The world of waterproof tech is in flux thanks to the ban on PFAS, also known as 'forever chemicals'. For now there are still some very good pre-ban options for riding still out there on the market, but you want to avoid PFAS entirely I've added a brand guide at the bottom of my 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:guide to PFAS to help you navigate as you like.
For road riding the best option is the Rapha Pro Team Gore-Tex Rain Jacket. It uses the old Gore-Tex membrane, and is what I reach for when it's really hammering it down when I want to hammer it on tarmac. For off-road and adventure riding the incredible 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Albion Zoa Rain Shell is the plac𓆉e to go. It's so good it went in my Gear of the Year last year, and I wear mine all the time.
Waterproof jackets ca🦹n be a confusing marketplace to navigate, what with waterproof and breathability figures, names of membranes 𒀰etc. I've included an FAQ section at the bottom to help demystify things a little too.
Race cut without being too extreme, so room for layering underneath. Great cuffs, and above all a sturdy feel w🦩ith the great, old Gore-Tex membrane that'll keep out the worst rain you can thi🍬nk of.
Brilliant for🧔 gravel and mountain biking, but also just incredibly versatile for day to day use and hiking. A fantastic hood tops off the package, as well as a rustle-free face fabric. The pockets are cavernous t🥂oo.
Inexpensive, and the best road jacket of the♍ budget bunch. It's not as breathable as the Pro verꦇsion, but if you only ride in the rain infrequently it's totally adequate. It also comes in a decent colour range too, which helps.
If you need a hooded jacket 😼on a budget this is the one to pick. It's hardy enough to stand up to real abuse and features like backpack grippers on the shoulders make it great for crossing from gravel to MTB.
Crazy light, super packable, and surprisingly protective. The Atmos is more than just for summer showᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚers🌜, though I wouldn't choose it for heavy winter rain. Pack it in a pocket or a bar bag for changeable conditions.
Sturdy enough to take the daily abuse of commutin𒀰g, and stylish enough that you can wear it to the bar after work without anyone looking at you funny. Perforated pits help with breathability, too.
I've been testing waterproof jackets for Cyclingnews for three years now. Every fall as my colleagues retreat to Zwift I pop the mudguards on and venture into the wet. 🔯Having tried a huge variety of waterproof jackets I've got a real eye for what works and what is just a gimmick, and I've spent my time doing my homework on the science behind the changing world of waterproof membranes to help demystify things for you.
Recent updates
October 21st, 2024This guide has been refreshed for winter 2024/25 with a slightly new format. The list of recommended jackets has been pared back to make it more useful. There are a few new additions to the guide, and some discontinued products have been removed. An 'also tested' section has been added to include those jackets that didn't make the grade, and why.
In detail: Best waterproof cycling jackets available today
Best waterproof cycling jacket for road
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If you want the 𓄧best jacket for road riding, this is the one to go for. (Image credit: Will Jones)
There 🐻is room enough in the chest and shoulders foꦯr total freedom of movement. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The cuffs are tight, w🦩ith no el♏astic to get soggy or flap.(Image credit: Will Jones)
Only the inside of the wrist is elasticatᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚed, but it works very well. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The tall collar helps keep the lion's share of the ra𒐪in from going down the back of your neck.(Image credit: Will Jones)
Also, as well as being extꦯremely high performance, it lo🔯oks very smart too. (Image credit: Will Jones)
✅ You want a racy but highly protective option: The cut isn't quite so aggressive as the old Rapha Shakedry, but it's still pretty trim. There's room for a bit of layering underneath, but nothing enormous. It will however keep properly bad rain at bay.
✅ You want the best of Gore-Tex: The old Gore-Tex𒁏 Active membrane was second only to Shakedry for riding, so this is really one to buy while you still can; the new stuff just isn't quite as good.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want to avoid PFAS: The old Gore-Tex membrane is PTFE-based, so if you are staunchly PFAS free then look elsewhere. I happily use mine though worry free.
❌ You want an ultra-packable jacket: It's just about pocketable, but if you🌠 want super packable then go for the Maap Atmos, which has a much more lightweight fabric.
The Rapha Pro Team Gore-Tex jacket is tied, in my mind at least, with the Albion A♚ll-Road in terms of performance, but they fill slightly different niches. The Pro-Team is definitely a jacket for road riding, so is a touch less versatile. That being s🎐aid, if you only ride the road, this is about as good as it gets in the post-Shakedry landscape.
I've tried my absolute best to find the limit of this jacket's capability and have yet to reach it. Hours in driving rain on laps of Bristol's steepest hills left me almost totally dry, save for a bit of wicking at the cuffs and hem, but I'm yet to wear a jacket tꩲhat tℱhis doesn't happen with.
The fit is close; racy, but not constricting. Not quite so extreme as the Assos option, but not far off. You'd struggle to fit a down jacket underneath, but a fleecy mid-layer w♒ould stay lofted. The tail is far more 🐟dropped than the Albion, with a higher cut front too, to avoid any bunching when in an aero position.
The cuffs, so often a bugbear of mine on other jackets, are excellent despite only being elasticated. You'd struggle to fit a thick glove inside them, but something thinner and more attuned to hard riding would be fine. The neck on the other 🃏hand is a little roomy, and I'd like to see it a bit tighter with some elastic to really seal the elements out.
Gore-Tex is going to keep you dry, thaဣt's the bottom line really. In a torrential downpour, you'll be absolutely fine. I on🎶ly managed to find the limit of breathability on protracted climbs on humid days in between showers, but with the bottom and top of the zip opened up it's definitely not difficult to dump a lot of heat very quickly.
Given the upcoming PFAS ban this jacket has a limited time left and will likely be replaced it's something to🦩 buy now while you still can. ꦉ;
Relaxed cut may not work well for racy gravel riding
BUY IT IF
✅ You want the ultimate gravel protection: I've used this in the worst weather and it's brilliant. The hood is actually decent too, and the arms are long enough to not leave your wrists exposed.
✅ You want to use it off-bike: As well as being great for gravel riding I took to using i🍰t for hiking and just generally day to day as it's cut much more casually than a road jacket🌱.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want an aero fit: This isn't a race fit jacket, and you can happily fit a puffy mid-size down jacket under it for use in the harshest conditions.
❌ You want a packable jacket: A great adjustable hood, large face box, adjustable cuffs and hem, and gꦍiant pock🀅ets come at the cost of packability.
The Albion Zoa Rainshell is the jacket in this lis💫t that most closely resembles a general-use, high-performance outdoors waterproof jacket. It’s cut for cycling, but not nearly as much as other options. The dropped tail is subtle, but the hood is equal-best for wearing with a helmet, on a par with the Rapha Trail jacket. In the case of the Albion though, it has a mouldable peak, more akin to what you’d find on a jacket designed for climbing mountains.
The Pertex Shield Air three-layer waterproof fabric is plenty breathable enough for high-output riding, and for those times when you do get too hot the double zip works wonders as do the vent pockets if they're empty. The cut ꦡis also a little roomier, allowing some more winter layers underneath if you want to venture out in very cold conditions - I’ve taken it out down to about -15 degrees Celsius, but at this point, it’s more of a test for th🐟e mid layers than the shell.
I see 🔜the Zoa rain jacket as ideal for proper backcountry expedition gravel riding, or MTB if that’s your poison. It’s definitely durable enough (I’ve run one for a year and besides a few oil stains it’s held up ver𝐆y well), but the cut lends itself more to a relaxed position, along with the front pockets for storage. My main criticism of the Zoa comes from the cuffs, which have a novel design that doesn’t work as well as a standard Velcro option.
The double zip on the pockets has sensibly been discontinued in favour of a normal zip in recent seasons, which avoids any risk of accidentally thinking you've done them up when you have just opened them from the bottom. They're only good for venting if they’re empty, as if you leave them open when they’re full you’ll lose all your stuff on the trail. I opted for a 🌞size up from my usual jersey in this case, because for deep winter use, I like to use this and thic🐈ker layers beneath, but you can probably get away with your actual jersey size if you want a closer cut.
It's worth noting that the Zoa is often out of stock, and only available in the UK. I do rate it as the best, but if you're stateside or you need one right now and it's not available then go for the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Rapha Explore Gore-Tex instead.
Best budget waterproof cycling jacket for road
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The style is much the same as the Pro Team jacket above, but without the same tech, and a litt🐈le more roomy.(Image credit: Will Jones)
You still ge▨t the high collar to keep theꦅ rain out. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Beneath the of✅fset zip you can fit a proper mid layer. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The pits are perforated to encourage heat loss. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The lower hem is drawstring, s🅺o you can cinch꧅ it up to stop any spray coming up from underneath, or to stop your jersey wicking water up. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The cuffs are ♕elastic, and while they seal well they can feel soggy if you aren't wearing gloves. (Image credit: Will Jones)
✅ You're only riding in the rain infrequently: If you only venture out in the rain when you have to it'll do the job. It isn't as good as the Pro Team, but it's a lot cheaper.
✅ You want colour options: You'd be surprised how much difference this makes when the weather is grim. My sunny yellow one is discontinued, but there are still more options here than is the norm.♍
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want a super breathable jacket: It can get a little clammy, especially during high output riding, If your wet riding is mostly zone 2 cruising you'll be ok, but it's not one for doing hill reps in.
❌ You often wear a jacket next to skin: The backing fabric is a little tacky and can grab at the skin a lit🍸tle when damp, so it's one ideally used with a long sleeve jers꧑ey or arm warmers for optimal comfort.
The fabric used in the Core rain jacket is pretty similar to that used in the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Rapha Commuter jacket. It's no where near as thin as a Maap Atmos, but on the flip side, it did feel more protective in sustained or heavier weather. Think of it as a budget waterproof cycli𒆙ng jacket for colder conditions; better in the wet and cold, but not so good when t🐬he temperature rises, and not as ideal as a secondary-use windbreaker.
The jacket itself is visually very pleasing. While the Gore-Tex optio🐽n is in my view the very top-end of road performance in this sector, I find it hard to resist adding some colour to my outfit and the yellow is cheering on miserable days, though the colour palette is now slightly more muted. In order to counteract the lower breathability of the fabric (sadly Rapha doesn’t offer up figures), there are armpit perforations much like the POC Motion, which certainly help.
The Rapha Core Rain Jacket II does ape a lot of its design from the old Shakedry model, but the cut is roomier to allow for layers, and it’s longer at the front, so better if you d🐲🏅on’t have a hyper-aggressive position on the bike. As per the rest of Rapha jackets, I find you need to go up a size from your usual jersey. The hem is a drawstring which is no bad thing if you want to cinch, and while the offset zip certainly adds an aesthetic point of interest I don’t think it has any real performance benefit; if it did it would also feature on the Shakedry models.
The GV500 jacket provides really good protection whilst being a 𒆙little more friendly on the wallet.🎃 (Image credit: Will Jones)
As per m♛ost gravel or MTB jackets, the cut is moreꦕ roomy than road options. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The hood👍 can happily accommodate a helmet inside it. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Thou𝕴gh the face/chin area is a little tighter than it is on the Albion option. (Image credit: Will Jones)
No Velcro o🌄n the cuffs, which I always like to see as long as they're tight en🐼ough. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The shoulders have silicone 𒁏grippers for backpack straps. The fit is quite tight in the shoulders, so if you're very broad then maybe s🌱ize up. (Image credit: Will Jones)
✅ You trash your gear: The GV500 is both really hardy, and pretty cheap for a decent jacket. It'll stand up to abuse, and if you do trash it it's less expensive to replace.
✅ You ride with a backpack: The shoulders have silicone🍨 grippers to keep backpack or hydration pack straps from sliding about in the wet.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You're very broad shouldered: I found it a little tight in the shoulders, but this is only really an issue in a racy gravel position with narrow bars - if you're relatively upright you should be golden.
❌ You want a name-brand membrane: There's no Gore-T༒ex or Pertex here, which matters to sꦓome. This doesn't mean the membrane it does have is useless though; it wouldn't be in this guide if it was.
The GV500 is to 𝕴my mind the best budget option for gravel riding and can mix it with the more expensive oꦐptions too. It doesn't perform quite as well as truly high end options like the Albion Zoa and the soon to be discontinued Rapha Explore Gore-Tex, but for shorter, non-extended sessions in horrible weather it's pretty great.
The fabric is similar to that of the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Pro SL road jacket from 🐻the brand but moderately less breathable. While this may sound like a bad thing if you’re really giving it beans (which it is), for those times when you’re standing around looking at the view, or trying to plug a tubeless tyre in bad weather it keeps you a litt🐠le more protected from the elements.
The hood is big enough to accommodate a helmet without being restrictive, and the rubberised shoulders for keeping a backpack in place are a well-thought-out touch. The cuffs, like🌟 the road jacket, are well designed with a longer flap on the back of the hand to offer additional coverage.
The main reason I recommend this over other budget options is that it fe🥃els more durable and has slightly better specs. Gravel riding is harder on equipment, and while I haven’t had the chance to see which lasts longer in real-time, my money is on the Endura. Aesthetically I’d rather the zip storm flap was on the inside, but that’s a pretty minor detail.
The Atmos is the pinnℱacle of packable but protective emergeജncy shells.(Image credit: Will Jones)
S🦂crunched up it takes up about the same space as a bag ওof Haribo. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The fit is classic road. A high front, but ꧒enough room in the shoulders to facilitate an aggressive position.(Image credit: Will Jones)
There's room for layering undern🔜eath. More so than the old Shakedry options. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The zip is low profile but waterproof. The material is so thin you can see t💝he texture of my jersey on the shoulders. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The cu⭕ffs, like ꧃tha Rapha Pro Team, are devoid of Velcro for packability. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Under the wrist is the 1/2 elastic strip, which works well but isn't as tight as the Rapha o🙈ption. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The tail is ab🧸out as short as any I've tested, so you need to be wearing a correspondingly short jersey to🎉 avoit it poking out the bottom and wicking water up. (Image credit: Will Jones)
A double zip is a must for me, and🎉 helps the Atmos double as a wind jacket.(Image credit: Will Jones)
The material is so thin to be꧒ almost translucent. (Image credit: Will Jones)
✅ You want the most packable jacket out there: This thing is tiny when all scrunched up. It'll easily fit in a tool caddy or a bar bag, and is swallowed whole with room to spare by all but the most diminutive jersey pockets.
✅ You ride in summer showers: Its lightness and packability are married with great breathability, making it the 💎perfect jacket for a summer downpour where you want to avoid overheating.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want a jacket for properly grim weather: The gossamer thin fabric can easily end up pressed against your skin and feel as though it's wetted out. It hasn't, but it amounts to the same thing in terms of sensation.
❌ You're tough on your gear: With lightness and packability comes a degree of fragility. This isn't the jacket for you iꦇf you're riding off-road, or through foliage.
The Maap Atmos is proo💦f that you can have really decent wet weather protection in a superlight, ultra-packable package. The Pertex Shield membrane is the same as you get in something like the Albion Zoa, so it absolutely keeps water out, but the face and liner fabrics are so thin and the features so pared back that it's a totally different option.
The POC Supreme kind of did the same thing, but the fit was all wrong and it was far too expensive. Here though you get a jacket you can stuff into a pocket with room to spare and have it still keep some pretty heavy rain out all in one.&n⛄bsp;
The fit i🌃s racy, very much like the Rapha Pro Team, but everything is a bit lower profile. The zip, cuffs, and hem are all just a bit more slimline, and the cuffs and hem especially use a thinner elastic band. The fit is still good, but the cuffs especially don't grab quite like the Rapha ones too.
This is the jacket that spent many hours stuffed away in a bar bag on changeable condition days, hoping to never be used. If you ride plenty in spring and fall and tend to stay inside when it's really grim it's absolutely as much jacket as you'd ever need for a heavy April shower. I threw it on during summer thunderstorms and it was perfectly fine, but for really protracted, cold d🍷ownpours it does feel a little less protective.
Part of this comes from its lightness. Skin doesn't actually have any 'wet' detection capability, only temperature and pressure. Modern DWR treatments are more easily overwhelmed, especially on leading edges like your forearms, so you can get to a point where you have this wet, cold material resting directly on your skin and it feels wet even though it isn't actually letting water through. Feeling wet and being wet amount to the same thing in my eyes, and while this is totally fine when it's not that cold, for deep winter use I'd go for something with a bit more✨ rigidity to it.
It does come in a really lovely range of colouꦚrs. I know this is purely an aesthetic point but jackets don't have to be either black, dark green, or high-vis yellow, and having a wide choice of muted tone🅷s might actually be the difference between getting out and enjoying a damp ride and just sitting on the turbo, or the sofa.
More than any other jacket that I've tested the Atmos works rea൩lly well as a wind jacket too. There are rides where the rain hasn't been forecast, but I've taken it out anyway as an extra layer all the same, and been glad of it when the heavens do ran🤡domly open.
✅ You want off-bike style too: I happily wear mine around town. It's stylish, and doesn't scream 'cyclist'.
✅ Durability is important: The face fabric and general construction is sturdy and dependable, which is great as commuter jꩵackets see more abuse than most.
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You want to be highly visible: The POC colour palette is muted to say the least. If you've got some of the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best bike lights you'll be fine, but if you really want to be super-visible then look elsewhere.
❌ You commute on a road bike: The cut of the Motion i🌄s more attuned to a more upright riding position.
Commuting is especially hard on gear, and if you’re regularly🅺 riding to and from work in bad weather you’ll likely want a bit more protection than the Rapha Commuter Jacket can offer before long. The POC Motion sits as something of a crossover between a trail jacket and a commuter, which is definitely a good thing as given its price it’ll save you having to buy two options.
Why I really like the Motion is that instead of making a cycling jacket that's been adapted for use off the ♔b🌳ike, it instead feels like a normal day to day jacket that's been adapted for use on the bike.
The side pockets are good for storing office essentials (keys, pass, chocolate), or if you wear a backpack you can leave them e🦩mpty and put small items in the chest pocket. One well-designed touch is that the internal zip storm🦂 flap is stitched back on itself to prevent snagging. On the flip side though the zip itself isn't a plasticised waterproof model, which feels like an oversight.
If you want something to ride to work in every day and use in the woods at the weekend you’ll have a hard time finding an option that does both as well as the POC Motion. Plus, especially in the lovely Dioptase p🦂etrol blue colour, it’s another looker that’s perfectly fine on the office floor.
If you are only really looking for a jacket for commuting then I urge you to have a look at my separate guide to the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best commuter cycling jackets; there are plenty more really good options on the market. If you want to know more about this jacket in particular then have a read of my 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:POC Mot𝓀ion c🌳ommuter jacket review, where I ex🅷pand on a lot of the points in more detail.
Best waterproof cycling jacket for racing
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Half aero jersey, half🦹 waterproof 🐻jacket: The ultimate combo for riding hard in the rain. (Image credit: Will Jones)
There's barely any room un🌠derneath for layering, so you'll need to be intelligent here. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The zip is excellent, as is the fit. (Image credit: Will Jones)
The face fabric is somewhat repellant in its own right, but the𒁏 DWR showed little signs of giving up during heavy rain. (Image credit: Will Jones)
I really think the short sleeve one is the way to go. ﷽Here I was riding it in full sun i🐽n 15ºC in a merino base layer and summer jersey underneath. (Image credit: Will Jones)
✅ You're riding HARD in the rain: What the Gabba R lacks in waterproof-ness it makes up for in breathability, which is key when you're pumping out a tonne of heat in the rain.
✅ You want the most aero option: According to Castelli the Gabba R is more aero than the brand's San Remo skinsuit.&n🧜bsp☂;
DON'T BUY IT IF
❌ You ride in the cold: There's no room for layers underneath, and the skintight fit means any evaporating water on the surface cools you rapidly.
❌ You are self-conscious: There's no g✃etting 🅘around the fact that it has a distinct look to it. I don't mind it, but then years of testing all sorts of gear have numbed me to looking daft.
The relatively new Gabba R takes a lot of ꦺwhat was good about the old Gab🅘bas of old, that being a proper aero cut, excellent breathability, and a focus on heat management rather than absolute water repellency, and adds a proper 'waterproof' membrane into the mix. The quotes are doing an amount of lifting here, and while it's certainly more waterproof than a softshell jacket it's about half as waterproof as it needs to be to be classed as properly waterproof.
All that aside, f🌠or its intended purpose as a race jacket for heavy rain it is marvellous. The outer fab🦩ric is similar in look to the old Shakedry, but does have a DWR treatment and can get wetted out with enough effort. In heavy rain, if you are riding full gas, there's nothing that can touch it for breathability. I used it in temperatures up to 16ºC in the sun without being horribly uncomfortable.
Rain will eventually get in, but if you're riding hard you're going to be sweating and you'll get a bit damp whatever happens I'm afraid. Here though you'll stay a comfortable temperature, and be far, far more aero. Castell﷽i claims the Gabba R is more aero than its San Remo skinsuit, and from the cut, I can believe it.
There's no room for layering underneath beyond a base layer and a thin jersey, so you have to get your strategy right. The seams aren't taped either to allow for a more form-fitting fit, and on any other jacket I'd view that as a horrible oversight but here I'm OK ✃with it.
The close fit and lack of layer𝔉ing room can mean it's very easy to get cold if you stop riding hard. With the jacket essentially acting as a second skin you get far more evaporative cooling, and it's definit💞ely colder than the normal Gabba in this regard.
The aesthetics are going to make or break it for aꦬ lot of people too. I don't mind it, but as🃏 I've said in some other reviews I am slightly numbed to looking a bit daft. It is fast and performs excellently, so if you can put the looks aside you may be onto a winner.
It is available in both a long and a short sleeve option, and I think if you're seriously considering buying one then you should get the short sl🎀eeve and add in a pair of Nano Flex arm warmers. it'll be a far more versatile setup and see you better𓃲 placed for Fall and spring than the long sleeve version.
While the eighꦍt jackets in this guide are what I believe are the best of the best there are a tonne of other options that either nearly made the cut, or have re🐼cently been bumped out of their respective spots.
When considering the best road options the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Assos Equipe RS Targa was certainly one I thought h🌠ard about. They're both a similar price and both work well in really, really bad weather. The clincher for me was the cut in this case; the Assos option is cut so aggressively that the front is a little high for my liking, and so in my view not as good for as many riders. If you ride in a super slammed position and you like the look of the Equipe RS Targa though then don't hesitate, it's a fantastic option too.
Similarly, the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线𒊎查询开奖结果:Albion All-Road Pertex Shield Rain Jacket ran the Rapha pretty close. The membrane performs much as the Zoa Rain Shell does, but the extra zip seemed like another potential failure point for me. If you want a🌸 slightly more forgiving fit, better for layering, then this is a great option in that regard.
For gravel jackets the only real competitor to the Albion Zoa is the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Rapha Explore Gore-Tex jacket. This is a really good option and one of the last remaining Gore-Tex Active membrane jackets on the market. It's hugely protective, even in the worst weather imaginable, but the price, and the fact the hood is noti💜ceably more claustrophobic than the Zoa swayed me towards the Albion option. I considered including the very excellent Velocio Anorak too, but it doesn't do anything the Zoa doesn't also do with the disadvantage of being harder to ventilate.
Nothing comes close to the Maap Atmos for a packable option. The 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:POC Supreme doesn't fit nearly as well and is astronomically expensive and I'm yet to find a viable alternative that provides the same protection in moderate downpours. There is the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:Rab Cinder Phantom, but for a jacket this tiny I didn't see the value in a hood that has to go under a helmet.&nbꦦsp;
For commuting there are a few other options that I really rate. If you want a high-vis option then go for the 澳洲幸运5开𒅌奖官网在线查询🌄开奖结果:Endura Pro SL Waterproof Shell Jacket, especﷺially if you're riding in a road position. If you want to be even more visible then there's always the super-reflective Provis Reflect 360 Plus, but aside from being reflective it's not a pleasant jacket to ride in; one for short commutes only.
How to choose the bestඣ waterproof cycling jacket for you
The real key thing underneath all of these recommendations is that you need to be honest about your desire to ride in the rain. If you are heading out regularly, by desire or necessity, then investing in the best kit like the Raꦏpha Pro Team or Albion Zoa jackets will absolutely make sense, and make your riding more enjoyable and potentially safer too.
I🍃f you're riding in the rain only oc🍌casionally then you can save yourself a lot of money by going for a cheaper option or a lighter emergency shell like the Maap Atmos. Every jacket in this list will do the job, so have a think about what you really need.
With the absolute best options coming perilously close to the cost of a Wahoo Kickr Core and a year oඣf Zwift there is also something to be said for committing to indoor riding and avoiding the rain altogether.
For years Gore-Tex was the undisputed ki𝄹ng of waterproof tech, but that's not th𓆏e case nowadays (Image credit: Will Jones)
What is the best waterproof fabric?
Gore-Tex for decades really has been the big name in waterpr🍷oofing, but it’s not as binary as Gore-Tex = good, everything else = bad.
Gore-Tex encompasses many different f🅘lavours of waterproof fabrics, from Gore-Tex Pro (the absolute highest level of protection, great if you’re going up K2 or Everest, but not nearly breathable enough to handle high output activities like cycling), through to Gore-Tex Infinium (not really waterproof, but can shrug off rain and is incredibly breathable for use in changeable conditions).
At the heart of every waterproof jacket worth its salt is a waterproof membrane, made from either PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), or more commonly PU (polyurethane) now that regulations are being brough𒐪t in to curb the use of fluo💎rocarbons. This has tiny holes in it that are too small to allow liquid water to pass through, but large enough for water vapour (sweat) to pass out to the outside. This is the same whether you’re getting Gore-Tex, Pertex, or any other type of tex (they all ܫseem to have -tex as a ꦺsuffix by convention).
You’ll usually see two figures listed for the fabric performance, the waterproof and breathability ratings. The waterproof rating, kn🎃own as the hydrostatic head, is a measure of how tall a column of water a squaಌre of fabric can support before allowing water to be forced through. At a minimum, it must be able to support a 1m column to be called 'waterproof', but for reference, some Gore-Tex options can support 35m. The breathability, measured in grams per square meter, shows how much vapour can escape per unit area of fabric over a 24hr period. For cycling, you want to look for 10,000g/m2 or higher, unless you’re only pootling about.
Since Shakedry has been discontinued ther🐬e's been a bit of a ๊shakeup at the top of the tree, with brands reaching for alternatives from Gore, Pertex, or in-house. In the last year I've certainly seen a lot more of Pertex Shield than I have anything else, and given how well it performs, and how versatile it can be (anything from the feathery Rab Cinder Phantom to the much more sturdy Albion Zoa) this can only be a good thing in my eyes.
Finally, it’s worth noting that while supporting a column of 5m of water may sound like a lot, if you’re wearing a backpack the load on the straps can physically force water th♍rough the waterproof membrane of less waterproof fabrics, so be sure to up-rate your options if you do ride with a pack. Also if you're descending at high velocity, hitting a raindrop at 65km/h can force water through lesser membranes.
Waterproof fabrics can be a hugely confusing world to navigate, so I've written a whole 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:waterproof fabrics explained piece to help demystify things for you if you are confused, all of which stands not just for cycling but also an🦩y waterproof tech.
A DWR coating is what helps water 'bead' into little dropletꦆs and run off easily, rather than simply soaking into the face fabric. (Image credit: Will Jones)
What is DWR?
DWR st🀅ands for Durable Water Repellent. Most waterproof cycling jackets have an outer fabric for durability and aesthetic reasons. This DWR coa♍ting is a chemical treatment that renders the outer fabric hydrophobic, causing water to beat up and run off.
With bad or old DWR treatments the water ceases to bead up, instead saturating the outer fabric and blocking any water vapour from escaping: Essentially it massively reduces the breathability of your jacket, but with wash-in treatments like NikWax, you can eas🏅ily restore the DWR over and over again.
Brands are, in general, currently making a switch en masse to DW💖R treatments that don't contain PFCs. These don't alw♑ays have the same longevity, but its all part of the general push to curtail the use of PFCs, or so-called 'forever chemicals'.
How should I wash my waterproof cycling jacket?
You need to avoid standard detergents as if your life depends on it as they destroy the waterproof membrane. You need to buy a special waterproof wash from a reputable supplier, and ideally run your washing machine empty on a rinse cycle first to clear out any soap residue. Then it’s just a case of following the instructions on yo꧟ur jacket and the 🍷wash-in product.
What is the most breathable waterproof fabric?
Gore-Tex Shakedry held the crown, but that doesn’t mean other options aren't as viable or even more so for different use cases. I've tried my best to explain where each jacket fits best in terms of intensity of use, but if the jackets here do🐲n’t float your boat then use them as a guide in terms of breathability to guide you in your purchasing decisions. Of all the general use jackets the Maap Atmos is the one I'd ready for for breathability, but it's not so protective as some; everything is a balancing act.
Every jacket here will keep the water out to an acceptable level for its 🃏intended use, so it’s probably the breathability figure that you need to be most concerned with. Bear in mind though that more breathable jackets dump your heat faster, so if you find yourself getting cold regularly, or are riding in colder climates you can also read ‘less breathable’ as ‘more warm’.
It's also worth bearing in mind that every jacket has a large holeဣ in the top for your head, two small one🅰s for your hands, and a massive void for your lower torso, all of which are great placed for water to get in. I'm yet to test a jacket that, when faced with protracted torrential rain, can keep water out totally.
Do I need a high-vis waterproof cycling jacket?
For commuting especially, some level of additional visibility is definitely advantageous, be that a bright colour or reflective details. Off-road away from traffic, t⛄his will obviously be less of a concern.
That being said you'll stay much more visible with a set of the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:best bike lights. If you want to add more visibility then there are plenty of reflective accessories that you can adorn𒅌 yourself with whilst still ke🔯eping yourself dry
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Off road jackets are far more roomy a꧅nd should have space for ꩲlayering underneath.(Image credit: Will Jones)
Road jackets on the other hand are a little more form fitting. You can usually fit a thin mid layer underneath but not much else. This stops t🔴hem getting too flappy at speed. (Image credit: Will Jones)
How should my waterproof cycling jacket fit?
For road riding you want something 🧜close cut to avoid flapping and the a𒀰nnoying noise and aero drag that comes with it. Remember to leave room for layers though. You’ll want something that’s short at the front with a long tail so it fits well in a more forward-leaning position. This rings true for gravel too, providing you’re also riding in an aggressive position.
For less speed-oriented riding you can go for something a little more casually cut. This is especially important for expedition-type riding where you m𝕴ay need to layer up underneath substantially if the weather turns on you.
For commuting, unless you get a thrill from raci🍒ng the other people on their way to work, you can go for a jacket that fits as a casual jacket would, though the options here and from cycling brands will feature des꧋ign features to make them more adept at being used on the bike, such as dropped tails and reflective details.
A hood isn't essential, aಞnd you only really see them on commuter and off-road jackets, but they do stop water going down the back of your neck. The flip side is they do flap in the wind when not 🔯in use. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Does my waterproof cycling jacket need a hood?
There seems to be two camps here: Road jackets are almost universally devoid of hoods (none in this guide are hooded), while gravel and MTB jackets opt for them for the most part. It’s true that a hood will keep your head dry in the rain, but if 𝕴you aren't riding with 🍷the hood up then they do tend to act as a bit of a wind sock behind you if you’re in a flat, racy position.
Hoods, ideally, should go over the helmet in my view. It looks a little silly at first, but it means you don’t have to stop and take your helmet off if you want to put your hood down.&n🌊bsp;
Personally I prefer no hood most of the time, and wear a 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结果:POC Ventral Tempus raꦆin helmet (yes, they ex🌞ist) to keep the worst off my head.
Pockets are useful, but fa♏r from necessary if you have storage elsewhere. You'll not find them on road jackets at all either. (Image credit: Will Jones)
Does my waterproof cycling jacket need pockets?
Most waterproof cycling jackets are designed to be a final shell to go over your usual cycling attire. It’s assumed, particularly for road jackets, that your jersey pockets will suffice for storage, and most instead will just have ways for you to access these pockets, normally by a two-way zip. Gravel jackets will feature pockets more readily, the better to pack all🐽 of your grave💦lly accessories into, and the same goes for any jackets designed for MTB.
Gravel jackets though sometimes assume that most of your portage is taken care ofജ either by a jersey or on-bike luggage like that oh-so-fashionable framebag. Pockets on a waterproof aren't essential, but that doesn’t mean they don&rsq❀uo;t help in some cases, particularly for bikepacking where you more regularly stuff random objects about your person.
Should my waterproof cycling jacket be packable?
It’s helpful if it is, but it isn’t necessary. Lightweight road jackets sometimes come with a stuff sack, but more often than not these are more of a pain to use than the benefit they offer. Simply roll the thing up and slip it into a back ൩pocket instead. If you want packable then the Maap Atmos is the way to go.
More bulky jackets will rarely offer a dedicated stuff sack, but if you wanಞt to pack it away the best bet is to lay it flat, fold the arms in line with the body, and roll the whole thing away into the hood.
Why are some waterproof cycling jackets so expensive?
The answer is a mixtu🎉re of supply, marketing, and the technology that is included as with almost all items avai💫lable for purchase.
Cheap waterproof cycling jackets may not🍌 be made to the same standards, be made of as high a quality of materials, or simply won't be as waterproof or breathable as the top-end models.
Gore-Tex, and other waterproof fabrics, involve sandwiching a wat༺erproof membrane made of expanded plastic a handful of microns thick between an inner and an outer fabric without damaging the membrane. This has then got to be made into a well-fitting garment that lasts, keeps the elements at bay, doesn't leak at the seams, and looks pleasing too. All this costs a lot to achieve, unfortunately.
Again it's good to be honest with your use case; do you need a top-end waterproof or do you want one? The latter is just as viable a reason to purchase one, but if you need to save money and don't need the absolute best then go for 🍨the cheaper option.
How long should a waterproof cycling jacket last?
This depends on how much you use it; a daily commuter jacket may look a little tired after a couple of hard winters, while a race jacke𝔉t that's only used twice a season may last you a decade or more.
Treat your jacket well, wash it according to the care instructions with the appropriate cleaning products, and reproof it regularly and it'll last far longer than if you ignore it an❀d leave it damp in a musty garage.
There are plenty of places now that'll repair waterproof jackets too, so even if you end 🍃up with a hole somewhere following a crash you needn't have to buy a whole new garment.
I've got a fabulous mountaineerinജg jacket that I use all the time for wandering around the high street in the rain, plus the odd bit of skiing and hiking, and it's ten years old and going strong. There's nothing to say you can't get this level of wear if you're careful.
I love my job I love my job I love my job... (Image credit: Josh Croxton)
How do we test waterproof cycling jackets?
Unfortunately for me it means many many miles in pretty miserable conditions. At every wet opportunity, I've been out both on and off road, trying my best to find weaknesses in each of these options to bring you the best possible information. I have taken delivery of well over 50 jackets in the last few years and it🌊 is very quickly apparent which ones cut the mustard when youꦬ've got that level of experience.
I managed to destroy a front light in under an hour, so wet has the riding been, and I've also regularly had to throw on a still-wet pair of shoes from the previous test. On one memorable occasion, I misjudged a puddle an♉d ended up submerging my bottom bracket in a mini flood.
As well as the ability to repel water, a key factor besides fit and form is how breathable these options are. Naturally, the testing mostly mirrors the intended usage; I wasn't doing hill reps in the commuter jackets, but anything designed for high-output riding was ridden in such a manner, meaning some pretty bleak eveningꦛs doing time trial efforts or some hilly inner city laps in the driving rain.
Sometimes it even means bringing multiple jackets on the same ride to do some proper back to back testing. If you want to learn more about what I've learnt getting wet (or not, in some cases), I've outlined the 澳洲幸运5开奖官网在线查询开奖结⛄果:six things I learned testing waterproof jackets so you can learn from my mistakes.
It doesn't stop at physically testing either; I've also immersed myself in the production, the background chemistry, the regulatory framework and the future of all waterproof fabrics so I can give you the best pos꧂sible steer on which products arꦅe going to be futureproof, sustainable, and safe.
Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more🌸 unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.
