Re: Best soft shell pants and jacket

Soft shells are wind resistant and water resistant, not windproof and waterproof. Yes, Windstopper and Windbloc (and the imitations thereof) are windproof, but they aren't very breathable, and thus tend to be pretty hot when exercising. Neither is waterproof, though they are pretty water resistant.

I have found that Schoeller fabrics and the copies of Schoeller are excellent as soft shells. They are pretty wind resistant and water resistant, quite breathable, stretchy, lightweight, and durable.

"warm when needed and cool when needed"? That depends a lot on you. No fabric is all things to all people, which is what your list calls for. That's why all the softshell manufacturers have multiple versions of jackets and of pants. You have to decide the temperature range you will be in, and supplement the soft shell with fleece and long johns underneath plus, in rain and snow, a waterproof/breathable shell (what the industry in its hype calls "hardshell").

Two brands of Schoeller that I have found work reasonably well are Cloudveil and GoLite. Cloudveil is the better quality, but it is pricey (worth it in my opinion). I have used Schoeller in Antarctica and for backcountry skiing and ice climbing, supplemented, of course, by fleece, long johns, and outer wpb shells.

Again, no single garment will do everything you ask for. You should think in terms of layering, adjusting your layers to the conditions (this means adjusting layers during the day, as well). Frankly, the whole business of "hard shell, soft shell, etc" is mostly advertising hype, coupled with "the latest colors".