The REI Teris GTX is a 2-layer waterproof/breathable rain jacket that’s loaded with performance features, including pit zips, a two-way adjustable hood with a front brim, a chest pocket, two hipbelt-compatible hand warmer pockets, velcro rip-and-stick wrist cuffs, an adjustable hem, and waterproof front zipper. While these features are appealing to hikers and backpackers, the jacket is way too heavy (24.2 oz in size large) and warm to be used year-round for hiking and is better suited as a winter skiing shell or for casual use.

• Gender: Men’s (Women’s available)
• Waterproof/Breathable: Yes
• Weight: 24.2 oz in a men’s large
• Membrane: Gore-Tex
• Seam-sealed: REI claims yes, but we see no evidence that this is so.
• Breathability: N/A (REI does not publish this spec)
• Helmet-compatible Hood: Yes
• Pockets: three – one chest and two handwarmer pockets, all zippered
• Packable: No
• Back length: Hip length
• Sizing: Runs Large
• Pros: Two-way adjustable hood, pit zips, velcro cuffs
• Cons: Heavy

Jacket Liner

The REI Teris is a 2-layer waterproof/breathable rain jacket that is lined with a solid polyester taffeta liner. This is unusual because most 2-layer waterproof/breathable jackets are lined with mesh and not solid fabric, but it helps explain why the Teris is so heavy, weighing in at 24 oz in a men’s large. Rain jacket weight is important because it’s a garment that you always want to carry in your backpack on hikes, even if it’s not raining. Rain jackets and rain pants can help keep you warm in an emergency or if you get lost and have to spend an unexpected night outside.

The Teris hood has a rear volume control.

The jacket’s solid liner also makes the Teris overly hot to wear in warm and humid weather and is better suited for winter and cold weather use. If you’re dead set on using a 2-layer rain jacket, we’d recommend using the REI Trailmade Rain Jacket ($70) we reviewed recently, which weighs a half pound less and costs less than one-third of the price of the Teris.

Hood

The Teris GTX hood is helmet-compatible, which means it’s pretty high volume. Luckily, it has a rear volume control so you can shrink it down to human proportions. In addition, the hood has elastic cords in front, so you can shrink the size of the front opening to keep wind and rain out. The hood also has a front brim, which is handy for keeping rain off your face or glasses.

The Teris has pit zips to help shed excess heat and reduce perspiration.

Pit Zips

The Teris Jacket has 11.5 inch pit zips that start on the upper arms and run down the sides of the jacket. Pit zips are designed to help you shed body heat and perspire less. It’s always a good sign when jacket designers include pit zips on a waterproof/breathable jacket because they recognize the breathability limitations of a waterproof/breathable membrane.

Pockets

The Teris GTX Jacket has three pockets: a lined zippered chest pocket that’s large enough to fit a large smartphone and two lined handwarmer pockets which are also lined. However, the jacket is too large to pack into these pockets. While the handwarmer pockets can be hip belt-compatible, it depends on how high you wear your backpack hipbelt. I found I was just able to get my hands into the hand warmer pockets when wearing a pack in the rain, but your mileage may vary.

Wrist Cuffs

The Teris GTX jacket has rip-and-stick velcro wrist cuffs. These are good for keeping your wrists warm and let you slide gloves or mittens with wrist gauntlets up the arms to provide extra wrist insulation.

The Teris GTX has rip and stick velcro cuffs.

Gore-Tex Membrane

The Teris GTX Rain Jacket has a waterproof-breathable membrane made with Gore-Tex. While that is appealing to many consumers, there are many grades of Gore-Tex, some more breathable than others. REI does not publish waterproofing or breathable metrics for the jackets they make, which makes it challenging to evaluate the quality of the waterproof/breathable membrane in the Teris GTX. However, traditionally, the membranes used in 2-layer waterproof/breathable jackets tend to be lower quality than the ones in 2.5 layer or 3-layer waterproof/breathable rain jackets.

Comparison of layers, weight, and prices

Recommendation

The REI Teris GTX Rain Jacket is a 2-layer waterproof/breathable jacket that has a full liner which makes it warm and quite heavy compared to other 2-layer rain jackets. While it has excellent features, from a two-way adjustable hood and pit zips, it’s best used in colder weather as a ski jacket, a winter hiking shell, or a more casual raincoat for commuting or walking your dog in colder weather. Priced at $249, the Teris GTX is quite expensive compared to other 2-layer waterproof-breathable rain jackets. If you plan to spend that kind of money for a rain jacket for hiking and backpacking, you’d be better off getting a 2.5-layer or three-layer waterproof/breathable rain jacket that is lighter-weight and provides better performance.

Disclosure: REI donated a jacket for review.

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