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One of the most crucial pieces of clothing for comfortable cycling is a good jacket.
But in the pursuit of finding the best cycling jacket, what should you be looking for? Well, there are 10 key things to consider.
Best Cycling Rain Jacket: 10 Considerations
- Water resistance: how well will the jacket protect you from rain?
- Breathability: will the jacket let your body breath or may you as well be cycling in a bin bag?
- Stretch: does the material have some give for natural cycling movements?
- Fit: has the jacket been designed with the mechanics of cycling in mind, e.g. does it have a longer back and articulated sleeves?
- Visibility: is the jacket reflective? Does it help you be seen at night or in low-light?
- Pockets: do you have a secure place for your keys, phone and wallet? Will they stay dry?
- Hood: will it keep your head dry? Can you hide it away when you don’t need it?
- Storage: can it be easily packed away in a bag or pocket when you don’t need it?
- Style: does the jacket look good or does it scream “CYCLIST!”?
- Price: is it reasonably priced for what you get?
It seems a lot to think about, doesn’t it? But don’t worry, that’s why I’m here. I’ve put in the hours and research to help you cycle in style.
This post has set out to bring you the best cycling jacket for cold weather, with five options for both men and women. That’s cold, by the way, not freezing. We’re talking 5ËšC to 18ËšC – effectively 80% of the weather you’ll face in the UK.
Mission: Find the Best Waterproof Cycling Jacket
Okay, we now know what we want, right? Well, kind of. A perfect blend of: functionality, practicality, style and value. Easy.
I’ll start with the best stylish waterproof cycling jackets for men, before going through the top five cycling rain jackets for women. If you want to skip straight to the lady’s section, click here.
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Top 5 Cycling Rain Jackets for Men
5) Rapha Hooded Rain Jacket 2 – £230
When it comes to finding the best, most stylish cycling gear, Rapha are never far from the list. Their City collection sets me drooling every time I see it, and the Rapha Hooded Rain Jacket 2 is no different.
The Hooded Rain Jacket 2 is packed out with cycling-friendly features, while maintaining a cool urban style. There’s a tuck-away hood that even fits under a helmet, it’s water-resistant with taped seams, has reflective details, offers a good amount of stretch, is lightweight and has vent-holes under the arms as well as a breathable Nylon fabric.
As you can see, it’s ticking pretty much every box we set out in our pursuit of the perfect stylish cycling waterproof jacket.
It’s predecessors, the Rapha City Rain Jacket and the original Hooded Jacket, were very good products, but the updated Hooded Rain Jacket has received some very useful upgrades, namely: two front pockets, a longer fit on the front, a hood with reflective strips and a more breathable fabric.
Unfortunately, it is Rapha, meaning it will cost you an arm and a leg (but you’ll still have to buy the sleeves). This gorgeous jacket comes in at ÂŁ230, but for that you are getting a premium product.
Rapha Hood Rain Jacket 2 Review (Men)
- Water Resistance: 8/10
- Breathability: 8/10
- Stretch: 9/10
- Fit: 9/10
- Visibility: 7/10
- Pockets: 7/10
- Hood: 9/10
- Storability: 5/10
- Style: 9/10
- Value: 4/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 75/100
Colours: Dark Green, Dark Navy
Summary: Super stylish and super functional – but comes at a price.
A beautiful hooded jacket that looks just as good off the bike as it feels good on the bike.
Colours: Dark Green, Black, Dark Navy
4) Swrve Milwaukee Hoodie Jacket – ÂŁ110
swrve have been a mainstay of urban cycling clothing industry for years, but always seem to go a bit under the radar. But what anyone knows who’s owned some of their stuff is that they are the masters of stylish clothes with great cycling functionality.
The Milwaukee Hoodie Jacket is no different, offering a great urban style that certainly won’t look out of place in a bar, cafĂ© or restaurant while boasting a feature reel including: three-layer 10K breathable, water-resistant material, a moisture-wicking bonded fleece interior, armpit zipper for venting, double cuffs for wind protection, a drop tail hem, shoulder seams off pressure points and YKK zippers.
Simply put, this is a great stylish all-round bicycle jacket for cooler weather.
Swrve Milwaukee Hoodie Jacket Review (Men)
- Water Resistance: 9/10
- Breathability: 8/10
- Stretch: 9/10
- Fit: 9/10
- Visibility: 6/10
- Pockets: 8/10
- Hood: 8/10
- Storability: 5/10
- Style: 9/10
- Value: 7/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 78/100
Colours: Dark Red, Black, Grey, Orange, Slate Blue
Summary: A great all-round cycling jacket.
3) Resolute Bay LS2 Reflective Cycling Jacket – ÂŁ195
I’ve covered Resolute Bay many times, and it’s safe to say I’m a fan boy. Their product range is limited but, simply, excellent.
It was Resolute Bay’s range of cycling jeans which were the first to wow me, but they’ve since introduced some other products, most noticeably a reflective bicycle jacket that was recently funded on Kickstarter.
I reviewed the prototype for the jacket in 2017, but Resolute Bay then went on to add the final missing piece of the stylish-lightweight-cycling-waterproof-jacket puzzle: a packable hood.
The LS2 jacket is a sleek, minimal number that is great not just for urban cyclists, but road cyclists too. It’s probably the most stylish reflective cycling jacket around currently.
Indeed, the styling is great, while the reflective pin-striping through the jacket means it bursts into life light when exposed to bright lights. It’s very light and easy to pack away without consuming too much space.
As a lightweight waterproof bike jacket, the LS2 tickets pretty much every box, it’s waterproof, light, breathable, is subtly reflectively, has secured pockets, a storable hood and looks damn good.
Resolute Bay LS2 Jacket Review (Men)
- Water Resistance: 9/10
- Breathability: 9/10
- Stretch: 9/10
- Fit: 9/10
- Visibility: 9/10
- Pockets: 7/10
- Hood: 8/10
- Storability: 7/10
- Style: 8/10
- Value: 6/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 81/100
Colours: Orange, Grey, Black
Summary: Light, waterproof, reflective jacket that looks good. What more can you ask for?
2) Rapha Commuter Jacket – £100 / $135
If you’re looking for a very lightweight, but still very waterproof cycling jacket, then the Rapha Commuter Jacket may be a great option.
And for £100, it’s astonishingly “cheap” by Rapha’s standards.
It features a 2.5 layer fabric with a waterproof membrane, as well as an Aguaguard waterproof zip – so that you are protected all over.
There’s also two front zipped pockets and due to its lightweight nature, it’s also very easy to roll up and stowaway – so you can have this rolled up in your bag and simply whip it out if you’re caught out unexpectedly in the rain.
Rapha have also done a really nice job on incorporating some eye-caching reflective features – with the rear of the jacket feature reflective dots and a bold reflective Rapha logo. The small Rapha logo on the front is also reflective.
Although it’s a very practical jacket, it still looks pretty good too thanks to the minimalistic style that Rapha have made use of. It also comes in lots of fantastic colour options.
Rapha Commuter Jacket Review (Men)
- Water Resistance: 8/10
- Breathability: 9/10
- Stretch: 8/10
- Fit: 9/10
- Visibility: 9/10
- Pockets: 7/10
- Hood: 8/10
- Storability: 8/10
- Style: 7/10
- Value: 7/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 80/100
A simply stunning, lightweight, waterproof jacket with reflective detailing that also looks good in urban settings.
Available in lots of colours, including brown, black, dark green, dark yellow, orange, pink, chartreuse, navy blue and dark olive.
Verdict: Best Cycling Rain Jacket for Men
1) Chrome Storm Cobra 3.0 Jacket – ÂŁ180 / $200
Chrome Industries is another star in the urban cycling world.
As its name suggests, the Chrome Storm Cobra 3.0 Jacket is the third iteration of this model, following what were already two outstanding waterproof cycling jackets
And like its predecessors, the Storm Cobra (again as the name suggests) is particularly suited to winter cycling, not because it’s necessarily warm, but because of the style, which can comfortably fit a fleece or liner underneath to keep you warm on your commute.
And the Storm Cobra is a real warrior of a winter cycling jacket, it’s a three-layer waterproof with breathable twill nylon. There’s also plenty of subtle reflective features, lengthened arms and torso, as well as a two-way zipper. It’s a beast if you’re looking for a warm waterproof cycling jackets.
Plus, there’s a whopping four pockets on this jacket: two hand pockets, a wide back pocket and a chest pocket – all of which are zipped. Simply put, this is one of the best urban shell jackets around.
The outer material of this jacket is coarse and borderline uncomfortable at first, but you’ll be more than grateful for it when the first downpour comes.
Chrome Storm Cobra 3.0 Jacket Review (Men)
- Water Resistance: 10/10
- Breathability: 9/10
- Stretch: 8/10
- Fit: 9/10
- Visibility: 7/10
- Pockets: 9/10
- Hood: 9/10
- Storability: 5/10
- Style: 9/10
- Value: 6/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 81/100
Top 5: Cycling Jacket – Men’s Summary
- Chrome Storm Cobra 3.0 – The Best Urban Shell Jacket
- Rapha Commuter Jacket – Lightweight Rain Jacket
- Resolute Bay LS2 – Reflective Waterproof Cycling Jacket
- Swrve Milwaukee Hoodie Jacket – Stylish Cycling Jacket
- Rapha Hooded Rain Jacket 2 – A Smart Rain Jacket for Cycling
Top 5: Cycling Jacket – Women’s
5) Women’s Endura Urban Flipjak Reversible Jacket – from ÂŁ65
It’s double trouble for Endura’s Reversible Jacket which has made the top 5 best waterproof cycling jackets for both men AND women.
Indeed, the women’s jacket is very similar to the men’s version, which is as a stylish urban number worn one way and a high-vis jacket worn the other. The difference lies in the colours, Black with a Pink hi-vis reverse, or turquoise with a lime green reverse.
Again, this jacket is very much a cool weather piece and has been designed to keep you warm at around 8ËšC to 10ËšC with just a t-shirt underneath – so this shouldn’t really be thought of as a lightweight summer jacket. Also, this isn’t one of the more breathable jackets around – which is fine for casual riders in cool weather – but if you like to dash about at Froome-like paces, you’ll overheat in the Endura reversible jacket.
Both sides of the jacket offer a chest pocket, while the “stylish side” also has two zipped hand pockets too.
This jacket originally retailed for ÂŁ119.99, but you can now pick it up from ÂŁ65 from the likes of Wiggle.
Endura Urban Flipjak Review (Women)
- Water Resistance: 7/10
- Breathability: 4/10
- Stretch: 7/10
- Fit: 9/10
- Visibility: 9/10
- Pockets: 7/10
- Hood: 8/10
- Storability: 5/10
- Style: 7/10
- Value: 5/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 68/100
Colours: Black (with fluorescent pink reverse), Turquoise(with fluorescent green reverse)
Summary: A great jacket for cycling in cold weather with the option for super high-vis when you need it.
4) No Such Thing Fishtail Trench
Another stylish-yet-functional cycling jacket for women in the Fishtail Trench from No Such Thing, which again, looks superb.
This trench is packed to the rafters with discreet functionality, boasting, no less: waterproof, windproof and breathable material, removable sleeves, under-arm ventilation, reflective back panel and hand pockets.
And while the Fishtail Trench isn’t necessarily designed to be packed into a tiny bag, you can fold it up no problem with the material doing a great job at preventing creases. The only disappointing factor with this jacket is that it doesn’t have a hood, which really would have been the icing on the cake.
No Such Thing Fishtail Trench Review (Women)
- Water Resistance: 9/10
- Breathability: 9/10
- Stretch: 9/10
- Fit: 9/10
- Visibility: 8/10
- Pockets: 7/10
- Hood: 0/10
- Storability: 7/10
- Style: 9/10
- Value: 5/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 72/100
Colours: Black
Summary: Super stylish, super functional… if only it had a hood it would be perfect.
Buy at NoSuchThing now for ÂŁ210.
3) Craft Ride Rain Jacket
This Craft cycling jacket is a great all-round lightweight waterproof jacket for women, boasting taped seams, stretchy material and an under-helmet hood.
With a simple, clean design, this is a cycling jacket that doesn’t necessarily look like a cycling jacket – which is no bad thing. Whether you’re ambling around town, meeting friends or riding through a storm, the Craft Ride Rain Jacket will take care of you.
Unfortunately, there’s no reflective features on this jacket, nor are there hand pockets, although there is a zipped back pocket for any essentials.
Elasticated cuffs will also help keep your arms warm, while this jacket for ladies is also very breathable with mesh lining and ventilation holes.
Craft Ride Rain Jacket Review (Women)
- Water Resistance: 9/10
- Breathability: 9/10
- Stretch: 8/10
- Fit: 9/10
- Visibility: 5/10
- Pockets: 4/10
- Hood: 9/10
- Storability: 7/10
- Style: 8/10
- Value: 7/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 75/100
Colours: Black, Grey
Summary: The solid all-rounder.
2) AGU SEQ Rain Jacket – £125
If you’re on the lookout for a chic cycling jacket/coat for women, then you’ll struggle to find anything chicer than the AGU SEQ Rain Jacket.
This jacket is so cool in terms of style and function, in fact, that it received a Red Dot Design Award. So, why’s this jacket so special? Well, it’s appearance certainly is eye-catching swirling pattern and longer fit and could be mistaken for any designer coat.
But the SEQ Rain Jacket also puts just as much importance on function as it does on style, maintaining a waterproof, windproof and breathable membrane. It also doubles up as a ladies’ cycling poncho, if you want to stay completely dry in the rain. There’s even a comfortable hood and hand pockets.
The fit is described as a “tailored Princess line”, ensuring a flattering look.
AGU SEQ Rain Jacket Review (Women)
- Water Resistance: 9/10
- Breathability: 9/10
- Stretch: 8/10
- Fit: 8/10
- Visibility: 6/10
- Pockets: 7/10
- Hood: 8/10
- Storability: 5/10
- Style: 9/10
- Value: 7/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 76/100
Colours: Navy Blue, Black
Summary: Incredibly chic jacket with a hood that is both waterproof and breathable.
Buy now at Velorution for ÂŁ125
Verdict: Best Cycling Rain Jacket for Women
1) As Bold As: The Drench Coat – ÂŁ146
Simply put, the As Bold As Drench Coat is the ultimate all-round stylish cycling jacket for women: it’ll keep you dry, warm, visible and looking good.
Packable hood? Check. Waterproof? Check. Breathable? Check. Stylish? Check. Dropped back? Check. Reflective panelling? Check. Zippered waterproof pockets? Check.
It really does the lot. At ÂŁ146, I expect a lot, but with so much discreet functionality, you get everything you pay for and more.
As Bold As: The Drench Coat Review (Women)
- Water Resistance: 9/10
- Breathability: 9/10
- Stretch: 9/10
- Fit: 9/10
- Visibility: 8/10
- Pockets: 9/10
- Hood: 9/10
- Storability: 6/10
- Style: 9/10
- Value: 5/10
- TOTAL SCORE: 82/100
Colours: Olive
Summary: Superb functionality and beautiful design make this the BEST waterproof rain jacket for women.
Buy at Velorution now for ÂŁ146.
Top 5: Cycling Jacket – Women’s Summary
1) As Bold As: Drench – The Best Stylish Waterproof Cycling Jacket for Women
2) AGU SEQ Rain Jacket – Award-Winning Style Ready for Every Weather
3) Craft Ride Rain Jacket – The Best Lightweight All-Rounder
4) No Such Thing Fishtail Trench – A Wonderfully Style-yet-Funtional Jacket for Women
5) Endura Urban Flipjak – A Reflective Jacket AND A Stylish Jacket
And there we have it: the top five waterproof cycling jackets for men and women that ACTUALLY look good.
