Santini Magic Packable Waterproof Unisex Jacket

The Santini Magic jacket is one of a new breed of waterproofs using PFAS-free membranes in their construction. It doesn’t perform poorly for want of them, and it has some really nice features for a road jacket. It’s versatile enough to be useful year-round in UK conditions.

> Buy now: Santini Magic Jacket for £200 from Santini

For its inaugural ride I took this jacket out in the tail end of Storm Bert, in conditions that it’s fair to say were challenging: lots of rain and lots of wind, but also temperatures up into the low teens. And the Magic jacket did a fine job. I’m not sure I would have expected any jacket to keep me completely dry in those conditions, and I wasn’t, but I was comfortable for the whole ride and didn’t feel like I was overheating even slogging up the final climb.

This jacket uses Polartec’s Power Shield RPM (Recycled Polyester Membrane) which is made – the clue’s in the name – from recycled polyester. Most membrane fabrics have little to no stretch, but that’s not the case here. This is quite a stretchy jacket, and that means you have a bit more freedom with layering underneath; if you’ve bought a size to wear with just a baselayer you can still get it over a bulky jersey if it’s really cold, without having to size up.

Because of that you can use it more like a jersey layer than just as a waterproof. It’s not much more flappy in use than a jersey if you get the sizing right. It also perhaps explains why it’s described as unisex – though how well it fits the female form is something I can’t comment on.

The fit is slim. I’m normally an XL but more of a 2XL in this, which is in line with most of Santini’s gear. Size up if you’re uncertain. The cut is pretty bike specific with longish arms and a dropped tail, and it works well for me in the not-especially-aggressive position I favour. If you’re aiming for pro levels of flexibility, it’s certainly not going to be as good as some at covering your lower back.

Power Shield RPM is objectively not as waterproof as some other fabrics I’ve tried. All the seams are fully taped and it has a 10,000mm rating, which is mid-table for a ‘proper’ waterproof; some jackets are 20,000mm or higher. Normally it’s a trade-off between water resistance and breathability – the more impermeable you make it from the outside, the less can get through going the other way. That’s the case here: the Magic jacket has a rating of 30,000g/m2/24hr for breathability, which is right at the top end of what you normally get in a full waterproof. So given those numbers, you might expect the jacket to let in a bit of rain in extreme conditions, and do a very good job of transferring water vapour out the other way when you’re working hard, and the theory holds good in practice. If you do start to get a bit sweaty then the zip can open from the bottom to get some air in without having it flapping about up top.

Is it ‘the ideal choice for cyclists facing extreme rain conditions’, like Santini claims? Well, when it’s really tipping down there are jackets that are more waterproof than this, but the Magic jacket’s real appeal for me lies in its versatility. It packs up very small and will fit in a jersey pocket, so it’s the kind of jacket you can take with you if you’re not sure what the weather will do, or if you need a windproof for a chilly early start but won’t need a jacket later. And because of its stretchy fit you don’t have to worry quite so much about what else you’ll be wearing.

When you’re not using it the Magic jacket packs down into its own zippered pocket. In use the pocket will just about fit a normal-sized smartphone, but it’s not exactly generous; that’s the trade-off for making the pack size as small as possible, I guess. I’d like to have seen a second, more usable pocket.

The fabric beads well thanks to a DWR treatment that lasted a few washes before its effectiveness started to lessen. I’ve since treated the jacket with a wash-in water-repellent which has restored the jacket to its original beadiness without obviously affecting breathability. The jacket is pretty easy to care for and comes through a cold wash looking like new.

Any downsides? Well, Santini has said that bright colours are in the pipeline. This is a faced fabric, so no reason why it can’t be nice and punchy, but at the moment you’re restricted to this black and a sort of beige. There are studio shots of a purple one, though.

Value

At £200 it’s comfortably cheaper than the likes of the Velocio One and 7mesh Mission jackets we’ve tested recently, and most of the jackets of late that have reviewed well have been north of the Magic in terms of price. There are still bargains out there, though, most notably the Galibier Tourmalet which is less than half the price of the Santini. Check out more options in our guide to the best cycling jackets.

Conclusion

Would I recommend this jacket? Yes, it’s versatile and performed well during testing, and it’s not overly expensive compared with most of its competitors. It’s a jacket I can see myself dragging over the top of a thick jersey and baselayer in winter, or stuffing in a pocket on a showery summer ride, and most things in between. That year-round capability will mean it’s not one of the things that gets shoved in the loft when I do my biannual summer-to-winter-or-vice-versa kit switch, and it’s a high-quality jacket that’s kinder to the environment and should last.

> Buy now: Santini Magic Jacket for £200 from Santini

Verdict

Very good performance from a year-round jacket that’s comfortable and adaptable

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