venture 2 but did not pass moisture as well as the Black Diamond Fineline and Outdoor Research Helium II.

marmot phoenix - the phoenix provides fairly average breathability among the models...
The Phoenix provides fairly average breathability among the models we tested; however, our review team did feel this model's internal texture felt less clammy than others in its price range.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Comfort and Mobility


The Phoenix's fabric has a tiny amount of stretch, but not nearly as much as the Black Diamond Fineline or REI Drypoint GTX. Its cut is loose fitting enough that it still allows for an average amount of freedom of movement; however, when our arms are raised forward or upward, the sleeves certainly pull back 1-2 inches. This model fell in the middle of the pack for its overall comfort and mobility; it's decent for hiking or backpacking, but if you desire a jacket for activities that require a little more range-of-motion, some options perform a touch better.

marmot phoenix - the phoenix's fabric has a tiny amount of stretch but overall falls...
The Phoenix's fabric has a tiny amount of stretch but overall falls a little short for its range of motion and freedom of movement. During many of our mobility tests, the Phoenix's sleeves pulled back when our arms moved above our shoulders.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Weight


At 11.5 ounces, this model is in the middle of the road for weight. It's still plenty light enough to throw in the bottom of your back on day hikes or multi-day adventures as a just in case layer but it is quite durable and tougher than most other options of similar weight. If light is right, we recommend taking a look at the Black Diamond Fineline (8 ounces) or the Outdoor Research Helium II (6.5 ounces), which are the lightest in the review.

Durability


Thus far, our review staff has been impressed by this model's overall durability, as its slightly thicker material is more tear resistant than many. Even after a season of use in the rainy Pacific Northwest, several members of our testing team noted that its DWR has held up better than many in our fleet.

marmot phoenix - the phoenix stuffs into a pocket that reverses into a stuff sack. it...
The Phoenix stuffs into a pocket that reverses into a stuff sack. It was slightly more packable than average but this stuff sack, while easy to pack, wasn't super tight. It's seen here with a 1-liter Nalgene as a size reference.
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Packed Size


This jacket compresses nicely into its left front pocket which, which similar to many other models, turns into a stuff sack when reversed. Unlike other options, our review staff appreciated this model's tight fit, which helps the Phoenix take up less overall space in our pack. It packs down slightly smaller than average and compresses enough to make it a great option for backpacking or as a “just-in-case” layer while day-hiking. While it doesn't pack down as small as the REI Drypoint GTX or the Black Diamond Fineline, it was comparable to Patagonia Torrentshell and our Best Buy Winner the Marmot PreCip.

marmot phoenix - while we found the phoenix to be pretty versatile overall, the hood...
While we found the Phoenix to be pretty versatile overall, the hood only BARELY fits over a climbing or bike helmet.
Credit: Ian Nicholson
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Value


At $175, this jacket provides an okay value for its versatility and toughness. You can undoubtedly buy higher performing models for less money, like the Black Diamond Fineline, The North Face Dryzzle, or the Outdoor Research Helium II. However, if Marmot and methods that contribute to caring for the environment are high on your list of priorities, this might be a decent choice.

marmot phoenix - the phoenix is the type of jacket that most people are after. it's...
The Phoenix is the type of jacket that most people are after. It's light and packable enough for occasional backpacking trips or day hikes. It features a low-profile hood, and the hand-warmer pockets are more geared towards in-town use (but will still work for outdoor applications).
Credit: Ian Nicholson

Conclusion


The Marmot Phoenix is a solid all-arounder; it's impressively durable for the price and still offers a respectable weight. It's a versatile jacket that will perform well for a wide range of activities and could prove to last longer than other models at a similar price point. While it didn't blow the competition away in any one category, it offers solid across the board performance.

Ian Nicholson