Outdoor Research Helium UL Rain Jacket vs Patagonia Houdini

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

Patagonia Houdini is the lighter option — 75 g lighter than the Outdoor Research Helium UL Rain Jacket (47% less weight). If grams matter to you, that is the one to beat.

Spec	Outdoor Research Helium UL Rain Jacket	Patagonia Houdini
Weight	161 g · 0.161 kg · 0.35 lb	86 g · 0.086 kg · 0.19 lb
Brand	Outdoor Research	Patagonia
Category	Clothing - Outer Layer	Clothing - Outer Layer

Outdoor Research Helium UL Rain Jacket

161 g

2.75-layer ultralight rain jacket with 15-denier Pertex Shield shell. Packs into its own chest pocket. Rated for sustained heavy rain.

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Patagonia Houdini

86 g

Iconic ultralight wind jacket. Stuffs into its own pocket.

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Outdoor Research Helium UL Rain Jacket vs Patagonia Houdini: which should you buy?

If saving weight is your priority, the Patagonia Houdini wins — at 86 g it is 75 g (47%) lighter than the Outdoor Research Helium UL Rain Jacket (161 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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