Waterproof fabrics are either multi-layer laminate fabrics or regular woven fabrics that get a DWR treatment designed to keep water out. While both achieve the same goal, they work slightly differently.

DWR

Durable water repellent, or DWR, is your wet weather gear’s first line of defence. It’s not a laminate or coating but a treatment applied to the fabric’s outer surface.

All waterproof garments, except those where the membrane is the outermost surface, receive a DWR finish.

The treatment does not inhibit breathability because it doesn’t fill the gaps between the fibres. Instead, it bonds the individual fibres to help the garment shed water and prevent saturation.

DWR treatments shed water because they increase the contact angle of moisture on a fabric by forcing a water droplet to maintain its surface tension; so when you see water beading on a fabric, the DWR is hard at work.

When the DWR is applied to a fabric, it creates micropegs or microspikes that protrude from the fibres and prevent water from spreading out, forcing it to form beads that slide off the fabric without seeping in.

However, DWR treatments wear off over time, accelerated by abrasions and some detergents. When this happens, the fabric no longer causes water to bead and will become saturated and heavy.

Not to fear, though, refreshing and retreating a garment is simple and there are plenty of spray-on or wash-in options available. Check out our guide on how to rejuvenate your waterproof cycling gear.

Laminate fabrics

Most waterproof breathable fabrics are made from laminate materials, which usually consist of an inner fabric optimised for wicking moisture, a waterproof membrane and an outer-face fabric with a DWR treatment.

Gore-Tex, Thinsulate, Polartec and eVent are all internal membranes that are sandwiched between two other materials – usually something abrasion-resistant on the outside, with a soft liner on the inside. Even the Castelli Gabba Jersey is made using a Windstopper laminate fabric.

The reason these lamination techniques allow for water-repellent characteristics is that the inner membranes are full of holes. This may seem counterintuitive, but a Gore-Tex membrane boasts nine billion pores, each 1µm – a millionth of a metre – wide per square inch. The holes are big enough to allow water vapour created by sweat evaporation to escape, but are too small for water droplets to sneak through.

These internal membranes are quite fragile, which is why there’s an abrasion-resistant layer on the outside of the garment. This outer layer receives DWR treatment and, as we mentioned before, the problem with DWR treatments is they eventually wash away, causing a jacket to ‘wet-out’, meaning the moisture escaping from inside and landing on the outside saturates the outer fabric, clogging the pores of the membrane and eliminating breathability.

When a jacket stops breathing, the moisture your body creates gets trapped inside, creating that unpleasant, steaming-hot sensation.

Most outerwear today is based on this two and a half- or three-layer lamination, but the fabrics and membranes are continuing to evolve and we’re now seeing jackets eliminating the outer fabric.

Pioneered by Columbia with its OutDry fabric, brands have figured out how to toughen up these membranes and eliminated the DWR-treated outer fabric.

This construction is becoming the go-to for high-end, cycling-specific jackets, with several big-name brands using versions from GoreTex – the One Active and Shakedry fabrics allow the membrane to be used as an outer ‘beading surface’.

The advantages of these fabrics are that they can’t wet out because there is no face fabric to saturate, they weigh next to nothing and breathe better too.

What to look for when buying a waterproof cycling jacket

Waterproofing

To be officially waterproof, a garment has to withstand the pressure of 1,000mm of water without leaking. This test concentrates on jackets that keep moisture managed so you stay warm however foul the forecast.

Usually, this is achieved through an internal membrane like those from Gore-Tex and eVent.

Waterproofness is generally measured in terms of how much water, in mm, can be placed on top of a fabric in a column until it seeps through (though some companies dispute whether this testing method accurately represents real-world conditions). In simple terms, bigger numbers ought to mean the garment’s fabric can withstand more water before any leakage occurs.

However, as with anything, the raw numbers don’t always tell the full story. How a jacket is constructed plays a big role too, because water can also get in through poorly sealed seams or zips, or via the collar or sleeves if they don’t fit correctly.

Breathability

It’s no good keeping rain out if you get soaked by sweat from within. Different fabrics have different water vapour transfer rates but cut, lining, membranes and vents all make a significant difference to how dry you stay.

Taping

Taping is used to seal the seams in a waterproof jacket on the inside. It does add bulk and reduce a jacket’s breathability, so some of the jackets in this list trade a bit of seam leakage for better overall performance.

Care

The worst enemy of your wet-weather gear is your washing machine. Detergents (biological ones especially) strip off waterproof coatings and conditioners clog the pores and fibres that help fabric wick and breathe.

Still, it’s important to keep waterproof fabrics clean because dirt and oil can clog membranes (limiting the fabric’s ability to breathe) and degrade DWR treatments, too. Always read washing instructions carefully.

Often overlooked is the outer DWR treatment. If your jacket is wetting out as described above, there are ways to revive the treatment on your jacket.

Some manufacturers say to throw the garment in the tumble dryer for a few minutes on low to medium heat, others recommend ‘touch ups’ with an iron on the warm setting. Again, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Finally, if the existing DWR treatment can’t be saved you can re-treat it. There are quite a few spray-on and wash-in products available from brands such as Grangers and Nikwax. Again, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Features

Pockets, hoods and zippered vents might seem like a good idea on a hanger, but not if they make a jacket too bulky to shove in your back pocket. Extra features all add to the cost too.

That said, features such as a dropped tail can protect your rear from road spray if you don’t have mudguards, and reflective details can help keep you visible in low light, so consider which features you actually need for the type of riding you do.

Visibility

There’s currently no requirement (in the UK at least) for cyclists to wear high-visibility clothing at any time of day or night (front and rear lights are a legal requirement in the UK at night, though), but for some it’s an important consideration.

Whatever your opinion on the subject, it’s always good to have choice and hi-vis doesn’t have to mean fluorescent yellow anymore. Though it was once the case that the majority of waterproof cycling jackets were either clear, black or designed to look like building site safety equipment, many brands now offer waterproof jackets in a variety of bright, dare we say even fashionable, colours.