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Marmot Minimalist - Women's Review

Holds true to its name; there aren't a lot of bells and whistles but it does keep the rain out, even under the most extreme conditions.
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Price:  $190 List | $131.73 at REI
Compare prices at 2 resellers
Pros:  Adjustable hood, great fit, waterproof
Cons:  Expensive, breathability, Velcro on the pockets is very abrasive
Manufacturer:   Marmot
By Maggie Brandenburg & Katherine Elliott  ⋅  Nov 13, 2019
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55
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#11 of 13
  • Water Resistance - 30% 7
  • Comfort - 25% 5
  • Breathability - 20% 3
  • Durability - 15% 8
  • Weight and Packability - 10% 3

Our Verdict

The Marmot Minimalist holds true to its name in features but not weight. It's a minimalist jacket that doesn't include a lot of the functionality you get from other competitors. It does have reasonably impressive fabric, boasting its trademark 2.5-layer GORE-TEX PACLITE fabric to help keep you dry, all while maintaining the ability to breathe and move with you. We stayed dry but feel that it's rather lacking in the breathability department. It's also shockingly heavy and doesn't pack into its own pocket, which lowers it a few notches in a category with some seriously stiff competition.

New Colors

The exact shade we tested isn't offered anymore, but this jacket is still available in a rainbow of colors. The purple shown above is just one of the choices currently offered.

November 2019


Compare to Similar Products

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Awards  Editors' Choice Award Top Pick Award Top Pick Award Best Buy Award 
Price $131.73 at REI
Compare at 2 sellers		$139.98 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers		$209.98 at Backcountry
Compare at 3 sellers		$99.83 at REI
Compare at 2 sellers		$69.73 at REI
Compare at 3 sellers
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Pros Adjustable hood, great fit, waterproofWater resistant, wind resistant and breathable, dual direction whole side/pit vents, dual direction main zipperExceedingly water resistant, great fit, comfortable fabric, good zipper design, very durableIncredibly stretchy, comfortable, breathable, long arms, not crinklySimple but functional, can pack away hood, high pockets for waistbelt, inexpensive
Cons Expensive, breathability, Velcro on the pockets is very abrasiveVery difficult to pack into its pocket, sleeves a bit short, main zipper difficult to match upNo pit zips for dumping excess heat in a pinch, doesn't pack into a pocket, expensiveThin, hood not great coverage, not windproofNot the most durable, hood not great protection, difficult to fit into pocket
Bottom Line Holds true to its name; there aren't a lot of bells and whistles but it does keep the rain out, even under the most extreme conditions.Waterproof, breathable, and comfortable, it's an all-in-one marvel.A seriously protective jacket that's also impressively comfortable and could double as a lightweight hardshell in a pinch.Its status as a highly functioning stretchy rain jacket sets this model apart and will suit your active lifestyle be it rain or shine.A solid, non-technical rain shell that will get the job done without making you broke.
Rating Categories Marmot Minimalist - Women's Aspire Arc'teryx Zeta SL - Women's Stretch Ozonic Marmot PreCip Eco - Women's
Water Resistance (30%)
10
0
7
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
7
10
0
7
Comfort (25%)
10
0
5
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
8
10
0
7
Breathability (20%)
10
0
3
10
0
8
10
0
5
10
0
8
10
0
7
Durability (15%)
10
0
8
10
0
9
10
0
9
10
0
7
10
0
7
Weight And Packability (10%)
10
0
3
10
0
6
10
0
4
10
0
7
10
0
8
Specs Marmot Minimalist... Aspire Arc'teryx Zeta SL... Stretch Ozonic Marmot PreCip Eco...
Measured Weight 12.6 oz 11.4 oz 9.4 oz 9.4 oz 8.7 oz
Number of Fabric Layers 2.5 2 2 2.5 2.5
Material GORE-TEX with PACLITE Technology GORE-TEX with PACLITE technology 2L, 100% polyester 50D plain weave 40D ripstop (N40r) GORE-TEX PACLITE Plus, DWR treatment Dry.Q Active Stretch 40D 2.5L (100% nylon) NanoPro Eco 100% recycled nylon ripstop 24 oz/yd
Pockets 2 hand 2 hand, 1 chest 2 hand 2 hand, 1 chest 2 hand
Pit Zips Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Hood Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Helmet Compatible Hood No Yes No Yes No
Stows into Pocket No Yes No Yes Yes
Carabiner Loop in Stow Pocket No Yes No No Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Marmot Minimalist is made of GORE-TEX PACLITE material and has two hand pockets and pit vents. It's made of 2.5 layers, and its lack of features (not its size and weight) makes the "minimalist" name stick.

Performance Comparison


The Minimalist will have you jumping for joy on light rain days when you won't be partaking in too big of an aerobic day.
The Minimalist will have you jumping for joy on light rain days when you won't be partaking in too big of an aerobic day.

Water Resistance


The Minimalist comes equipped with a GORE-TEX PACLITE material. As with any GORE-TEX textile, you expect complete water resistance, and this jacket performed well, even during the heaviest of downpours. However, we are unimpressed with this pocket design, which led to many a wet wallet and even a fully soaked phone, all while fully stowed in the zippered pocket. The front zipper does come equipped with a storm flap to cover the virtually non-waterproof main zipper, but with high winds and rain, this has the potential to let you down and become a spot for some serious leaks.

Fully equipped with 2.4 layers of super water-resistant Gore-Tex with Paclite Technology.
Fully equipped with 2.4 layers of super water-resistant Gore-Tex with Paclite Technology.

Comfort


Finding a rain jacket that is remarkably water-resistant and comfortable can be a challenge. While the Minimalist isn't an uncomfortable jacket, it just isn't particularly impressive in the face of some seriously upgraded competition. With the material being comprised of GORE-TEX, which can sometimes be cumbersome and have a crunchy feeling, it's slightly softer than some other GORE-TEX competitors, but just not outstanding. It has a slim fit, which is specifically designed for women, and most of our testers agree that it is fairly flattering. One problem that we encountered is that the Velcro that closes the pockets is overly abrasive and continuously snags base layers and scratches hands.

Although the Velcro is a nice addition to try and keep the rain out of the non-waterproof pockets the Velcro closures were very abrasive and caused snags on our base layers while using them.
Although the Velcro is a nice addition to try and keep the rain out of the non-waterproof pockets, the Velcro closures were very abrasive and caused snags on our base layers while using them.

Breathability


If you're looking for a fully waterproof jacket that also can breathe and keep you dry and cool, all while performing your favorite high-octane sport, this is not it. The polyester-based Minimalist always seems to acquire a lot of perspiration on the inside. Even on some shorter hikes that aren't overly difficult, our base layers became saturated. For a garment that's supposed to keep you dry, we struggled with this one. The pit zips help a bit, but they're no match for this relatively unbreathable fabric.


Durability


The Minimalist is fully loaded with GORE-TEX PACLITE fabric. Combined with a 100% recycled polyester that includes a DWR coating, this is the one place where the Minimalist is a solid competitor.

The Minimalist although very simple in design was one of the heaviest in the review weighing over 12 ounces.
The Minimalist, although very simple in design, was one of the heaviest in the review, weighing over 12 ounces.

Weight and Packability


While we expected a coat with a name like the Minimalist to be lightweight and packable, this jacket is disappointingly neither. Weighing 12.6 ounces, this rain shell is one of the heaviest options we tested. We're also surprised that this jacket doesn't pack away into one of its pockets like many others do. We honestly feel a little mislead by the name of this jacket.

The Minimalist lacked a stow pocket which held true to its minimal nature but didn't stand out when it came to packed size.
The Minimalist lacked a stow pocket which held true to its minimal nature but didn't stand out when it came to packed size.

Value


With a surprisingly high price tag but a fairly low overall performance, we don't think this jacket has the value of most of its competitors.

Conclusion


Though it sounds like a solid jacket on paper, we found that this rain jacket just doesn't hold a candle to its many competitors. Its name reflects only a lack of features that we think it fails to make up for with functionality in a category that includes some serious competition.


— Maggie Brandenburg & Katherine Elliott