This week’s race
Arc'teryx leads; Rab climbs 5 spots.
Power ranking
Who leads this sub.
The reviewer check
The machines rank these brands. We checked their products against the people who filmed them.
Every score is distilled from independent YouTube reviews of the products the AIs name here — then set beside the AI rank.
This week?
Arc'teryx holds the top spot for the eighth consecutive week in jacket rankings. Rab made the sharpest move upward, climbing five places to number four, while Salomon gained six spots to land at eighteen. Canada Goose and Fjallraven each fell four places, dropping to sixteen and twenty-one respectively. Norrona and Dynafit entered the rankings this week at twenty-five and twenty-eight.
The questions?
These rankings answer 5 buyer questions. Open any one for the head-to-head.
The subcategory score is an aggregate. Each question has its own AI ranking, reviewer check and weekly movement — that's where the picks actually come from.
Act one
Where the machines rank them.
Three AI models rank every brand in this sub — who just arrived, the full board, the lineups each fields, and who owns each trait.
Newcomers
Just arrived.
new · Jun 2026
#77
new · Jun 2026
#42 · in best softshell jackets
new · Jun 2026
#72
new · Jun 2026
#43 · in best down jackets
new · Jun 2026
#40 · in best softshell jackets
new · Jun 2026
#86
new · Jun 2026
#79
new · Jun 2026
#65 · in best down jackets
new · Jun 2026
#82 · in best down jackets
Full ranking
Every brand ranked.
as of June 15 · vs June 16 · 5 intents?
Brand portfolios
What each brand fields here.
Tag champions
Who owns each trait in this sub.
Act two · ★ new
What people & press say.
Where the AI ranking and the reviewers part ways — and which of these brands are making news right now.
AI vs the reviewers
Where the machines and the room part ways.
Most of this sub is calm agreement. These are the picks where the AI ranking and the people who filmed the product disagree the hardest.
How Arc'teryx Became A Streetwear Brand
Levi Hildebrand
Arc'teryx Most OVERRATED Jacket | What to Buy Instead | Atom LT Review
Will
Is Patagonia Really THAT Good?
The Iron Snail
We Got an Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Patagonia Headquarters | Behind the Brand: Patagonia
Huckberry
The ONLY Shell Jacket That Matters | Arc'teryx vs Rab
Ridge & River
Rab Microlight Alpine Jacket - Is It Really Worth It?
Derek Kesseler
In the press
Which brands are making news.
6 brands in Jackets drew coverage in the last 30 days — the mood skews positive.?
Arc'teryxPositive
Arc'teryx receives predominantly favorable coverage for new product launches across jackets, harnesses, and running gear, with some scrutiny around premium pricing.
via Men's Journal, GearJunkie, Gear Patrol · 8 stories
PatagoniaCritical
Patagonia faces sustained criticism over a trademark lawsuit against drag performer Pattie Gonia, with the activist publicly rejecting settlement offers, while the brand receives positive coverage for
via Yahoo, Axios, ABC7 Bay Area · 8 stories
RabPositive
Rab benefits from strong product coverage and a major £50m investment backing growth, with Forbes highlighting its successful scaling of mountaineering heritage into a mainstream outdoor brand.
via CleverHiker, Insideradio.com, Mynewsdesk · 8 stories
The North FacePositive
The North Face receives predominantly favorable coverage centered on new product launches, sustainability partnerships, and a major U.S. Ski & Snowboard sponsorship deal.
via POWDER Magazine, CNN, neste.com · 8 stories
Outdoor ResearchPositive
Outdoor Research receives strong product praise across multiple gear reviews, with leadership transition announced as a factual update.
via feedthehabit.com, GearLab, Treeline Review · 8 stories
Black DiamondPositive
Black Diamond receives mostly positive product reviews and brand coverage, though parent company Clarus's strategic review and potential sale announcement introduces uncertainty.
via CleverHiker, VOICE of the Valley, Alpinist Magazine · 8 stories
as of June 4 · 6 brands?
Act three
How the models think.
Where each brand actually competes across the buyer questions, and the running ledger of what just moved in this sub.
Intent dominance
Where each brand actually competes.
as of June 15 · 5 intents?
Ledger?
What just moved in this sub.
- ▼ fall#29 → #78
Haglofs
- ▼ fall#28 → #60
- ▼ fall#17 → #48
- ▼ fall#18 → #46
- ▼ fall#26 → #41
- ▲ climb#20 → #12
- ✦ debutdebut at #22
- ▲ climb#21 → #14
- ▲ climb#27 → #20
- ▲ climb#9 → #3
- ✦ debutdebut at #24
- ▼ fall#30 → #36
- ▼ fall#13 → #18
- ✦ debutdebut at #25
- ▲ climb#10 → #6
- ▲ climb#11 → #7
- ▼ fall#4 → #8
- ▼ fall#6 → #10
- ▼ fall#7 → #11
- ▼ fall#16 → #19
about jackets
Pick by what you need
- buying intents · in products →
- Best Rain Jackets
- Best Winter Jackets
- Best Lightweight Jackets
- Best Down Jackets
- Best Softshell Jackets
interesting facts from jackets
The jacket market splits into tribes. Some brands chase function. Arc'teryx and The North Face engineer for weather and movement. Others build heritage. Barbour made waxed cotton work coats. Schott built leather motorcycle jackets. Then there are the fashion houses. Loro Piana works with cashmere. Margiela experiments with structure. Each owns ground where it stands.
The buyer starts here: utility brands test their gear in mountains and rain. Heritage brands rest on decades of wear and repair. Fashion brands push shape and material. None is better. They answer different questions. A jacket is not one thing.
The brand rail stops here. For the individual products inside this sub, switch to the product view.