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Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket (2026) vs Outdoor Research Helium UL Jacket

Weight and specs compared for 2026 — and which one to choose.

Outdoor Research Helium UL Jacket is the lighter option — 16 g lighter than the Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket (2026) (9% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.
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Spec Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket (2026) Outdoor Research Helium UL Jacket
Weight 178 g · 0.178 kg · 0.39 lb 162 g · 0.162 kg · 0.36 lb
Brand Montbell Outdoor Research
Category Clothing - Outer Layer Clothing - Outer Layer
Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket (2026)
178 g

Updated 2026 model with new 7 denier fabric and improved DWR. One of lightest legitimate weather shells at 6.3oz.

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Outdoor Research Helium UL Jacket
162 g

Minimalist rain jacket with Toray Dermizax 2.75-layer 15D construction, highly breathable and compressible for fast-and-light mountain use.

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Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket (2026) vs Outdoor Research Helium UL Jacket: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Outdoor Research Helium UL Jacket wins — at 162 g it is 16 g (9%) lighter than the Montbell Versalite Rain Jacket (2026) (178 g). That said, the heavier option may justify the extra grams with more capacity, durability or comfort, so weigh the trade-off against how you'll use it.

See where both rank against everything else in this category on the lightest clothing - outer layer page, or browse the full gear weight database.

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