How Do Choose Soft Shells And Hard Shells For Outdoor Clothing?

It seems that many new donkeys who are new to the outdoors will have this question: what is the difference between a softshell and a hard shell? How should we choose outdoor sports?

What is a jacket?

When it comes to softshells and hard shells, let's start with the jacket.

The jacket is the first outermost protective clothing used for high-altitude climbing and summiting. It is translated by the public as a jacket.

In the process of high-altitude mountaineering, the weather conditions are often very bad. The wind is sunny one second, and the next second becomes a violent storm. Therefore, in order to withstand such a sudden change in the climate in the high mountains, the jacket is made of materials. Must do: windproof, waterproof, breathable, and other needs.

More often, the scientific name of our so-called "jacket" is Hardshell.

The distinction between soft and hard shells

According to the function, fabric, and use environment of outdoor clothing, outer protection can be roughly divided into hardshell and softshell.

▼Hardshell

It is generally worn as the outermost layer to protect against wind, rain, and snow. As mentioned above, some outdoor sports, such as ice climbing, snow mountain climbing, and professional expeditions, often encounter extreme weather conditions. The requirements for clothing fabrics need to achieve the highest level of windproof, waterproof, and breathable characteristics. In order to meet the durability under high-frequency use and the need for shelter equipment in response to sudden emergency storms. The soft shell is far from this effect, so, in contrast, the hardshell jacket is more suitable for professional outdoor sports.

● Complete wind and snow protection

● windproof

● Waterproof

● Breathable

● the outermost layer of clothing

▼Softshell

Softshell is a waterproof layer added to the warm and windproof fabric. It is a kind of clothing between fleece jackets and jackets. It is suitable for spring and summer communication and autumn and winter communication. Because the outer layer is made of waterproof fabric, it has waterproof and windproof performance; while the inner layer is made of fleece fabric, which is warm and breathable at the same time. Softshell jackets are light in weight and easy to carry. Compared with hard shells, soft shells are more flexible and have better air circulation, but they can only be used for general protection and are not suitable for use in extreme environments.

● Water repellent treatment

● Good air circulation

● Breathability

● flexible (stretchy)

● as an outer and middle layer of clothing

Soft case vs hard case

Below, we will take you to understand the difference between the two kinds of outdoor clothing in detail in terms of various performances, so that you can choose from different outdoor sports.

▼Waterproof

The hardshell jacket adopts PU waterproof coating + seam heat sealing and pressing process, so it has super waterproof, can effectively prevent the intrusion of frost, snow, and rain, and has strong wear resistance.

Softshells mainly provide a certain degree of protection in non-inclement weather. Generally, there is a DWR water-repellent coating, which is sufficient for daily use but is slightly inferior to hard shells.

(hardshell material has excellent water resistance)

▼Breathability

In outdoor sports, because of a lot of perspiration, a piece of outdoor clothing with good ventilation can quickly expel this moisture from the body, keeping the body comfortable and dry. Otherwise, it is very dangerous to have cold and loss of temperature in outdoor links with bad weather.

But breathability and waterproofness are relative, and in order to get good waterproofness, you must sacrifice breathability as a price.

Although the current hardshell fabric is very advanced, it is still unable to completely export the sweat and water vapor generated during exercise, so the air permeability of the hard shell is much inferior to that of the softshell.

At the beginning of the design, the soft shell fully considers the needs of aerobic exercise, sacrificing some waterproofness in exchange for good breathability, suitable for sports that sweat a lot, such as cycling, hiking, skiing, etc.

(Hardshell focuses on waterproofing, soft shell focuses on breathability)

▼Wind resistance

In outdoor sports, the cold wind can easily take away the temperature of the body surface and quickly lose heat, so the windproofness of the jacket is also particularly important.

According to the different windproof principles, the soft shell is divided into fabric windproof softshell and membrane windproof softshell. The former relies on the close arrangement of fabric fibers to achieve a windproof effect, and has better air permeability and comfort; the latter adopts a laminated windproof and breathable membrane to prevent wind. The isolation performance is better. Either material is sufficient for everyday needs, but a hard case is recommended for extreme conditions.

▼Comfort

The softshell combines the functions of the thermal layer and the protective layer. Compared with the hard shell, the fabric used will be softer, more comfortable to wear, and has better elasticity and extensibility during activities.

▼ Warmth

In addition to the performance described above, keeping warm is also a major role of the jacket.

In terms of thermal performance, softshells also have certain advantages. Shell fabrics can be compounded with different thermal insulation materials to improve their thermal performance. The hard shell itself does not have thermal insulation, so the thermal insulation still needs to rely on an intermediate thermal layer such as fleece, down jacket, or cotton jacket.