Softshell for people that destroy other softshells - Rab Torque Jacket - Men's

I’d been hemming and hawing getting a softshell for almost a full year. It’s one of those pieces of gear that can technically be overlapped by other pieces, but it’s also so good at its role that its almost a required piece if you expect anything less than 100% perfect weather. The catch is there’s a wide variety of softshells that all perform and behave differently. One companies softshell might be closer to a ‘tough hoodie’ while a different company’s may be more akin to a hardshell lite. There are a lot of great comparison reviews out there, but there’s two jackets in particular that always end up towards the top of the list….the OR Ferrosi hoody and the Rab Torque. Both are very similar: They’re light with a slim but stretchy build. They both have relatively minimal, but very well concieved features. They both come in an array of colors. They’re both incredibly breathable while still being pretty weather proof without going full hardshell.They’re both backed by two absolutely bomber companies. They both cost around the same. I’d tried them both on at different points and they fit similarly and were roughly the same weight. Aside from a few differences in feature sets, they’re essentially the same. So why did I choose the Torque over the Ferrosi? Two reasons: 2-way zipper and forearm panels. I wanted a softshell I could wear comfortably in a harness and that wouldn’t start seeing early wear and tear on the elbows and arms.

Am I happy with my choice? Very happy. It’s in the mid 80s and 90s here in Virginia right now. Every day has a 40-50% chance of rain or storms. I’ve worn it running to the car during lunch. I’ve worn it during a sudden storm in the mountains. I’ve worn it while scrambling over rocks in the early morning. It’s held up well and has always been the right amount of protection without sacrificing comfort. Once the weather finally drops, I can easily see it carrying me well into the low 30s and 20s with just an R1 underneath.

If I had one complaint, it’s that the hood fits weird without a helmet. This is a softshell design expressly for climbing and the features reflect that. Without a helmet, the hood can potentially ride really low and odd. This isn’t really a huge problem or anything, but it’s something that I think the Ferrosi did better. The wire ‘brim’ on the Torque is great for keeping shape, but it’s also enough mass that if nothing supports it structurally (ie: You aren’t wearing a helmet), it’ll pull the hood down.

At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with either the Ferrosi or the Torque. I feel like if you see yourself climbing in it, the Torque has a slightly better feature-set (2way zip, arm panels, wire brim hood). It’s also possibly only slightly more substantial in weight (I couldn’t really feel a noticeable difference when I held them together) but that’s really more of something you have to decide on. I’m personally going to take the Torque every time now given the choice and if you think you may even remotely need any of it’s features, I recommend you do too.