I use this jacket as a windbreaker. It works excellent as an outer layer on top of a sweatshirt or fleece to help cut the wind and keep you a little warmer. The jacket would probably be ok in a light rain, or even a short medium rain, but I would not count on it in a heavy rain at all: it is just not designed for that. Some people are complaining about this jacket, but for the $30 or so I paid, this jacket has totally lived up to my expectations.