Sun Mountain Rainwear
Sun Mountain Cumulus Rain Jacket and Pants
First, the Cumulus Suit is an ultra-lightweight, completely waterproof and very breathable suit that is made to be stuffed into the bottom of your golf bag so you will always be prepared even when the weatherman screws up the forecast. In fact, the Cumulus suit is so packable that I almost missed seeing the pants in the bottom of the FedEx box they arrived in!
The shell of the Sun Mountain Cumulus rainsuit is made of a very thin polyester that is married to their waterproof lining, similar to Gore-tex and comes with a 2 year waterproof guarantee. Not only is it waterproof but it is treated with a Dupont Teflon fabric protector that causes the rain to simply roll of the fabric much like it’s running off of glass. Unlike ScotchGard which is sprayed on the finished garment, the Dupont Teflon fabric treatment is applied to the actual garment threads themselves. The result is that even after the water repellency fades as the suit gets wetter and wetter, the underlying membrane still keeps you dry. However, after the suit dries, the repellency returns.
Worth noting is the fact that the polyester in the Cumulus suit is less stretchy than the fabric in some of their other rainsuits so it’s louder when you move (albeit not annoyingly loud). Additionally, you need to make sure you get a large enough size so that you’re not constricted in your swing. I normally wear XL pants, but I’m glad they sent XXL. In the jacket, I typically wear an XXL. While the XXL was a tiny bit snug on the arms, I was able to make unimpeded swings in the rain and the adjustable cuffs let me modify the length.
Finally, I was thankful for the 2-way zipper on the jacket because, as we know, it also rains in the summer. The option to zip the jacket up to keep it from flapping while unzipping the bottom to get more air in the jacket is a real bonus. This was exactly the case when I tested the Cumulus rain-suit on a very rainy and muggy 73 degree day.
Sun Mountain StormTight Jacket and Pants
I also tested the flagship rain gear from Sun Mountain which is called the StormTight suit (the same suit that the US team wore during the 2013 President’s Cup). This is a serious rain suit that is made for the foulest of cold and nasty rain. I tested it on a 43 degree day where it was alternating between rain and sleet. With only a long sleeve polyester tee shirt underneath, I was 100% comfortable, dry and warm. The StormTight is so robust, you don’t even need to be in nasty weather to know it would be perfect anytime you play golf in temperatures 60 and below.
The suit shell is an 84%-16% polyester spandex blend for movement, 4-way stretch and flexibility, and the lining is a separate layer of a black polyester knit fabric that keeps you warm. Not only does the suit move with you but it is very quiet as well. The StormTight is also treated with the Dupont Teflon treatment and has the same waterproof, breathable membrane as the Cumulus, (and the same 2-year waterproof guarantee). Note, since the lining makes it a heavier and warmer suit, it is a bit less breathable than the Cumulus.
Beyond the lining, the StormTight suit has a few other design features not found in the Cumulus suit. First, it has more pockets than the Cumulus and the pants even have belt-loops. Additionally, the jacket has extra fabric placed behind the shoulders that can expand to make sure you have plenty of room to swing the club, whereas the Cumulus is a simpler design without this extra whistle. The Stormtight pants also have a zipper on the inner pocket to allow you to reach through to pants worn underneath. Both suits do have stand-up collars on the jacket to help keep rain from running down your back.
On the occasion that I did get some rain running down my neck when the jackets were not fully zipped up, the StormTight did feel more damp as the inner polyester lining soaked up the water. Additionally, because of the added density in the StormTight, of the suit did take longer to dry than the Cumulus. In the case of the Cumulus, it dries in nothing flat – seriously, just shake it and it is bone dry so you can stick back in the bottom of your bag, and forget about. One additional note, both suits had pants that were adjustable in length to be 2.5 inches shorter, which can help keep them out of the mud or just fit better if you have shorter legs.
Overview
Overall, these are two high-quality guaranteed rain suits with different aims, price points, and optimum uses. The Cumulus jacket goes for around $130, and the pants a bit less while the StormTight jacket goes for $240 and the pants around $190. If you’re in a warm climate and need something that is ultra lightweight, extremely packable and very reliable, the Cumulus is a perfect choice. On the other hand, if you are playing in colder weather in the off-season (or planning a trip to the Old Country) you may want to consider the StormTight because it is made for whatever Mother Nature can throw at you.
Visit the Sun Mountain website to learn more.
When you say the pants have 2.5″ of adjustability for length, how does that work? Does it make the bottoms all bunchy around your feet?
Thanks for asking! In my experience, it actually keeps the pants from bunching up around my feet; they hang better, and don’t get in the mud as much. There are small snaps around the inside of both pant legs. You fold the leg toward the inside of the pants, and they shap in place to make the pants shorter. Since the pants have enough width to get your feet through with shoes on, so you can take the pants on and off during around– particularly if you open the zipper along the leg bottom when you’re doing it, there’s plenty of space for the extra layer of fabric, once you’ve folded the bottom.
Thanks for the reply! Sounds pretty handy. The pair I have currently are a nice, off the rack model, but don’t offer length adjustment.