OutdoorCrunch

Wind Jackets

Patagonia Houdini vs Arcteryx Squamish

Last updated: October 25, 2023 by

Arc'teryx revised the Squamish in 2019 dramatically. Disregard any reviews and comments put forward before then.

With the 2019 revision, wind and water resistances of the Squamish are improved; and it now looks prettier overall (this Iliad color is really liked by many - including me).

Its breathability, on the other hand, now sucks with the 2019 revision. Just like that of Houdini. They're less than 10 CFM (a measure of breathability that confirms they indeed suck).

That's a bold claim, but in case it has to be said, there it is. Don't believe anyone who claims otherwise.

That's because Arc'teryx and Patagonia simply chose not to design these products for high output activities anymore (although Squamish was a breathable option between 2014-2018). It's mind blowing how the Houdini and 2019 Squamish are marketed to runners in some places...

Instead of high output activities, these hoodies are actually meant to work as simple pop up shells against sudden summer and spring storms. 

  • Fit

Canberk is 5'11" and 165 pounds, with an athletic build. Size Medium fits him perfectly across almost all brands and product lines. 

  • Arc'teryx's 2024 men's fit revision

Here's what Arc'teryx says about their most recent fit revision: 

Source: https://arcteryx.com/us/en/help/sizing/mens/tops/new

Not all jackets come with the revised fit - only the ones with following statement: 

I'd recommend the Houdini over the Squamish for many cases as it's lighter, more durable, more weather resistant and more packable than the Squamish.

This is why they're light, packed tiny (so that they can easily fit inside even the smallest pockets of some of your pants), and don't even come with hand pockets.

  • If this is your intended use for these shells, then they will fill the bill without a hitch, so keep reading.
  • If, on the other hand, you're actually looking for a shell for any high output activity other than ice/rock climbing and bouldering, then I'd recommend you to stop reading and check out my post about the Arc'teryx's Incendo for summer running and cycling or the one about Patagonia's Houdini Air for all the other aerobic uses during the summer.

They're both significantly more breathable than the Houdini and Squamish.

Weather Resistances

Both Houdini and Squamish are marketed as wind jackets in their product pages as you can see here and here.

Compared to the Houdini, Squamish performs noticeably worse in this department - not only for the wind but also for the water resistance capabilities.

Because the DWR coating of 2019 Squamish wears off quicker than that of Houdini. 

  • 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 at arcteryx.com 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. 

More robust face fabric of the Houdini also makes it more durable than the Squamish.

Stuff Sack Sizes

Squamish is packed considerably larger than the Houdini.

If you're planning to use these shells as for what they're designed for, then the superior portability of Houdini is an extra advantage for you. You can even try stowing it into the hand pockets of your pants.

Best uses and conclusion

Like I said, instead of high output activities, these hoodies are actually meant to work as simple pop up shells against sudden summer and spring storms.

So, if you'll be using them for this purpose, then I'd recommend Houdini over Squamish any day.

...with one exception.

Velcro cuffs and chest pocket (accessible when you have a harness on) of the Squamish come very useful during the activities where hands are involved - most popular ones being rock/ice climbing and bouldering. So I'd recommend the Squamish in that case.

If you tend to overheat, though, breathability would definitely fall short. I'd head towards something provides more breathability without sacrificing weather protection, such as the Houdini Air. 

  • Fit

Canberk is 5'11" and 165 pounds, with an athletic build. Size Medium fits him perfectly across almost all brands and product lines. 

  • Arc'teryx's 2024 men's fit revision

Here's what Arc'teryx says about their most recent fit revision: 

Source: https://arcteryx.com/us/en/help/sizing/mens/tops/new

Not all jackets come with the revised fit - only the ones with following statement: 

Incendo vs Squamish

Last updated: October 25, 2023 by

Notice how the chest snap keeps each side together and makes the unzipped Incendo much more useful when running!

I decided to compare Arc'teryx's Incendo to Squamish because they're designed similarly and offered in similar price range.

Combine it with the fact that they received a bunch of complicated revisions during the past few years and you're here reading this article...

Long story short, speaking for 2019 versions; velcro cuffs and superior durability of the Squamish make it a more suitable option for summer rock climbing and bouldering. Superior breathability, chest snap and very comfortable collar of the Incendo, on the other hand, make it more suitable for summer running and cycling.

These make up the 5 key points to consider. Lastly, Incendo looks also prettier to most (this Robotica color is really liked by many - including me).

All the differences between 2019 Squamish and 2019 Incendo can be listed as follows: 

  • Squamish is a little more durable (30D vs 20D face fabric) not by a huge but a fair amount
  • Squamish comes with velcro cuffs (pretty nice if you ask me) and Incendo with elastic cuffs (not so nice if you ask me)
  • Unlike Incendo, Squamish does offer the plastic tooth zipper, which adds to its durability
  • Squamish is packed into its own stuff sack just a little larger than the Incendo - although is still perfectly small (pictures below)
  • Incendo is noticeably more breathable (awesome additional feature: Chest snap! More on this in a minute)
  • Incendo is 1 oz (30 grams) lighter
  • Incendo offers a trimmer cut
  • Incendo looks prettier to most

Caution: Disregard all the reviews and comments put forward before 2019 as both these hoodies were revised then.

Caution 2: Above recommendations and facts do not apply to previous models of Squamish and Incendo. 

  • Fit

Canberk is 5'11" and 165 pounds, with an athletic build. Size Medium fits him perfectly across almost all brands and product lines. 

  • Arc'teryx's 2024 men's fit revision

Here's what Arc'teryx says about their most recent fit revision: 

Source: https://arcteryx.com/us/en/help/sizing/mens/tops/new

Not all jackets come with the revised fit - only the ones with following statement: 

Breathability

Squamish was breathable once (models between 2014-2018). With the 2019 revision, not only did it get considerably less breathable, but Arc'teryx also failed to communicate this change effectively.

When you go to their product page for Squamish, you don't see any revised tag, although you DO see it for other revised products such as the Atom LT.

Product page of the Incendo isn't supported by a revised tag either, although it IS.

Notice how the chest snap keeps each side together and makes the unzipped Incendo much more useful!

With the revised 2019 model, mesh vents around the arm pits now are not only TWICE as long the previous models, but also almost twice as WIDER. This boosts breathability significantly.

In addition to that, unlike the Squamish, Incendo is also equipped with a dope feature which adds to its breathability further (see image). This way you don't wish having pit zips so much. 

  • BTW, if you are a teen looking for a bike to ride with your Incendo, check out the Bikes for Teens article by the Cycle Simply team. 

These enhancements improved the breathability of the 2019 Incendo quite a bit and ended up putting it ahead of the 2019 Squamish as a result.

If you tend to overheat fairly more than the average person, though; then even the Incendo might not cut it for you.

You know, I'm an Arc'teryx fanboy, but in that case, if you don't necessarily HAVE TO get an Arc'teryx for this situation, then even I would recommend you to get the Patagonia's Houdini Air Hoody. You can check out my post that compares the Houdini, Houdini Air and the 2019 Squamish to one another.

If EVEN the Houdini Air wouldn't cut it for you in the breathability department, then check out Patagonia's Airshed. That's as breathable as a jacket gets. 

Warmth

Neither of these jackets are insulated - so they're not going to provide you any warmth. 

If you're planning to wear these jackets when it's anything colder than mild out, then I'd recommend you to forget about getting them and instead checking out a breathable, synthetic insulated jacket such as one of these.

If, however; you're looking for a light, soft-shell to wear during high output activities out in warmish spring and summer nights with a breeze, then these jackets can be perfect.

Weather Resistance

Not much to say for this one. These jackets aren't designed for winter, so they aren't focused on weather resistance and would probably meet your needs if you're planning to use them during warm spring and summer nights.

Incendo and Squamish would be able to resist against light rains. They're 3-season jackets anyway, so if weather resistance is one of your main expectations, you're reading the wrong article here.

Anything more than a light rain and they'll get soaked. Despite the DWR.

  • 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 at arcteryx.com 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. 

Same goes for wind resistance. They're wind resistant but not windproof.

Velcro cuffs of the Squamish make any activity where the hands are allowed considerably easier.

Velcro Cuffs

Velcro cuffs matter the most during high output activities where hands are involved more, the most popular ones being rock climbing and bouldering activities.

This is why the Squamish is a superior option to the Incendo for these activities. You can adjust the sleeve length without a hitch and prevent it from restraining your hand mobility.

Conclusion

If you'll mostly be using this jacket for an activity that hands are primarily involved (such as rock climbing and bouldering), then I'd recommend you the Squamish.

Squamish Hoody Men's:

See on Arcteryx.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

Squamish Hoody Women's:

See on Arcteryx.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

For everything else, I'd get the Incendo.

Incendo:

See on Arcteryx.com
See on Amazon
See on Backcountry.com

Cita (Women's counterpart for the Incendo):

See on Arcteryx.com
See on Amazon
See on Moosejaw.com

If, on the other hand, you're planning to use these as an emergency shell to keep on you for commuting, then I'd recommend Arc'teryx's Nodin the most in that case.