Outdoor Research Archangel

Our take Yes, it costs more than the lease payment on a new Tesla. But with the Archangel, you get what you pay for: On above-treeline ski tours, sleet-soaked climbs, and expeditions where a leak would be disastrous, it won’t let you down. Gore-Tex Pro, the company’s toughest and most-waterproof fabric, gets an upgrade this year with three versions that prioritize different qualities. This shell incorporates two of them: a stretchy panel across the upper back and lower half of the hood for mobility and the most breathable version everywhere else. Smart details like a three-way-adjustable hood with a brim, extended sleeves, and a long hem let us batten the hatches against rain on summits across New Hampshire’s Sandwich Range.

The details The Archangel proved airy enough for cross-country skiing in Vermont in the 30s (long pit zips help). Nitpick: Though you get hand pockets (one has an inner mesh pocket for a smartphone), we would have liked interior pockets for skins or heavy gloves.

$699; 1 lb. 3 oz. (m’s L); m’s S-XXL, w’s XS-XL