Functional Jacket Buying Guide When you buy a functional jacket, you are often confused by a bunch of data and functions. The waterproof and moisture permeability alone is annoying. There are also soft shells and hard shells. What are they? Can you eat them? No! Functional jackets are divided into soft shells (Softshell) and hard shells (Hardshell) to meet the needs of different environments, activities and usage occasions. Here are the main reasons for the two categories: 1. Choose functional outerwear for different outdoor conditions • Softshell: designed for moderate weather conditions, such as cool, light wind, light rain, etc., mainly providing comfort and flexibility. • Hard Shell: Designed for use in cold and severe weather conditions such as heavy rain, strong winds, and blizzards, emphasizing protection and durability. By distinguishing between the two, users can choose equipment suitable for the current weather and environment, avoiding the impact of unsuitable outerwear on activity efficiency and safety. 2. Choose a functional outerwear based on the balance between functionality and comfort • Soft shell: suitable for situations that require high activity, flexibility and breathability, such as hiking, rock climbing, etc. • Hard shell: provides greater protection and is suitable for situations where the body needs to be protected in harsh environments, such as mountaineering, skiing, or outdoor activities in wind and rain. The division into two types allows the design to focus more on one direction, avoiding compromising on too many functions in the same jacket and reducing performance. 3. Diverse needs The needs of different outdoor sports and scenarios vary greatly, for example: • Hiking may require lightweight, breathable equipment. • Mountaineering expeditions require a fully waterproof and windproof jacket. Available in soft shell and hard shell, users can choose the most suitable jacket according to the type, intensity and duration of activity. 4. Layering System Outdoor activities emphasize “layering”, and the classification of jackets is also related to this: • Soft shell: suitable as a mid layer, providing warmth and breathability. • Hard shell: a specially designed outer layer that is responsible for blocking wind and water and protecting the inner layer of clothing from dryness. This division of labor helps improve the flexibility and adaptability of dressing. 5. Choose functional outerwear based on the differences in materials and technologies • Soft shells emphasize the softness, elasticity and comfort of the material. • Hard shells use special membranes (such as Gore-Tex) to provide top-notch waterproof and windproof properties. The use of different materials determines the difference in performance between the two, allowing the jacket to be optimized for different needs. Summary of the eVent structure of hard shell jackets: The distinction between soft shell and hard shell is to make the jacket more professional and more precise in function, so that users can choose the most suitable equipment according to their specific needs. This not only improves comfort and performance, but also makes outdoor activities safer and more efficient. Recommended Functional Jacket A61-II Lightweight Functional Jacket is a fully functional, lightweight and breathable outer hard shell jacket. Front page of A61-II Lightweight Functional Jacket Molie Shop fan page
