Waterproof Jacket recommendations

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Great brand recommendations in this thread but I'd just like to point out to all the men: most of the really good brands still offer a fairly limited range of items for women. And new technologies that men rave about can take 2-3 years to "trickle down" to the womens range. So while Gore, Showers Pass, Paramo, Altura etc do make a wide range of fantastic items, it's worth bearing in mind that for every 10 different products in the mens range, there will only be 1 for the women and it won't have the same features as the products at the higher end of the mens range. Paramo is a prime example. Of all the brands mentioned, Showers Pass is probably the closest to being equal in their offerings.

My point being - if you're making a recommendation, please specify the product/style/model name so that the OP can research whether there is a women's equivalent. Otherwise, you are likely recommending something that is simply not available to women.
 
Cioch Direct on Skye do a made-to measure service. Their Glamaig is good to cycle in with a good range of colours and options. The customer service is excellent. Also do a wind proof cycling top in Beachcomber fabric which dries fast.
Interesting. We are getting married on Skye and will be there 2-3 weeks so I may go have a chat with them. How do you find the waterproof vs. breathability issues?
 

smutchin

Cat 6 Racer
Location
The Red Enclave
My point being - if you're making a recommendation, please specify the product/style/model name so that the OP can research whether there is a women's equivalent. Otherwise, you are likely recommending something that is simply not available to women.

I know the Altura Night Vision X jacket I mentioned earlier is available in a women's version, though I can't comment on the cut and fit of Altura's women's clothes.
 

Randomnerd

Bimbleur
Location
North Yorkshire
Interesting. We are getting married on Skye and will be there 2-3 weeks so I may go have a chat with them. How do you find the waterproof vs. breathability issues?
Better than goretex or event. Lighter than ventile. IMO there's no magic bullet for wet weather cycling. I want to stay warm when it rains anddon't mind getting a bit damp if I can dry out quickly. Cioch is mostly tailored Paramo and suits me better than flappier off the peg.
 
OP
OP
A

areyouactuallymoving

Well-Known Member
Location
Stroud
Very helpful, especially @velovoice, thanks all.

Do you wear Lycra when commuting? If so, then I would not wear a waterproof. They are boil in the bag jackets. If wearing Lycra, you soon get dry once you get out of the rain.

I don't wear lycra on my 'commutes', I actually work from home but am often in cities (usually London) once or twice a week for meetings so cycle at either end of the train journeys, and am generally going to other people's offices, so don't usually have the luxury of having somewhere to change.

I'm beginning to think I may be looking at 2 jackets one for the meetings and one for the weekend.
 
Have a look at Corinne Dennis. She does women specific cycling clothing that is fitting without being shiny and excessively clingy. She is also contactable and happy to discuss fitting.
 
Have a look at Corinne Dennis. She does women specific cycling clothing that is fitting without being shiny and excessively clingy. She is also contactable and happy to discuss fitting.
+1 for Corinne Dennis - when she has stock! :ohmy:
 
I went for a really pricey Arc'teryx Beta AR jacket, it's not cycling specific, but it it's a great fit for me and they do a women's model too. It does triple duty here, commuting in wet weather, the twice daily dog walk and occasional hike, you won't look like a dork in the non-signal colours and I can wear it happily about town too. In this price range you'll actually get breathable material, that's 100% water repellant. For a hardshell, it's pretty packable and is always in my pannier if there's rain forecast.

Because it's a hardshell gore-tex pro material, it's machine washable and can be reproofed if needed. While not cycling specific, it does have zipper's from the armpits to the upper waist on both sides for venting which works great on the bike. £400 seems like a lot, but I have read reports of the brand being very durable and giving 10 year plus service, so long as I don't crash and ruin it prematurely, it's pretty cheap to run, so to speak! Looking at the amortised cost, it's only £40 a year over 10 years. This wipes the floor with the cheapo (relatively speaking) Altura Evo jacket I bought when I was on a tighter budget, unfortunately I gave up on that pretty quickly because it wets out in heavy rain, IIRC costing over £100, it didn't last a year. I'd rather own a higher quality item with an initial capital outlay, (look after it of course) than buy crappy cheaper items more frequently.

You often get what you pay for. It's a lot to stump up for a jacket, I know, but it's a product you only expect to buy a few times in your life, so probably worth buying a good quality product the first time around. Buy cheap and you'll likely buy twice.
 
Last edited:

Clanghead

Senior Member
Location
Southampton
I've commuted in the mark 1 version of this:
for a couple of years - rain/windproof to the front and breathable to the rear (stops my back gettting too sweaty) - very good in all but the worst conditions from September through to May. I'd definitely buy this again when my current one wears out.

There's a ladies version too, but I have no idea about its fit:

Other suppliers are available
 

citybabe

Keep Calm and OMG.......CAKES!!
How warm do you need it to be?
Recommend the Altura women's night vision evo for cool autumn / winter weather. Generously sized and widely available to try. I'm a tall 16/18, the large 16 fits me well if a little short on the arms
E.g.

https://www.cyclesurgery.com/p/altu...V0TLTCh0eYQ2pEAQYAiABEgLsgfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Definitely a cycling jacket aimed at commuters though

A good choice. I wear a men's medium with a base layer underneath.
Plenty warm enough for late autumn until spring. My commute is at 4am so pretty chilly start some mornings.

I'm a size 14 so I think a men's large would fit well
 
How warm do you need it to be?
Recommend the Altura women's night vision evo for cool autumn / winter weather. Generously sized and widely available to try. I'm a tall 16/18, the large 16 fits me well if a little short on the arms
E.g.

https://www.cyclesurgery.com/p/altu...V0TLTCh0eYQ2pEAQYAiABEgLsgfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Definitely a cycling jacket aimed at commuters though
A good choice. I wear a men's medium with a base layer underneath.
Plenty warm enough for late autumn until spring. My commute is at 4am so pretty chilly start some mornings.

I'm a size 14 so I think a men's large would fit well
Altura Night Vision Evo does get good reviews except from people who sweat. It's a model that has been tried by most of the regulars on the Friday Night Ride to the Coast and that's certainly been the key feedback from women. Maybe we sweat more than the men, who knows. (My fiance loved the men's version but he never sweats a drop.) Anyway, I was grateful to hear that feedback before I spent the money on one.

YMMV of course but the OP has admitted to 'glowing quite a bit' so I suspect this is one to avoid.
 
Top Bottom