Patagonia Women's Houdini Jacket

The Patagonia Houdini Jacket is a classic. An excellent, all-around, windproof, water-resistant, lightweight shell, it performs in a wide range of outdoor scenarios. I've had mine for more than six years and use it primarily running, hiking, and skiing, but have also taken it biking, paddling, traveling, and more. It conveniently stuffs into its own pocket as a just-in-case layer, and at less than 4 ounces there's no excuse not to bring it along.

Use

I've had my Patagonia Houdini Jacket for six years and regularly wear it running in the rain or snow, hiking, cross-country skiing, and more. It's a basic, lightweight, nylon windbreaker with full-length zipper and hood and is extremely versatile and well made and durable. It fits and moves well, whatever your outdoor activity.

My husband, Dave, also has a Houdini and uses his regularly as well. Both stay in rotation in our mudroom year-round.

Materials & Weather Resistance

Current versions of the Houdini are made with 1.2-oz 100-percent recycled nylon ripstop with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish and are Fair Trade Certified sewn. My older Houdini isn't made from recycled nylon, but otherwise is the same nylon jacket.

The DWR sheds light rain and snow. I wear mine running when it is raining and cold or snowing. If you wear it in steady precipitation it will wet out, but as a water resistant layer, particularly during highly aerobic activities, it is more than adequate. I have, and use, waterproof shells when needed. 

For anyone who wants more weather resistant, Patagonia offers the Houdini Air Jacket, "inhabiting a space between our Houdini and Airshed," and "made for longer missions when breathability and a bit of weather resistance are essential." Note that despite the use of "Air" in its name, the Houdini Air Jacket (men's 116 g / 4.1 oz and women's 102 g / 3.6 oz) is heavier than this original Houdini (men's 105 g / 3.7 oz and women's 96 g / 3.4 oz).

While I wouldn't take a thin, lightweight shell bushwhacking, I don't take extra care with my Houdini and it is still in excellent shape after six years of use.

Fit

The Houdini is available in men's and women's sizing. Patagonia calls it a slim fit with drop tail for improved fit while moving. The hood is adjustable from the back and the waist also cinches down. Otherwise, those are all the adjustments available.

While somewhat fitted, I find my medium true to size and not restrictive. I can easily layer it over base layers for running. I can also wear it with a midweight fitted top, like a fleece shirt, when needed in colder weather. It's not designed to be worn with lots of big, bulky layers though, so be aware of that with sizing. Still, it has a good range of use with various layers for different activities year-round.

Features

The Houdini is quite simple—nylon shell with a full zipper, hood, and small chest pocket. You can find other wind shirts that have more features, greater water resistance, and so on, but I find the Houdini's simplicity and technical performance to be wide ranging and appealing.

• Full-length zipper—good for venting
• Helmet-compatible hood–can be adjusted at the back with a pull
• DWR coating—makes it water resistant, not waterproof, which is why this is a wind shirt. I find it sufficient to shed light rain or snow if necessary.
• Zippered chest pocket—can stuff the jacket into itself for packability, includes a small loop top to attach the bundled jacket to a clip

Recommendation

Whether you might run, ski, hike, climb, paddle, or whatever, the Patagonia Houdini Jacket is a solid, dependable wind shirt for a wide variety of outdoor activities. I always bring my Houdini when traveling, because it's such a simple, lightweight, useful, dependable piece of gear to throw in a pack or bag. 

There are loads of wind shirt options available, but I recommend the Houdini as an all-around, everyday option for anyone who likes to go outdoors and do different activities. If I ever lose my Houdini, I'll likely go out and immediately buy another. And, bonus, at $99 the Houdini actually costs less now than when I bought mine six years ago!

Lastly, while looking for pictures of my Houdini in use over the years, I found the following two pictures, taken years apart, of Dave and I both wearing our Houdinis while skinning and skiing in spring with our kids. This jacket just keeps showing up and going outdoors.