A quiet morning. A walk outdoors. Some things in life are so perfect you don't need anything else to be happy and content. And you can add FootJoy's new Hydro Tour Rain jacket to that list of perfect things.
The HydroTour is straight up one of the best rain jackets I've ever worn, giving me exceptional protection and comfort across the board. This is really a jacket without any compromise.
Obviously the first thing you want from a rain jacket is for it to be waterproof. I'm not going to pour a glass of water down a sleeve, or spray a hose against the body to test rain gear. I'm always going out on the course for the real McCoy. And the day I tested Hydro Tour made me absolutely certain it's everything you could possibly want in a rain jacket.
To be honest, the round was borderline unplayable. And the starter clearly thought I was insane. It absolutely poured. Non-stop. The kind of heavy rain that howls through a course and blows sideways. And Hydro Tour kept me perfectly and completely dry (check out the video when I unzip the jacket and there's not a drop of rain that came through).
Sometimes when a rain jacket is completely waterproof, the tradeoff comes in breathability. There's no tradeoff with the Hydro Tour. I've worn this in the rain in temperatures as low as 45 degrees and as high as 70 degrees, and comfort throughout was phenomenal.
On the warmer days I didn't once feel suffocated or overheated. In fact, I didn't feel any sense of discomfort at all and actually continued wearing the HydroTour after the rain stopped. A lighter jacket like the FootJoy Dry Select LS will be even cooler, but quite frankly we're splitting hairs at this point. HydroTour is plenty lightweight and breathable enough to wear in the summer.
On the cooler days the HydroTour was even better. It's meant as a stand alone rain jacket (compared to the DrySelect LS for example, which is meant to be layered), and there's definitely a thermal aspect to HydroTour. It's incredibly protective against the high winds.
In the video I showed you above, it wasn't just the rain that made conditions so tough, it was also the winds that probably reached up to 30 mph (if not higher). Hydro Tour kept me comfortably warm as well as perfectly dry. And again on those fronts, I'm not sure you can ask for anything more from a rain jacket.
The Hydro Tour design is also top-notch. The wrists have adjustable cuffs that fit snugly without feeling restrictive. The collar has eyelets that allow rain to drip through so you're never getting soaked anywhere in the neck area. And every zipper is completely waterproof as well.
There's nothing bulky about HydroTour despite being great in warm weather. And yet there's also no sense of feeling restricted despite it being what I'd call a fitted jacket that runs true to size. HydroTour allows fantastic range of motion and flexibility. And you also won't experience any swishing or noisy sounds like you do with other rain jackets during your swing.
HydroTour is truly a rain jacket that checks off all the boxes, and it earned my highest possible praise. Rain and wind protection are extraordinary. Temperature regulation and flexibility is outstanding. And overall comfort and performance make it versatile for year-round wear.
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