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Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket
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Outdoor Research Helium II Jacket
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Product Description
Designed to keep you dry in the event of a downpour, the Outdoor Research Helium II jacket is a lightweight backcountry essential. Made with a super-breathable Pertex Shield fabric, the jacket is highly compressible and packs down to the size of a granola bar Read More
Customer Reviews
4.3
(49 reviews)
5star(30)
4star(9)
3star(5)
2star(3)
1star(2)
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keyboard_arrow_downtony-h
1
Aug 23, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
Used it during a hard hike in Swedish Lapland, with temps ranging from +10C to -5C, hail, snow, rain, and sunshine. Used it as my go to jacket while hiking, with a fleece on colder parts, and just a baselayer on warmer parts. Never overheated / oversweated despite some hard climbing. Became my go to jacket for rain and even wind when combined with a light fleece. Some people complain about lack of pockets. With hip belt pockets and pockets in the pants, never missed having pockets really except when wondering around camp, which as a hiker was 10-15min max anyway before turning in.
Commeatus
4
Oct 12, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Excellent, moderately breathable shell
Tested on the Wonderland Trail in September, among other hikes. Ill be direct:
Is it light? Yes. Almost exactly the same weight on my scale as my old helium 2.
Is it waterproof? Yes. You can carry water in it, but I get the feeling the HH is a bit low.
Will it wet out? Sort of. The fabric can become saturated, but very little moisture makes it through even then. It took 2-3 hours of heavy rainfall for me to notice any real difference.
Does it breathe? Yes. I would say it breathes roughly as well as 2.5-layer gore-text but not as well as eVent fabric. It's enough make an appreciable difference when hiking at a moderate pace, though hard hiking will still leave you sweaty. When sweaty or saturated with rain, breathability suffers, and sweat in particular seems to be worse. I imagine this is due to the inside having more direct access to the breathable membrane.
Recommends this product? Yes
IP15
12
Jan 13, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Had this for a while now and while happy with it, I wish I'd went with the HD. I miss the external pockets more than I though I would, but I knew it didn't have those pockets before buying. Other than that, it's accompanied me on several adventures as well as to the office. I use it as much as a windshell over a thin puffy as I do for a rain layer.
(Edited)
ABradleyCAP
0
Sep 5, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Love this -want to get the pants
As soon as I took the jacket out of the package, I knew I loved it. It is super light, as advertised, and doesn't feel stiff, scratchy or wrinkly. The material breathes and is so light you can forget you are wearing it. I also like the fact the hood cinches for a better fit. Am taking a trip to Nepal next spring - this will absolutely be in my pack. It fits in its own pocket for packing. I hope to order the pants as well. Great buy, no regrets. Would absolutely recommend to friends.
Recommends this product? Yes
Dimson
15
Feb 13, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
DWR wears off fairly quickly. not suitable for long hikes or heavy rain. hood design is a joke and will not stay in place in moderate winds. it's an overpriced and overrated wind shell.
beerman
4
Feb 9, 2019
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I don't like this item at all. I ordered a men's medium, like I do everything else. But this jacket is no medium! It's too tight all around, at the waist, chest and under the arms. Not satisfactory. I've been buying gear forever and I know what fits me. This is no medium, period. I tried to tell your folks that post-haste, but was told you can't do anything. Too bad, because now I'm stuck with thing. Oh well.
C.rad
54
Feb 11, 2019
beermanThis jacket has European sizing and has an athletic cut similar other top companies like RAB, Haglofs, Mont Bell, Mountain Equipment, Bergans, Montane, Berghaus....etc. For North Americans, most people will need to size up, also depending on usage and layerings.
Also, like all companies in the weight weenie game they’re making there jackets slightly trimmer to save weight and for athletes.
This is an extreme jacket shell and just gives you the very minimal of what you may need for a rain jacket. These do not replace or compete with normal GoreTex Pro shells with all the bells and whistles, the two shouldn't be compared except for being waterproof.
I don’t like this jacket because it doesn’t have zip pits which I really need, I sweat a lot while running and climbing. It wets out from the inside which I suspect the complaints in reviews about this jacket not being water proof is all about. This jacket is waterproof and can breathe; All rain shells without extreme venting will do this, even a $1,000 jacket will wet out from the inside if your working hard and sweat soaking the jacket even in cold freezing rain and snowing especially if you have a backpack on. It’s not a fault with this jacket, my $500 Arcteryx does the same with zip closed and exerting.
This is a emergency rain shell and for extreme weight weenies who will give up all features to save weight. It’s an excellent jacket for that.
(Edited)
ybarra38
4
Aug 22, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
Waterproof is not relative, but perhaps OR thinks it is because this jacket is NOT waterproof. I was hiking today in some fairly serious precipitation and I was soaked through all three layers I was wearing.
MasterRo
86
Oct 10, 2018
ybarra38I wore a new rain jacket (not OR but same idea) one day and it was not raining. I was walking down the side of a road without a backpack. When I returned, the inside of the jacket was completely soaked with my own body moisture. Did you DWR fail when you were hiking in the rain? From what I recall, the Helium II is still using a factory treatment DWR that will wear off and requires a third party DWR reproofing after so many uses. Keep in mind also that OR encourages Alpine use for this jacket.
Rexar5
284
Jun 4, 2018
checkVerified Buyer
I know it doesn't have pockets and the description says so. But I didn't realize how big a deal pockets are. It's not worth it to get this over the Helium HD and give up pockets. Just wait for the HD.
TorreySmith
1
Mar 20, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
the jacket is lightweight and keeps you dry, can’t complain with that. The jacket fits tight, can’t fit much underneath it. I would size up if get another one in future.
jtilton
1
Mar 17, 2019
checkVerified Buyer
Not happy with the fit, I bought a Medium based on their size chart although I would usually choose a large...should have gone with a large I guess. Fits so tight that it wouldn't work well keeping water out.
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