We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.
The Helly Hansen Loke is up to four times less expensive than other leading rain jackets, allowing shoppers on a budget to afford a decently protective and functional layer. We loved the aesthetic and cut of this jacket, enjoying its versatility on stormy mountain days and around-town hangs. At a low weight of 9.5 ounces, this piece still offers a wide array of features, from an adjustable hood and hem to ripstop fabric extending the life of the Loke. While this isn't the best option for those needing a layer for intense or prolonged storms, it's hard to beat its value.
REASONS TO BUY
Exceptional value
Great weight
Clean style
Helpful features
REASONS TO AVOID
Average weather protection
Less ideal hood seal
Mesh pockets and velcro snags
Updated Loke 2.0 Now Available
Helly Hansen recently updated the Loke to the Loke 2.0, incorporating RECCO emergency technology to enhance the rain jacket's design for winter conditions and new colorways heading into 2025.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Our review team had a lot of fun testing the Helly Hansen Loke. We deliberately went out in storms to see how weather-protective each jacket in our lineup truly is. If you're not chasing extremely technical outdoor excursions, a jacket like the Loke is really all you need.
We spent weeks pushing every rain jacket, including the Loke, on many types of outdoors missions, from alpine climbing to hiking.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Water Resistance
The Loke kept our testing team dry in moderate storms, including brief downpours or all-day mists. Helly Hansen built this jacket with a 2.5-layer fabric construction using polyamide and an interior liner as the “half layer.” This design reduces the weight without sacrificing too much water resistance performance.
However, as the precipitation increased in intensity and duration, some design components struggled. First, we noticed the hood seal allowed water to sneak through with heavier exposure, dripping down the face and chest area. Our shower test produced similar results, with a 15-minute “downpour” causing some water to leak through at the shoulder seams. As with any rain jacket purchase, the best choice will always come down to each shopper's budget and intended uses. If you're anticipating moderate storms, this rain jacket is worth consideration. For conditions with heavier precipitation, you may want to invest in something with upgraded storm protection.
The Loke performed fairly well in our shower and field testing, but we'd steer you elsewhere if needing a layer for intense storms.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Breathability
As previously mentioned, the Loke utilizes a 2.5-layer design, which means a liner is used for the layer next to the skin. We were pleasantly surprised by this rubbery liner's performance. It breathed relatively well compared to jackets with a similar build.
The generous pit zips also greatly improved this option's ventilation and upped its overall breathability score, even though on extended uphill missions, we definitely got wet from the inside out (notably, this improved in cooler temps).
The rubbery liner, surprisingly, offered better breathability than other options of the same 2.5 layer build.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Comfort and Mobility
Our testers were very pleased with the relaxed cut of the Loke. Many testers found it as comfortable as some jackets that were much pricier. “It never impeded my movements, and even though there was some bunching in the stomach area, it was an easily manageable amount,” our tester shared.
However, the sleeves offered less room to play with and did tend to come up short when lifting our arms overhead. Similarly, the rubbery feel of the liner wasn't the most comfortable when sitting against the skin directly. It wasn't a noticeable irritant when wearing long-sleeved underlayers, but something that came up when temperatures warmed up. The Loke strikes a nice balance between freedom of movement, decent coverage, and reduced bunching.
While we loved the fit and mobility of the Loke, the rubbery liner doesn't offer the best feel.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Weight
At 9.5 ounces, the weight of the Loke is one of its best attributes besides its low price. It also fits inside one of its mesh hand pockets for easy packing.
This modest weight is an asset in its versatility, allowing one to easily pack it along on a bike ride, a rainy night on the town, or as that just-in-case layer that lives at the bottom of your bag. While weight may become only 10% of the Loke's final score, it's a valuable perk to the inexpensive design.
The Loke is one of the lighter jackets we've tested, also boasting excellent packability.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Construction Quality
Strength in construction wasn't where this jacket shined brightest. The zippers and zip-flaps of the Loke often snagged in use, especially the pit zips. Additionally, the mesh pockets frequently got caught on the velcro of the primary zipper. These snags caused threads to start fraying a bit, an issue we expect will likely worsen over the jacket's life.
Additionally, we noted some user complaints about the Loke's long-term water resistance. We did not experience any such issues in testing, but it seems plausible that buyers who keep their rainwear clean will likely see extended weather protection from this garment. Yet that upkeep could be hard to manage for some users over time. In the world of outdoors clothing manufacturing, there's a well-established trade-off between weight and durability, and the Loke is no different.
The hook side of the velcro commonly grabbed the mesh pockets, particularly when it was in a backpack.
Credit: Zach Lovell
Should You Buy the Helly Hansen Loke?
The Loke offers incredible value for the budget shopper. This is one thing to consider if you need a rain layer intended for fairly casual use or as a “just-in-case” layer. But we'd look elsewhere if your future recreation plans include intense rain storms or upgraded weather protection for high-action days.
What Other Rain Jackets Should You Consider?
The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L offers top-tier performance at a reasonable price, especially when other higher-end models are twice as expensive as the Torrentshell. If you need something even cheaper than the Loke, the Columbia Watertight II offers reasonable performance for light-duty storms.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Helly Hansen Loke versus top competing products:
