Hardshell jackets have a simple job: keep the wet stuff out and the dryness in. When the weather is foul or the conditions extreme, a hardshell is the jacket you can depend on. Softshell jackets, on the other hand, have a tougher job description. For high exertion and weather that ranges from sunny to inclement, they are designed to keep you relatively dry, while offering the kind of flexibility and breathability that hardshells don’t (and can't).
For this reason, there is a wide variety of women's and men's softshell jackets out there, from urban performers to alpine explorers. Our handy guide to ten of the best available will help you figure out which softshell is the right one for you.