Is this the more environmentally-friendly cycling waterproof we've been waiting for? A first ride in the new Santini Magic rain jacket

Santini has released a new waterproof cycling jacket which is made with a new 100% recycled polyester membrane. The Magic jacket is one of the new breed of jackets moving away from PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) based membrane technology, as used on now discontinued cycling waterproofs such as the popular Gore-Tex Shakedry range. PFAS are now banned in clothing in many areas worldwide, and that has meant that most established membrane fabrics need to be replaced.

To make the Magic jacket Santini has teamed up with Polartec, and the new jacket uses the new Polartec Power Shield RPM 2-layer polyester fabric. RPM in this case simply stands for ‘recycled polyester membrane’, and the membrane itself is made from 100% recycled consumer plastic. 

> How green is your waterproof cycling jacket?

It’s an interesting fabric. Most of us will have some kind of membrane outer layer in the cycling wardrobe, and often they’re quite a rigid fabric, with not a lot of stretch.

The Magic jacket is quite the opposite. The fabric has a soft feel, and it’s very stretchy in both directions. The upshot of that is that it’s quiet on the bike, and well-fitted. You can pick a size that’s small enough to be close-fitting when you’re just wearing a base layer underneath, and it’ll stretch to accommodate more layers as the temperature drops.

At the launch Santini was suggesting that you could think of it more as a jersey, and certainly there are similarities with gear like the Castelli Perfetto, which was well received here when we reviewed it back in 2022. That’s more of a showerproof than a full waterproof though, and with a 10,000mm hydrostatic head the Magic jacket rates as a proper raincoat.

Breathability is even more impressive. Polartec claims a rate of 30,000g/m2/24hrs for the fabric, which is very high for a full waterproof. At less than 100g/m2 it’s also a very light fabric, and the jacket is extremely packable, folding into its single pocket for easy stowage if conditions improve. A medium jacket weighs just 155g.

I’ve had the opportunity to ride in the jacket once, at the launch, on a short loop which was helpfully partly dry and partly rainy. With plenty of hills to work up a sweat, it does feel like the Magic jacket copes very well with transferring moisture, and once the rain set in there was no evidence of it making it through the fabric. It’s also a very comfortable jacket to wear, and quiet on the bike. These are all first impressions, and you can look out for a full review on the site in due course.

The jacket is available only in black at launch, in sizes from XXS to 3XL. It’s a 2-layer fabric though, so you’re not tied to black like you are with fabrics like Gore Shakedry; some brighter colours are coming to the range in the spring. The Magic jacket retails for £180 in the UK.

santinicycling.com