The Downtown Loft Jacket is not waterproof - it's got a great DWR coating on the outer shell, so it does well shedding snow and light rain, but you wouldn't want to be out in it in a full on down pour. No down jacket is really designed to breath well. Some of the lighter weight jackets might, but the Downtown Loft here is designed to be super warm and keep you cozy. And the outer shell is actually pretty tough. My wife has the longer version and has snagged it pretty good a few times and she hasn't ripped it yet. hope that all helps!