Outdoor Research Skyward II

We gave the original Skyward our highest award in 2016 for impressive breathability and softshell-like feel in a weatherproof hardshell. The new version ups the ante with a woven backer on the three-layer, air-permeable AscentShell fabric. The update makes it even more breathable (a slimmer cut helps, too). “When I was cross-country skiing in New Hampshire’s White Mountains on a drizzly day in the 30s, I never boiled over, even when I was pushing hard,” our tester reports. Full-length side vents help air things out even more. The Skyward’s large interior mesh pockets hold goggles, gloves, or skins. Tradeoff: weight. (m’s L); m’s S-XL, w’s XS-L