The Best Raincoats for Men Give You Precipitation Anticipation

The best raincoats for men answer a whole lot of questions. At some point, you have to ask yourself—am I an adult? Maybe you don’t have kids, that’s totally fine. Maybe you still eat cereal for dinner sometimes—same. But there's one true mark of adulthood you can and should achieve today: owning a proper raincoat.

Every late winter, or early spring, you think about it. You step outside, get caught in a downpour, and say, "This is the year." But then comes the excuse—spring is short, summer's around the corner, I’ll just buy another pair of shoes instead. And so another year passes, and you remain a grown man getting soaked like a schmuck.

This is a shame, because armed with the right rain jacket, your spring looks so much brighter—and there really are so many right rain jackets today. In decades past, your downpour defense basically involved a tan trench coat that looked solid over a suit. Those haven’t gone anywhere—but in 2025 there are more options, at more price points, than ever before.

Perhaps the most important recent development in the raincoat arena? The rise of crunchy, tech-y outerwear as a bona fide swerve, giving way to heavy-duty (and blissfully lightweight) rain jackets that are just as ready for the camp site as they are the downtown commute. (Think sealed zippers, hoods that stop wind in its tracks, and pockets galore, to keep you and all the important stuff you're schlepping in working order.) That said, if you’re part of the post-Gorp group, there are plenty of excellent, pared-down raincoats for you to consider also. Some have gabardine for timeless elegance, others come in waxed cotton for that rugged, I sometimes live in Maine look. Every single one will keep everything underneath from getting even the slightest bit wet.

Below, discover the 17 best raincoats for men, from fully waterproof technical shells for serious hikers (or guys who want to look like them), to classic trenches and Macs that make you look like you just walked off the set of a French New Wave film.

• The Best Raincoat Overall: Arc’teryx Beta Jacket, $400
• The Best Everyday Raincoat: Marmot Precip Eco Rain Jacket, $160
• The Best Trench Coat: Burberry Long Gabardine Trench Coach, $2890
• The Best Old-School Raincoat: Barbour Bedale Waxed Cotton Jacket, $415
• The Best Raincoat for a Light Mist: J.Crew 1989 Heritage Anorak, $138
• The Best Highly-Technical Raincoat: Stone Island Nylon Hooded Jacket, $810
• The Best Packable Raincoat: Goldwin Rip-stop Hooded Jacket, $216

Arc'teryx's Beta LT jacket is the pinnacle of no-BS rain defense, beloved by wannabe Everest climbers, GQ Recommends editors, and meme-savvy TikTokers alike. Its custom Gore-Tex fabrication will keep you from getting soaked during the harshest of downpours, while its breathable pores work overtime to let water vapor (a.k.a. sweat) escape. That sleek, streamlined silhouette also lends itself naturally to a range of pairings, from straight-fit jeans and sneakers to a full-on “Scaling Kilimanjaro” kit—cargos, backpack, hiking boots—perfect for all of your wildcard outdoor activities. It’s an investment, but hundreds of guys are showering in theirs for a reason: If you need top-tier weather protection and long-term durability—and are willing to invest—this is still the best rain jacket for serious outdoor use.

Sometimes, simplicity is the best approach, and Marmot proves it with a lightweight, 3-layer softshell jacket that delivers water and windproof protection without overcomplicating things—all for under $200. Designed for breathability, the knitted softshell fabric lets body heat escape while its DWR (Durable Water-Repellent) treatment keeps rain at bay. For a well-priced waterproof, city-friendly jacket that can handle hikes and the occasional downpour, you could do a lot worse! Just one note on DWR finishes: they will eventually wear off after years of wear. Don’t worry though, many at-home sprays can easily and quickly refinish your jacket for you.

The perfect trench coat does exist, and Burberry, inventor of the style's signature gabardine fabric in 1879, cracked the code on it long ago. In the nearly 150 years since, surprisingly little has changed about the silhouette, and for good reason. The classic fit means it's roomy enough to layer over your slouchiest Armani-inspired suiting, while the belted design gives it instant sophistication. Plus, the lining and under-collar check pattern is unmistakably Burberry—an investment-worthy flex since the coat was invented.

Its WWI heritage is well-documented—British officers wore it in the trenches, using details like the shoulder flap for rifle recoil and belt rings for canteens and grenades serving real military functions. Today, it’s less about battlefield utility and more about how that water-resistant cotton gabardine will keep you dry in light city rain. I like the black, but the classic tan is always an option for you too.

We dig an ultra-futuristic waterproof rain jacket as much as the next guy, but sometimes occasions calls for a more, uh, analog way of keeping out the elements—and a coat to match. Enter: the Barbour coat—a versatile buy-it-for-life staple that works just as well with tailoring as it does with weekend wear. The waxed cotton shrugs off weather and ages like a fine whiskey (or wine, whatever you prefer), making it a year-round piece that gets better the more you wear it. As for fit, the Bedale is the shorter, more contemporary option, while the Beaufort runs longer, making it ideal for layering over sport coats. Whichever you choose, wear it to death for a few seasons and then re-wax it at home, a veritable rite of passage for many a menswear enthusiast. The reward for your grunt work is a jacket you'll keep for decades to come.

J.Crew’s resurgence is well-documented, and pieces like this prove why. Brendon Babenzien, the ex-Supreme honcho, and his team have restored this anorak from the archives and mixed authentic vintage detailing with modern updates like premium 100 percent cotton, a full lining and easy-on-easy-off side zippers. In 2025, there are plenty of heavy-duty alternatives to keep you dry during an unexpected thunderstorm. But if the weather outside is just a little drizzly, a retro-doused pullover like this will look a heckuva lot better… and might just come in handy for the next Liam Gallagher lookalike contest near you.

Stone Island isn’t just about clothes—it’s about innovation, materials, and obsessive attention to detail. This Crinkle Reps Nylon jacket is a prime example. It’s Stoney at its best, designed with a unique recycled nylon rep that features ultra-tight weaving and a resin coating that makes it both water and wind-resistant, yet exceptionally light. And due to that in-house treatment, the color penetrates unevenly into the material, leading to the nice crinkled look. This is a raincoat for summer, too: The lightweight shell means it works as an all-season piece layered over a tee or a sweater when things are brisk. It all adds up to the kind of innovation that’s instantly recognizable—even if you’ve taken the famous logo patch off.

If you need something ultra-light and ultra-packable, this ripstop nylon hooded shell is perfect for light showers and breezy days—easy to stash in a bag, and ready whenever you need it. Hailing from Japan, and its rich tradition of crafting high-quality outdoor gear, Goldwin, which has been around since the ’50s, has mastered the blend of understated minimalism and premium materials. At the intersection of function and streetwear, its approach is all about staying dry—but doing it with a knowing sophistication.

Style is subjective, we know—that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audience get dressed. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the flyest affordable suits, or the need-to-know menswear drops of the week, GQ Recommends’ perspective is built on years of hands-on experience, an insider awareness of what’s in and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything out there, at every price point.

Our staffers aren’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and know the hallmarks of quality clothing—from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ Recommends heavily emphasizes our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. Bottom line: GQ wouldn’t tell you to wear it if we wouldn’t.

We make every effort to cast as wide of a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options across three key categories: quality, fit, and price.

To kick off the process, we enlist the GQ Recommends braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the folks involved have worked in retail, slinging clothes to the masses; others have toiled for small-batch menswear labels; all spend way too much time thinking about what hangs in their closets.

We lean on that collective experience to guide our search, culling a mix of household names, indie favorites, and the artisanal imprints on the bleeding-edge of the genre. Then we narrow down the assortment to the picks that scored the highest across quality, fit, and price.

Across the majority of our buying guides, our team boasts firsthand experience with the bulk of our selects, but a handful are totally new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tally the votes, collate the anecdotal evidence, and emerge with a list of what we believe to be the absolute best of the category right now, from the tried-and-true stalwarts to the modern disruptors, the affordable beaters to the wildly expensive (but wildly worth-it) designer riffs.

Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there's bound to be a superlative version on this list for you. (Read more about GQ's testing process here.)