A Matter of Perspective
Have you ever stood in front of a display of fishing jackets at your favorite fly shop and wondered, “What exactly is a softshell, and why would I ever buy one?” Us too.
It’s a fair question; in fact, it’s a great question, one we wish more people would ask, because to genuinely appreciate softshells, you need to understand what they’re designed to do; and, just as importantly, what they’re not designed to do.
For the most part, even people who own softshell jackets don’t understand them. Hardshells are straightforward. They block wind and rain, and good ones are sufficiently breathable to keep you from sweating too much. Insulated puffy jackets are similarly simple: they trap heat to keep you warm in frigid conditions. Fleeces are soft, super breathable midlayers. But what the heck is a softshell?
First off, softshells aren’t trying to be hardshells, fleeces, or puffy jackets, though they incorporate some elements of each. That's the point, not a flaw. Most are constructed in two or three parts: a stretch-woven face fabric treated with a water-resistant coating, sometimes a windproof laminate, and a brushed or fleece interior. Nylon and polyester dominate, sometimes blended with a little spandex so the whole thing moves with you instead of around you.
That’s just a list of materials, but what does it actually do? Valid question.
- Wind resistance—often genuinely windproof, thanks to a tight weave or laminate barrier.
- Stretch and mobility—articulated sleeves, 4-way give, none of the crinkle-suit stiffness of a standard hardshell.
- Breathability—heat and moisture can escape, which matters when you’re hiking, rowing, or wading up stiff current.
- Some warmth—the brushed or gridded interior traps heat but isn’t meant to mimic the heavy insulation you'd find in a puffy.
- Water resistance—which is different from waterproof, almost always from a DWR (durable water repellent) finish on the face fabric.
- Bottom line—softshells are a little bit like multi-tools. If you've got one on, you'll stay comfortable through most shoulder season fishing conditions without overheating or freezing.
The Honest Trade-Off
Waterproofing and breathability sit on opposite ends of an imaginary comfort dial. Turn one up, the other comes down. A hardshell's waterproof membrane blocks liquid and air, which is exactly why some hardshells feel like tin foil suits the moment you start moving around. A softshell skips or minimizes that membrane, sacrificing a certain degree of water resistance for greater breathability. Softshells aren’t waterproof, but some do a better job of keeping water out than others. The water resistant coating that most softshells rely on is not a shield. It keeps water out for a while, but will eventually wet out and soak through. This fact usually gets explained in the fine print, but not the marketing hype copy, which is why people get frustrated with softshell jackets: they think they’re getting a waterproof shell.
On the other side of that dial, softshells sacrifice some insulation for wind and water resistance. A fleece layer does a great job of trapping heat while remaining breathable, until a slight breeze cuts right through it. Then, you're cold. Softshells give you the wind barrier fleece lacks without sacrificing all that breathability.
The Benefits of Going Soft
None of the above makes softshells bad. It makes them specific. A softshell is the right call when:
- The weather’s cool to cold, but you’re staying active—hiking, wading, rowing—and want to regulate your temperature while staying protected from the elements.
- The forecast calls for wind and showers but not a downpour.
- You want one piece you can leave on all day instead of shedding and re-layering when conditions shift.
- You've got variable temperatures that might swing from 40 to 70 degrees between dawn and noon.
- You want a serviceable outer layer that can double as a midlayer under a hardshell if the weather gets angry.
You Shouldn’t Always Go Soft
Let’s just say this plainly: don't wear a softshell through a full day of soaking rain and expect to come out the other side dry and comfy. If you’re fishing in Alaska or on a coastal steelhead trip, you need a genuine, fully waterproof hardshell, not a reinforced hoody with a zipper. Same goes for days when you don’t expect the temperature to climb much above freezing. If you’re going winter fishing, you’ll be more comfortable in a properly insulated jacket, not a softshell.
Backeddy Jacket: The Softshell, Redesigned
Most softshells rely exclusively on water resistant coating (usually DWR) to keep you dry, which fails to address a real, specific weak point. Water usually penetrates through the seams first. You can have a bomber face fabric and still end up soaked, because rain comes through every stitch line.
The Backeddy Jacket solves that problem. Like other high quality softshells, it’s built with a DWR finished 100% nylon stretch-woven textile, a windproof/breathable microporous laminate, and a grid-fleece interior for warmth. The difference is that we reinforce the seams that receive the most rain with the same waterproof seam tape you’ll find in our hardshells. That detail transforms "resists a light mist" to "actually holds up through a rain shower." You still get the stretch, breathability, warmth, and wear-it-all-day comfort you expect from a softshell, but the Backeddy won’t soak through in a persistent sprinkle.
Our design philosophy is pretty simple: if we can’t explain why something needs to exist, we don’t make it, market it, or sell it. The Backeddy Jacket stands as an example of how softshells can deliver. One reviewer called it "the softshell that never hangs on a hanger" and said it'll be the last one they buy. Another wrote: it "stops the wind, the rain, and it wears like a comfortable softshell." That's the kind of validation we look for—real fly anglers who appreciate what we make and use it on the water.
The Takeaway
Softshells can’t replace your rain jacket, your fleece, or your puffy jacket; they’re not supposed to. They’re made for all those other days, when it’s windy, wet, a little cold, or all of the above. Days when you don’t want to wear a rain jacket and would be cooking in a puffy, but still want some warmth and protection. You know, most days. When designing the Backeddy Jacket, we took the proven (if misunderstood) softshell and improved its primary flaw by adding critically taped seams. The result is a softshell that will hold up and keep you comfortable in a range of variable conditions.
