How to choose the right waterproof cycling jacket — stay dry and keep riding whatever the weather

When we reviewed the 7mesh Copilot Hollis reckoned it offered a minimalist design with maximum performance, being a brilliant packable jacket for taking with you everywhere.

The design and cut means that it is a bit of a Jack of all cycling trades with a looser fit than most road jackets, but still well shaped for life on the bike. It works for commuting, gravel riding, touring, bikepacking and more without looking out of place.

At £300 it isn’t cheap, but we were very impressed with Gore’s Paclite Plus fabric when it comes to waterproofing and blocking the wind. A hood is built into the design too. Breathability is also well managed with our reviewer finding that even on long climbs he never felt overwhelmed from a temperature management point of view in typical UK winter temperatures.

The Albion All Road Pertex Shield Rain Jacket is excellent, with great waterproofing and high breathability, very low weight and good packability.

The three-layer fabric has a PFC-free membrane (without the toxic chemicals used to make waterproof clothing) sandwiched between a soft inner and outer, and a C0 Durable Water Repellency (also free from per fluorocarbons) to shed water on the face fabric. Fully taped seams feature throughout, and the material has a bit of stretch to it.

Tester Hollis says, “The advantage of the three-layer system is that it doesn’t have that worrying fragility; it feels nicer on the inside, and it’s not crunchy loud while you’re riding”.

The Altura Grid Women’s Parka Waterproof Jacket is a more versatile, longer-length waterproof jacket. This makes it a great option for both on and off-the-bike activities. The parka design, with reflective patches offers good coverage and complements various body shapes. This jacket is a great choice for urban riders seeking functionality and style in a single jacket – and it’s available in both men’s and women’s fit.

The Altura Icon Pocket Rocket Waterproof Packable Jacket earned a solid 8/10 rating from us. It has a great fit, and quality construction and most importantly, comes with a good level of protection, suitable for various rides. The design includes a useful zip garage and a central pocket and the whole jacket weighs only 175g.

Although this bright jacket offers good wind and rain resistance, it has average breathability, making it more suitable for short or relaxed rides.

Let’s face it, if you’re riding in the rain it is likely to be dull and grey, so if you want to be seen you’ll want something bright like the Altura Nightvision Storm Waterproof jacket. Other colours are available if you want something a little more subdued, though.

If you are a commuter and work the 9-to-5 then your rides to and from work are probably going to be in the dark too, which is where the huge amount of reflectivity in this jacket really comes into play. For our reviewer George the results were impressive, with the Altura shunning wet weather and blocking the wind. Breathability was decent too for all but the most spirited of rides.

The reflectivity of the arms also helps with making your signals for turning more noticeable. There’s a women’s version of this jacket too which we’ve also reviewed.

What works on the chain gang or your weekend blast on the road bike might not befit the daily commute to work, especially if your pace is a little less frantic and the drop from your saddle to handlebar is a bit less dramatic. This is where the City Jacket from Chapeau steps in. With a relaxed cut that looks just as good off the bike as it does on it.

Being very packable means that it also a good contender for the bikepackers or tourers amongst us. Our reviewer found that the Chapeau delivered impressive waterproofing thanks to the material and the addition of fully taped seams throughout, and the breathability was fine for the steady state riding typical of an urban commute.

The sizing allows you to wear it over standard civvy clothing should you so wish, and with a bright colour and a few reflectives thrown in you shouldn’t just blend into the background.

Earning a road.cc Recommends badge, the Endura Pro SL Waterproof shell jacket offers excellent waterproofing – rated to 20,000mm and has taped seams, and good breathability or ‘monster’ as Endura says – 60,000mm of moisture per square metre over a 24-hour period.

It’s packable and light, and at the back there is a single pocket, enough for a bit of nutrition, which is useful when you have the jacket on for a while.

It’s not expensive, and it’s even got our prestigious road.cc Recommends badge; the Galibier Tourmalet 4 Jacket is really a great waterproof jacket.

It has exceptional waterproofing (20,000mm) and breathability (20,000g/m2/24) ratings and the upgraded model maintains the same affordability we praised on the Galibier Tourmalet 3 Jacket. The HydraStop 2.9+ membrane ensures comfort and the construction is high-quality. With reflective details and a thoughtful design, this jacket stands out as the ultimate budget-friendly, high-performance option.

Stunningly light and minimalist (and stunningly expensive, but you get what you pay for) the MAAP Atmos is our money-no-object pick when it comes to stylish waterproofing on the bike. It can disappear into a jersey pocket and protects you against the worst weather while breathing hard, so is ideal for hard training rides in bad weather.

The Pertex Shield fabric is a three-layer soft ripstop material with a 20,000mm hydrostatic rating. Our reviewer said it felt soft and stretchy, which makes it roomier than most high-end waterproofs.

Bi-directional YKK zippers add to the practicality, and it’s available in numerous fetching colourways. If you want one of the best packable cycling jackets on the market and are prepared to invest, you won’t be disappointed with the Atmos.

Insulated waterproof jackets are really rare, and Rapha has really created a great product in the Men’s Pro Team Insulated Gore-Tex Rain Jacket. We found this jacket offers excellent waterproofing, breathability, and versatility. It has a high price tag at £310, but it does provide a little more protection from the elements, especially on the colder days. The slim, racy fit and effective insulation ensures comfort, while the jacket remains snug and non-flappy on the bike. As we concluded: “It’s an outstanding jacket in almost every way, and actively a pleasure to wear in poor weather.”

Rapha’s Classic Winter Gore-Tex jacket is available in both men’s and women’s versions (you can find the men’s review here) with very subtle differences, but they both use a three-layer Gore-Tex fabric from Gore’s Infinium range, which we found to keep out absolutely everything that the elements could throw at it.

A dropped tail keeps you covered in an aero position while the front is cut higher to avoid causing any damage to your bib shorts or bib tights. Unlike a lot of waterproof jackets you do get a decent selection of pockets, and there are a couple of colour options including the very bright orange you can see in the picture.

Whichever you go for though, there are reflective details added for riding in the dark.

The Santini Multi jacket doesn’t really look like a waterproof, and appears more like a lightweight softshell or a long-sleeve jersey. Thanks to the ingenious Polartec Power Shield Pro fabric, though, you get a cutting-edge jacket that is highly waterproof, thermally insulating and breathable all in one.

Our reviewer praised the waterproofing, saying that with the right base layer it will keep the worst downpours out. The light, breathable and warm fabric feels great against the skin and is great for temperatures between freezing and 10°C. You get three roomy open pockets and a waterproof zipped pocket, and the main zipper is two-way so you can open it from the bottom for more airflow if things are heating up.

Overall, this is a superb jacket, but like all superb things it comes with a price tag. Invest, and you won’t be disappointed.

It’s not easy for a product to achieve a review score of 10/10, but tester Mike deemed Showers Pass’ Elite 2.1 jacket was worthy due to it being ‘the ultimate jacket for riding in appalling conditions.’ It’s not cheap, but thanks to great durability and a two-year warranty, the Elite is a long-term investment.

It’s made from Elite 3-layer rip stop fabrics and a multitude of venting options also keep you cool when you put in big efforts, or when outside temperatures start to rise. The Elite also comes with plenty of reflective detailing to help you get seen at night (there are bright colour options available other than the black seen in the photo), and there is also a hood available as an optional extra which we believe adds to the versatility of the jacket.

When it comes to fit, the Showers Pass has a roadie style to it being cut slim to reduce excess fabric flapping around, although we found it to still offer plenty of room beneath for a couple of layers.

Showers Pass’ EcoLyte Elite Jacket is hard to fault and has a cut that suits all kinds of riding styles. The EcoLyte is indeed very packable, folding down just about small enough in its own rear pocket to fit in a jersey pocket. In terms of construction, the outer face and lining are made from 100% recycled material, so it’s got some eco credentials going for it, and so are the zips on the vents and rear pocket. There are no nasty chemicals in the dyes, either.

Okay, it’s a lot of cash, but for that money you are getting an incredibly waterproof jacket that comes with great ventilation. You even get a removable hood for those atrocious weather days.

If you’re racing in your club colours and need to show your number beneath, then a see-through jacket is a must. We found one of the best ones is this Nackrosleden Transparent Pro from Sigr.

Some of these pure polyester jackets can be be a bit boil in the bag, but we found the Sigr to have decent breathability when riding hard and very good waterproofing. The fit, as you’d expect, is cut close and there is plenty of length in both the body and the arms. Another bonus is a double zip which allows you to undo the jacket from the bottom to give quick access to your rear pockets on the fly.

Velocio’s Ultralight Rain Jacket has outstanding waterproofing and breathability built into a lightweight 182g package. This means it easily stashes away in your back pocket. It fits quite snugly so that there is no flapping, and the design includes a two-way zip which makes cooling and rear pocket access an easy task. However, priced at around £250, this jacket is quite a premium option.