BLACK DIAMOND Men's Fineline Stretch Rain Jacket Shell, Burnt Sienna, L

Why it's worth it

Black Diamond's Fineline uses a stretch face fabric bonded to a waterproof membrane, so it moves with you instead of fighting you. If you scramble, climb, or just hate the cardboard feeling of a hardshell, this is the pick.

Most waterproof jackets are built from fabric that doesn't give. Raise both arms and the hem climbs to your ribs. Black Diamond's documentation on its stretch rain shells claims roughly 40 percent more shoulder range of motion than non-stretch hardshells of similar weight and waterproof rating. Whether that exact figure holds for you, the direction is right — the difference is obvious the first time you reach for a hold in the rain.

Stretch matters most when the weather is bad and the terrain isn't easy. Scrambling a wet ridgeline, sorting gear at a belay, pulling a pack on and off — that's when a stiff shell turns into a straitjacket. BD.dry keeps the waterproofing intact while the face fabric flexes, and the jacket compresses small enough to live in a pack as an emergency layer.

From our review of 7 waterproof breathable rain jackets, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +Most waterproof jackets are built from fabric that doesn't give
• +Stretch matters most when the weather is bad and the terrain isn't easy
• +It's also a reasonable everyday shell
• +This is a newer jacket with a thin track record, so we're relying more on the construction and Black Diamond's documentation…

What to know

• –Sizing runs tight. Owners at the upper end of a size report the underarms binding with no room for a midlayer underneath, so…
• –The hood is oversized relative to the rest of the jacket, and owners describe it swallowing their heads even after cinching
• –There's far less owner feedback here than for the Marmot or the Arc'teryx, so long-term durability is largely unknown