I had a chance to review both the Mountain Hardware Stretch Ozonic in both the Jacket and Parka models. There are only two differences between the two raincoats -- (1) the overall length where the parka is clearly longer than the jacket and covers your rear end, and (2) an wide elastic waistband in the parka, but no waistband in the jacket. If you are below 5'2, have a very short torso, or like to layer your clothes, I would recommend the jacket over the parka because due to the waistband, the parka rides up a little bit in the torso on short girls and the zipper pooches out a little bit. That being said, if you're a normal-sized woman over 5'3, the parka is a bit more "shapely." That being said: I’ve been a Marmot raincoat person ever since my first Precip in 2012. Last year, I bought a Marmot Phoenix Evodry (MSRP $175). I’m sorry to say that this Mountain Hardware (MH) Stretch Ozonic parka (MSRP $200) easily puts my Phoenix to shame. There’s a lot to love about this jacket: - The MH is softer and it doesn’t sound like a trash bag when you move. - The MH has the same amount of pockets (three) and basically the same hood design. - I appreciate the double-zippered pit zips for ventilation but wish they were lined with mesh, rather than just being entirely open to the elements. - It has good mobility for arm movements (it does not pull up the bottom hem appreciably when you make large arm motions, although because of the waistband, the zipper may "pooch" out at the torso if you are short) - Two drawstrings in the hem on opposite sides. The less-great: - Flimsy and smallish zippers; most require two hands to operate or don’t pull smoothly in one zip (may be due to the less “structured” fabric). Also zippers are not well-covered by plackets. I will say Marmot’s covered and better quality (easier to pull) zippers are much better than the ones on the MH Stretch Ozonic. - The hood design - when pulling the cinch in the back, the cord sits on the top 1/4 of your ear. It’s a strange sensation and I haven’t managed to dispel it even during extended wears. I have a medium-sized head so I presume this happens to more women than just me. Also, the visor flap on mine is deformed so it kind of slopes down toward my forehead. I wish companies would put a wire or flexible piece of plastic in the front hood to ensure that you could get a proper fit on the hood visor, but I suppose this might also interfere with packability. Performance: Luckily, it sprinkled here recently so I was able to test it a little bit. It performed about as well as my Marmot, but without testing it in a good hour or two downpour, I’ll still reserve judgment. Fit: I’m 5’1, 36x30x36, 140 lbs and the medium fits well. Summary: The pros definitely outweigh the cons, and if you're over 5'3, this jacket is wonderful. Because it doesn’t look or entirely sound like a rain jacket, it’s a nice, versatile option as a light jacket or a windbreaker. If you’re particularly price-conscious, the Marmot Precip and Phoenix are still amazing values for the performance, but this Stretch Ozonic is certainly a contender and a really good all-around light, packable jacket. Recommended.
