A Rain Jacket That Survived a 36-Hour Rainstorm: Mountain Hardwear Cloud Cipher Jacket Review

There’s no place perhaps more associated with rain than the Pacific Northwest, so there’s perhaps no better place to put a rain jacket to the test. I wore the Mountain Hardwear Cloud Cipher Rain Jacket on a week-long, 96-mile backpacking trip along the Oregon coast and the literal rainforests there to put it through its paces.

The Cloud Cipher ($310) is the brand’s newest, most high-end shell made of a signature DrySpell fabric that Mountain Hardwear claims is rigorously lab-tested to be fully waterproof, as well as breathable and durable. In addition to my week in Oregon, I wore the Cloud Cipher for months during a rainy Midwest spring, including during a thunderstorm in Arkansas that led to a tornado watch.

In short: The Cloud Cipher does not quite excel at breathability, but it does excel at the fundamental task of a rain jacket: keeping you dry. If you’re looking to upgrade to a lighter-weight shell that still delivers protection, this is an excellent choice.

Check out GearJunkie’s guides to the Best Rain Jackets and the Best Rain Jackets for Women.

Mountain Hardwear Cloud Cipher Jacket Review

Fabric and Sustainability

The Cloud Cipher is one of three Mountain Hardwear jackets to have the DrySpell label. The brand says that each DrySpell jacket goes through 20 lab tests and is washed over 20 times. The fabric itself is 20D Micro Rip 3L made of 100% nylon. The interior is fully taped to offer better protection.

I appreciated the soft nature of the jacket’s interior. Some waterproof jackets can feel scratchy, but this wasn’t itchy and was plenty comfortable enough with just a T-shirt on underneath.

The brand says that the jacket is PFAS-free, and given the documented harmful effects of PFAS, or so-called forever chemicals, on the environment and human health, this is worth noting and appreciated.

Design, Fit, and Features

There are two pockets (one on each side of the hip), and an adjustable cord on the waist with two pulls. Additionally, the jacket has two large underarm pit zips and a hood with a stiff brim and a reach cinch cord.

I appreciated how sizable the two pockets are; just one could easily fit my smartphone, wallet, and keys. I do wish there were a zippered chest pocket. With my pack on, the waist belt covers the hip pockets, meaning I can’t really put much in them. It would be helpful to have a chest pocket where I could easily stash my phone with my pack on.

The jacket has a relaxed fit, which I appreciated. I want to be able to have full range of motion as I’m backpacking. Unlike other women’s jackets, it doesn’t nip in at the waist, so you have plenty of room. I typically wear a size medium in women’s shirts, and I tested a large so I could layer underneath it. I had no issue wearing a fleece and a beanie with the jacket.

It’s worth mentioning that this jacket is only available in sizes XS-XL, a pretty narrow size range these days. Many other rain jackets we’ve tested in the past extend from XXS to 4XL.

The sleeves of the jacket are a tad bit befuddling. I’m used to jackets with some kind of adjustable setting (either drawstring cords or Velcro) on the end of the sleeves. The Cloud Cipher doesn’t have any way to cinch down the sleeves, which means less protection. The sleeve has a bit of elastic, but this isn’t really doing anything.

The women’s version of the jacket is available in gray, light blue, black, and lime colorways. I tested the lime, which is more akin to a neon green.

Initially, I kind of hated the brightness — it’s not really my style — but while on my hike in Oregon, I had a realization. I had to walk a decent amount on the road shoulder most days, and the brightness of the jacket made me more visible to cars than a black jacket would have. From a safety perspective, it’s a good idea to have a jacket this loud.

Protection From the Elements

For the first few days in Oregon, the weather was absolutely perfect: mid-60s during the day and sunny with just a few clouds. But then the great flood began. For my last two days on trail, it rained nonstop. Any time I was outside of my tent, I had this jacket on, and it passed the test with flying colors. No part of me that was under the jacket got wet.

I wanted to protect my phone and keep it handy for directions, but I couldn’t use the hip pockets with my pack’s waist belt on. Instead, I stuck it in my sports bra under my T-shirt and the jacket, and that worked pretty darn well.

The hood has a reinforced brim and a drawstring cord in the pack. The cord was definitely a necessity. If I didn’t use it, strong wind would blow the hood back off my head and expose it to the rain.

At night, to further protect my pack from getting wet from my tent that was flooding, I wrapped as much of my pack as I could in the jacket like a makeshift burrito. The parts of the pack that were protected stayed dry.

I was trying to cut weight on this trip, so I only brought this jacket, a fleece, and a sun hoodie for warmth. The Cloud Cipher was a handy, versatile layer to add on when the wind howled as I hiked along the beach. I rarely even needed to break out my fleece: I just popped the Cloud Cipher over my sun hoodie when I got a bit chilly, and that was plenty warm on the trail or around camp. This jacket would be a versatile layer for shoulder seasons.

In a further display of this jacket’s waterproofing, on a slightly rainy night in June, I was camping down in Arkansas. I awoke in my tent in the middle of the night to booming thunder, lightning, and a tornado watch alert on my phone. I quickly threw on my jacket and raced to get all my gear in my car to get out of there ASAP. Almost every piece of gear — my tent, my sleeping pad, my shoes — was totally soaked, but I was not.

The Breathability Trade-Off

Breathability is probably my biggest gripe with this jacket. Any time I had it on while exerting myself, I began to sweat. I had to hike up a big hill with it on during a rainstorm, and then I had to stop to take off my sun hoodie that was underneath.

While the pit zips certainly help, I would not want to wear this jacket in temps above 65 degrees. I went for a run with it on during a rainy, 45-degree day, and quickly had to take it off because I was overheating. As with most waterproof jackets, there’s a trade-off between breathability and protection. It’s hard for any jacket to excel in both.

Rugged Durability

The trail I took in Oregon was at times more of an idea of a trail than an actual path. On certain days, I had to hike through brush so thick I could barely see the ground, battling my way against bushes, fallen trees, and thorns. I wore the Cloud Cipher through it all, and it endured like a champ. After careful inspection, I didn’t see any noticeable damage.

Weight and Packability

The Cloud Cipher clocks in at 11.1 ounces, which is lighter than most of the jackets in our buyer’s guide. It weighs less than the Outdoor Research Aspire II (11.7 ounces) and Patagonia Granite Crest (12.6 ounces). This jacket is a good example of where cutting weight doesn’t mean sacrificing protection. It’s one of the lightest on the market, but it doesn’t cut corners.

I appreciated how packable the Cloud Cipher is. I kept it at the top of my pack so it was readily accessible, and jammed it into small crevices between my gear. It ended up taking very little room. The pack I was testing didn’t really have any external pockets, but if yours did, the jacket could easily fit into a pretty small one.

A Note on Price

The Cloud Cipher retails for $310, which is steep but not unreasonable. The Aspire II costs $260, and Patagonia’s Granite Crest is $290. It’s definitely cheaper than options from Arc’teryx and The North Face, which easily exceed $400. There are certainly more affordable options available from brands like REI and Cotopaxi, which fall somewhere between $150 and $200.

Whether or not you can justify spending over $300 on a rain jacket is an individual call. That high price tag does come with great weather protection and good durability. Personally, I’d wait for a sale and get this high-performance jacket at a slightly lower price point.

Mountain Hardwear Cloud Cipher Jacket Review: Conclusions

If you already have a well-performing shell you trust to keep you dry, it’s probably not worth splurging on the Mountain Hardwear Cloud Cipher. If, however, like me, you’re still using your old rain jacket from college that’s seen better days, this jacket is worth consideration.

As a backpacker, I look for weight savings and versatility, and the Cloud Cipher delivers on both counts. And for people who value protection above all else, this is a top-tier option. It’s not the most breathable nor the cheapest, but it’s reliable, durable, and comfortable.