GripGrab RainMaster Waterproof Lightweight Jacket

Being light, breathable, waterproof and packable means the GripGrab RainMaster Waterproof Lightweight Jacket covers all the attributes required for poor weather protection, making it a useful winter wardrobe staple. The problem is, winter days are often dull and gloomy, so the lack of bright colours is a bit of an oversight.

For more – and brighter – options, check out our guides to the best winter cycling jackets and the best waterproof cycling jackets.

> Buy now: GripGrab RainMaster Waterproof Lightweight Jacket for £159.95 from GripGrab

A quality waterproof jacket is one of those essential items in your cycle clothing repertoire, especially a lightweight one like this GripGrab, which can be used as part of a layering system or folded down and stuffed in a rear jersey pocket for those days when you just don't know what the weather is going to do.

From my experience, decent waterproof jackets you can rely on to keep you dry in heavy rain need a hydrostatic head rating of at least 10,000mm, and the RainMaster is rated to 15,000mm.

In real world terms, the longest ride I achieved in the rain was just over three hours and the GripGrab delivered exactly what was asked of it. It wasn't heavy rain for the entire ride, with the intensity changing throughout, but the membrane and fully taped seams did their job of keeping the water out.

The high neck helps as it reduces the risk of water being able to drip or blow in, while the angled cuffs are the perfect shape for keeping the tops of your wrists covered, and the shorter bottom section means there is no fabric to get in the way between your palm and the handlebar.

The RainMaster is also impressive against the wind, so you'll get plenty of use out of it on those dry, blowy days as well.

Breathability is decent for this kind of jacket, too. It's rated at 40,000g/m2/24hr, and I found that for riding at a steady average pace I remained dry and warm inside. Push things a bit on the climbs and moisture will build up; there's no getting away from that really – when the waterproofing is this good, you have to compromise a bit with perspiration management.

There are no armpit vents, but if you pop the zip down a touch you'll soon cool down and dry out.

Speaking of the zip, it's a two-way design that allows you to undo the jacket from the bottom, so you can gain access to your rear pockets without fully opening the jacket.

The sizing is spot on with GripGrab's guide, and I'd say realistic to the UK market, too. You get a close fit here without it being tight, so you don't need to be super lean to get away with wearing it.

The tail is dropped a little lower than the front for coverage when leaning forward in the saddle, but it's not as low as some, like the Galibier Tourmalet 4 Jacket, which will provide more protection if you ride on wet roads without mudguards.

The main downside with the RainMaster is the lack of colour options. I don't have a massive downer on black garments – if it's really gloomy then I'm happy to just run some sort of flashing lights to get noticed instead – but for many riders the option of something brighter is a must. It does have reflective details on the back and sleeves, but it's not the most visible.

Otherwise, the GripGrab is very well made, with neat stitching throughout, and the seams and material all seem durable and finished to a high level, as you'd expect for the price – although at £159.95 it isn't that extreme.

Velocio's Ultralight Rain Jacket shares many of the same attributes and costs over £280 (though currently discounted to £211). Albion's All Road Pertex Shield Rain jacket is £195 and does come with a higher waterproof rating of 20,000mm, but it only has half the breathability rating of the GripGrab.

The Galibier jacket I mentioned earlier, though, is just £83.22 and comes with a 20,000mm rating for waterproofing and a breathability.

Conclusion

If black being the only option doesn't bother you then I'd recommend the GripGrab. It has great waterproofing and is really well made. In fact there isn't really anything else to complain about, except that you can get jackets that do a similar job for less.

Verdict

Great waterproofing and well designed, as long as you like black