Leading fishing brands produce dozens of models of foul weather gear specifically designed for bass anglers, while there are easily hundreds of other rain jackets, pants and bibs on the market at large. With all the varieties out there, it can be overwhelming to sort through it all to find the best light rain gear for warm weather.
Some of these are designed for extremely cold temperatures, while others are made for more moderate climates. While all of them are meant to keep wet weather out, they are not all created equal to say the least. Our goal is to help you sort through the mayhem as best we can, so you can make an informed decision if you’re in the market for light rain gear. Let’s get started.
- BEST OVERALL: Simms ProDry Bib/Jacket
- BEST VALUE: AFTCO Barricade Rain Bib/Jacket
- BEST LIGHTWEIGHT: Sitka Dew Point Pant/Jacket
- BEST BUDGET: Magellan Outdoors Men’s Pro Angler Rain Breaker
HOW WE TESTED THE RAIN GEAR
It’s been a little dry this summer in Alabama, so we had to get a little creative with the testing. I have fished through a couple torrential downpours, but I’ve also had my wife pour her plant watering jug over my head and hit me with the hose in the yard.
I also stood in the shower for a while with a couple of these suits on. I even considered going to the local splash park to give them a workout, but I figured the moms there would appreciate their little ones being featured in the backdrop of the review process.
The point is that I’ve tried it all in testing this rain gear. I’ve been quite impressed with some of it. Here are my picks for the best light rain gear for warm weather.
BEST OVERALL LIGHT RAIN GEAR: SIMMS PRODRY BIB/JACKET
The best light rain gear for warm weather overall top pick is the Simms ProDry Jacket and Bib. Working in the fishing industry for a couple decades has afforded me the opportunity to pick the brains of professional anglers about various topics. When talking rain gear, time and time again the ProDry came highly recommended by Simms pros as well as anglers with no affiliation to the brand—simply because it outperforms other rain suits in the harshest environments
I also found this suit to be incredible. In my testing, water immediately beaded up and rolled off as soon as it made contact. The GORE-TEX Pro waterproof/breathable construction allows sweat to escape while keeping precipitation out, making it perfect for summer storms. Well-placed pockets keep all your stuff handy, double cuffs keep water out and the hood sheds water without getting in the way of your vision.
However, the best is the priciest. The ProDry Jacket and Bibs come at an astronomical price. Since the jacket is an uninsulated shell, you could also easily layer it over top of warmer clothes in the colder months and have one suit that could work for you all year. This makes the steep price tag a bit more palatable.
If the ProDry holds up over the years as well as some say, it’ll be worthwhile in the long run. You kind of have to look at it like lithium batteries; If you’re in this for the long haul, the ProDry suit is an investment worth considering.
KEY FEATURES:
- GORE-TEX Pro waterproof/breathable construction
- Hood with three-point adjustability, tucks away when not in use
- Water-tight dual chest pockets, interior zippered pocket, zippered hand pockets
- No-catch watertight sleeve cuffs
- Cinchable hem line
- Sizes: S-3XL
- Colors: Carbon, black
PROS:
- Versatile piece for multi-season wear
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
- Designed for avid anglers
CONS:
- Price
BEST VALUE LIGHT RAIN GEAR: AFTCO BARRICADE RAIN BIB/JACKET
My dad has had one of the AFTCO Barricade suits for about a year and a half and has bragged on it quite a bit. AFTCO sent out a suit for me to test recently as well, and I must say, it is pretty sweet. I put it through quite the initial workout too.
As we loaded up to head out on the water to fish a summertime night derby on our local lake here in Alabama, we looked at the radar and saw that we were probably going to get rocked. I threw the Barricade jacket on as the rain started to fall and wore it for the next three and a half hours through 25 mile-per-hour gusts with a steady drizzle that turned into an all-out downpour at times.
The jacket performed flawlessly and I stayed pleasantly dry–with even the little bit of sweat that developed occasionally drying quickly. I was able to land a nice picture fish while I was wearing it too–the inevitable big fish of the tournament on an old school Lunker Lure in the rain. Hard to beat that bite and it was a great memory.
The Barricade suit is fairly light, it’s not restrictive, it has dual adjustable sleeve cuffs and a vented hood so your head doesn’t get snatched back while you’re running down the lake. It’s also pretty breathable, cutting down on sweat in the summer better than a lot of other suits I’ve worn over the years.
I’ll be interested to see how the Barricade suit holds up over time as I continue to test it out, but it is the best I’ve worn for the price point and the suit I’d recommend to anyone looking to invest in quality rain gear that won’t (quite) break the bank.
KEY FEATURES:
- 3L 100% polyester ripstop coated for 20K waterproof / 15K breathable qualities
- SpeedVent hood
- YKK AquaGuard water-repellant zippered chest and two hand pockets
- Interior zippered chest pocket
- Elastic hem cinch, dual velcro cuff adjustments
- Classic fit
- Sizes: S-2XL
- Colors: Charcoal Acid Camo, Green Camo, Black, Light Gray, Dark Digi Camo
PROS:
- Best value
- Lightweight
- Handled wind well
- Designed for avid anglers
- Good fit
CONS:
- Price
BEST LIGHTWEIGHT RAIN GEAR: SITKA DEW POINT PANT/JACKET
Though SITKA is a leading hunting gear brand, I was able to snag one of their Dew Point sets for testing and really liked it. This suit is packable. You can actually roll the pants and jacket up and stow the whole suit in a one gallon ziplock bag, making it perfect for packing in the boat, kayak, car or backpack.
This suit also performed really well. We shot it with the hose in the yard and I stood under the shower for about 5 minutes with it on. This obviously felt a little absurd, but it was the best I could do for to put the suit to the test. It kept the water out nicely, and honestly probably took a stronger beating from the water pressure of the shower than it would ever out on the water.
This suit is definitely the best for hot weather of the ones I tested. It’s a good bit lighter than the others and the material breathes pretty well. There are also zippered vents under the arms that can be opened to allow heat to escape and air to enter.
Lastly, the Dew Point Jacket has over 300 5-star reviews on the SITKA site, out of a total of 355 reviews. That’s an average of 4.8 stars across 355 people reviewing a product, which is almost unheard of. The Dew Point Pants scored a 4.7 out of 162 reviews. Considering most people only review products on websites to vent complaints, these are stellar ratings. I feel confident recommending the Dew Point suit based on what I’ve seen so far, especially in addition to this fantastic response from the public.
KEY FEATURES:
- GORE-TEX waterproof/breathable 3-layer, 20-denier fabric with ripstop nylon face
- Packable GORE C-KNIT backer technology for comfort and packability.
- Micro-taped seams for weather protection with minimal bulk
- YKK pit zps for ventilation
- Adjustable hem and cuffs
- Sizes: M-3XL
- Colors: Optifade Subalpine, Sitka Black, Optifade Open Country, Deep Lichen
PROS:
- Affordable
- Lightweight
- Packable
- Vented sleeves
CONS:
- None that I can see
BEST BUDGET LIGHT RAIN GEAR: MAGELLAN OUTDOORS MEN’S PRO ANGLER RAIN BREAKER
The Magellan Pro Angler Rain Breaker was my personal favorite from the testing. It’s effective, versatile, lightweight and best of all…affordable. However, it’s an apples to oranges comparison in a lot of ways putting this jacket up against some of the other suits—in particular because this jacket doesn’t have a matching pair of pants or bibs. Magellan does offer other rain pants that you could match up with these, but I did not test them.
Still, I really like this jacket. I fished through an absolute downpour for about 30 minutes in it and not one drop of rain penetrated the material. The only water that got into the jacket came through the facial opening in the hood. After about 15 minutes, rain started to run around the rim of the hood and down into the jacket. I wasn’t wearing a hat like I normally would have been and I believe that would have eliminated a good bit of the issue there.
Even despite that one little drawback that came by way of a once-in-a-year downpour, this is an easy jacket for me to recommend with full confidence. The low price alone sells me on it. Additionally, this is a well thought out jacket and has zippered vents beneath the sleeves similar to the SITKA Dew Point. This is a fantastic feature that really cools things off.
The fact that it’s a simple black jacket makes it quite versatile. It’s become my casual wear rain jacket for normal day to day life too. This jacket has come in quite handy on a few outings with my wife in particular, namely during our family vacation to London where rain was expected and did not disappoint.
KEY FEATURES:
- 100% polyester fabric coated with a water and wind resistant polyurethane coating
- Fits well and a little stretch for added mobility
- Adjustable hood
- Vented under arms
- Sizes: S-3XL
- Colors: Caviar, Monument, Kalamata
PROS:
- Price
- Versatile for wear on the lake or around town
- Packability
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
CONS:
- No pants/bibs
IN CONCLUSION
Ultimately, you get what you pay for with rain gear. However, you can also make a bad investment if you don’t do your research. There are several high-priced suits on the market that aren’t worth the money. From what I’ve seen testing rain gear for warmer weather, the AFTCO Barricade is the best bang for your buck. Though the SIMMS ProDry is probably a shade better if there’s no budget.
I really like the Magellan Pro Angler Rain Breaker for the price. The packability of the Sitka Dew Point Suit makes it appealing too. These are the best light rain gear for warm weather I’ve found so far. We’ll circle back and update this article if we find others we like just as much.
