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Home / Gear / Jackets / Wind Jackets

Patagonia Houdini vs Torrentshell

Last updated: August 1, 2022 by Canberk Koksal

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I talked to the Patagonia Customer Service for like 20 mins and also did some external research about this comparison. In this post I've put together everything I've found including my chat screenshots with the Reps.

In summary, Houdini is a more technical piece and meant to work as an emergency, pop up shell against summer and spring storms that strike you on the road unexpectedly. Whereas the Torrentshell is more for casual outgoings.

  • Latest on the blog:
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  • #A sidenote here: Patagonia.com's Web Specials discounts are GOOOLLLDDD. Highly recommend you to check it out before you buy. 
First of all, there are FOUR different models out there. Let's order 3 of them first by increasing warmth, weather resistance, durability & weight and decreasing breathability & comfort:

  • Houdini (CFM: 2): If you're looking for a light shell that you can take anywhere with you and expect it to protect you from sudden mild downpours then this one can be a really good choice for you. It's A LOT lighter compared to the Torrentshell (12.5 oz vs 3.9 oz!) and is packed very small into it's own stuff sack.
  • Torrentshell (CFM: 0): Unlike the Houdini, Torrentshell is intended more for casual use and is less of a technical piece. It's a lot thicker, heavier, more durable and much more water & wind resistant than the Houdini. If you'll be using your jacket when it's could out in town, then you should probably go for Torrentshell and NOT the Houdini.
  • Torrentshell Insulated (CFM: 0): This single insulated model in this review will ALSO provide warmth in addition to Torrentshell's durability and weather protection - actually even more so than the very popular Nano Puff!

CFM Rating represents the breathability of the jacket's fabric {cubic feet of air passing through a square foot of fabric per minute in ft3/ft2/min (or liters/m2/sec)}.

The higher the CFM, the more breathable the jacket will be.

The missing 4th model is Houdini Air (CFM: 17) here. It's the most technical piece of all and hence kind of stands out of the other 3 models & deserves its own bullet.

It's much more breathable than the Houdini. It's also more durable, more water & wind resistant but is heavier. If you'll be using the jacket almost always for high output activities, than this is the superior alternative to the Houdini.

IMPORTANT: In fact, if you're looking to get a shell for high output activities, then the Houdini Air is actually the only hoody in this review that you should consider getting. Additionally, you can check out my posts about Arc'teryx's Incendo and Squamish.

Warmth

Comparing these jackets in terms of warmth doesn't make a lot of sense as they're mostly 3-season jackets except the Torrentshell Insulated (the only jacket that will provide any TRUE warmth).

Still, due to the variety in their fabric thicknesses, Torrentshell is going to come slightly warmer than Houdini and the Houdini will come slightly warmer than the Houdini Air:

Torrentshell Insulated, on the other hand, will come much warmer than the Torrentshell (and hence also the others).

Weather Resistance

Torrentshells are much more water resistant than the Houdini's, although all jackets are DWR coated.

  • What is DWR by the way?

DWR is a coating. 

It's basically sprayed on to the surface of these jackets as a finish. It stands for Durable Water Repellent - which means that water will be repelled under wet conditions instead of soaking into the fabric. 

DWR also decreases dry time. 

It's a good thing these jackets are coated in DWR, but pay attention to the fact that DWR is a coating - meaning that it will wear off over time. 

Which is why you might want to invest in a DWR spray such as this one for after treatment. 

As you see, there's a strong correlation between FP x FW and temperature ratings, but not more than, say, 80%. I explained why this happens here in this post of mine. 

Patagonia lists Houdini as a wind jacket and Torrentshell as a rain jacket. As I expressed earlier, Houdini Air is also quite breathable.

When you're thinking about it on top of your mind, this can be confusing: How can a jacket be breathable AND wind resistant at the same time? 

Wouldn't a highly breathable fabric also inevitably let more air in?

Well, the answer is no.

Breathability and wind resistance can be (and is) achieved simultaneously by adding two layers. As a result air permeability is allowed in one direction only, that is, from inside to outside.

Which brings me to my next point...

Breathability

Houdini Air is around 8 times as much breathable AND around 20% more weather resistant & durable than the Houdini (so it's also more expensive...).

Patagonia Rep Dana revealed the CFM ratings via e-mail after talking to the product experts. Not sure why she can't leave blanks between words... 🤔

In return, though, it's slightly heavier than the Houdini {4.1 ounces (116 grams) vs 3.7 ounces (105 grams)} although still very light compared to the Torrentshell's.

CFM Ratings:

  • Houdini Air: 17 CFM
  • Houdini: 2 CFM
  • Torrentshell: 0 CFM (Because it's waterproof)
  • Torrentshell Insulated: 0 CFM (Because it's waterproof)

But there's an important caveat here.

Torrentshells may not be equipped with genuinely breathable fabrics, but they do provide mechanical venting via arm pit zips unlike the Houdini models. This makes them more breathable than the Houdini in practice.

Houdini Air, on the other hand, is still more breathable even if it misses the pit zips. You might still wish having them, but there isn't any soft shell out there that comes with both breathable fabrics and pit zips. In fact, it's even looked at as overkill.

If you want to check out an insulated jacket with both advanced breathable fabrics and mechanical venting, then you can check out Nano Air or Arc'teryx's Proton LT or Atom LT. 

Packed Size

Houdini's pack quite a bit smaller compared to the Torrentshell's.

Torrentshell Insulated, on the other hand, does come with a stuff sack.

Comfort

Houdini and Houdini Air offers a much softer inner surface touch to your skin compared to the Torrentshell.

Think about it: Houdini is a 3-season product. You'll most likely be wearing nothing but a t-shirt under in many cases, so if you'll be using the jacket during 3-seasons mostly, then this becomes a significant advantage compared to Torrentshell which offers a more stiff inner surface.

Conclusion

In summary, Houdini is a more technical piece and meant to work as an emergency, pop up shell against summer and spring storms that strike you on the road unexpectedly. Whereas the Torrentshell is more for casual outgoings.

Patagonia Houdini:

Patagonia Houdini Men's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on REI
See on Backcountry.com

Patagonia Houdini Women's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on REI
See on Backcountry.com

Patagonia Houdini Air:

Patagonia Houdini Air Men's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on REI
See on Backcountry.com

Patagonia Houdini Air Women's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on REI
See on Backcountry.com

Patagonia Torrentshell:

Patagonia Torrentshell Men's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

Patagonia Torrentshell Women's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

Patagonia Torrentshell Insulated:

Patagonia Torrentshell Insulated Men's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

Patagonia Torrentshell Insulated Women's:

See on Patagonia.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com


I hope this post was helpful for you to learn more about the jacket(s) in your mind.


Feel free to ask me any questions or provide feedback and I'll be happy to respond in the comment section below.


Guide: Insulated & Shell Jackets

Start here:

  • Best Arc'teryx Jackets: My Top Picks
  • Best Patagonia Jackets: My Top Picks
  • Best Down Jackets: My Top Picks
  • Best Synthetic Insulated Jackets: My Top Picks
  • Temperature Ratings of Best Insulated Jackets
  • Arc'teryx Wiki: Complete Data Set
  • CLO values: Explained, compared & plotted
  • Ultimate Size Guide to Arc'teryx
  • StormHood vs DropHood

Complete list:

  • All Arc'teryx Shell Jackets sorted by performance
  • All Arc'teryx Ski Jackets sorted by performance
  • All Patagonia Ski Jackets sorted by performance
  • All Patagonia Winter Jackets compared
  • All Patagonia Fleeces compared
  • All Patagonia Rain Jackets compared
  • All Patagonia Down Jackets compared

Synthetic Insulated Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Proton LT
  • Patagonia Nano Air
  • Arc'teryx Atom LT
  • Arc'teryx Atom AR
  • Patagonia Nano Puff
  • Patagonia Micro Puff
  • Arc'teryx Atom SL
  • Arc'teryx Proton FL
  • Arc'teryx Proton Hybrid Hoody
  • Arc'teryx Fission SV
  • Arc'teryx Dually Belay Parka
  • Arc'teryx Atom SL Anorak
  • Arc'teryx Kappa

Down Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Cerium LT
  • Arc'teryx Cerium SV
  • Arc'teryx Cerium SL
  • Arc'teryx Thorium AR
  • Patagonia Down Sweater
  • Arc'teryx Firebee AR
  • Arc'teryx Ceres SV

Parkas

  • Arc'teryx Thorsen
  • Arc'teryx Therme
  • Arc'teryx Camosun
  • Arc'teryx Patera
  • Arc'teryx Centrale
  • Patagonia Tres
  • Patagonia Vosque

Shell Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Beta SV
  • Arc'teryx Beta FL
  • Arc'teryx Beta AR
  • Arc'teryx Alpha AR
  • Arc'teryx Alpha SV
  • Arc'teryx Gamma MX
  • Arc'teryx Gamma LT
  • Arc'teryx Gamma SL

Ski Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Rush
  • Arc'teryx Rush IS
  • Arc'teryx Sabre LT
  • Arc'teryx Sabre AR
  • Arc'teryx Cassiar
  • Arc'teryx Sidewinder
  • Arc'teryx Macai

Fleece Jackets

  • Patagonia R1
  • Patagonia R2
  • Patagonia Synchilla
  • Patagonia Better Sweater

Wind Jackets

  • Arc'teryx Solano
  • Arc'teryx Nuclei FL
  • Patagonia Houdini
  • Patagonia Houdini Air
  • Arc'teryx Squamish
  • Arc'teryx Incendo
  • Arc'teryx Norvan SL
  • Arc'teryx Trino SL

Rain Jackets

  • Patagonia Torrentshell
  • Patagonia Torrentshell Insulated
  • Arc'teryx Beta SL Hybrid
  • Arc'teryx Zeta FL

Also see:

  • Arc'teryx vs Patagonia
  • List of Manufacturing Facilities of all Arc'teryx Jackets

Thank you for reading!

Filed Under: Rain Jackets, Wind Jackets Tagged With: jackets, patagonia, patagonia rain jackets, patagonia wind jackets

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. GEOFFREY SWINDLER says

    April 8, 2021 at 1:50 pm

    Great review. I’m a backpacker and cyclist. I’m looking for a wind jacket during those activities. I don’t really need rain protection. The Acteryx outlet has the pre-2019 Squamish on sale. Would you recommend that over the Houdini Air? Thanks, Geoff

    • Canberk says

      April 8, 2021 at 1:55 pm

      What is the price difference between them?

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Hey, what's up? Canberk here. I try to approach outdoor gear from a scientific point of view. Here's more about me.

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