Cycling in the rain isn’t generally a pleasant activity but, unless you live in a desert, it’s an unavoidable fact of life for most riders.
That’s particularly the case when it comes to winter cycling, when cold and wet conditions can combine to make riding an unpleasant experience without the right kit.
Luckily for you, we’re happy to put in the hard miles to find the best waterproof jackets for road cycling and commuting.
Old advice might have been to toughen up – a baggy, ‘boil in the bag’ rain cape would soak you through with sweat anyway – but waterproof fabrics have evolved massively over the past few years, and the holy grail of effective waterproofing and breathability isn’t the impossible combination it once was.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best waterproof jackets for cycling, as tested by the BikeRadar team.
Our expert testers have ridden in all conditions to bring you great options for both road cycling and commuting. If you ride off-road, we’ve got a separate article on the best mountain biking jackets.
Otherwise, you’ll find BikeRadar’s top-rated jackets below – or skip to the end for our buyer’s guide on choosing the right jacket for your needs.
For more advice on kitting yourself out for bad weather, we’ve got guides to the best winter cycling shoes and best overshoes to keep your feet warm and dry, plus a round-up of the best winter cycling gloves.
Best waterproof cycling jackets in 2021
- Castelli Idro Pro 2: £340 / $400 / €350
- Endura Pro SL Shell Jacket II: £165 / $225 / €200
- Gore C5 Shakedry 1985 Viz: £250 / $300 / AU$360
- Assos Equipe RS Schlosshund: £290 / $369 / €209
- Castelli Idro 2: £300 / $300 / €270
- Gore-Tex Paclite: £170
- Lusso Aqua Pro Extreme: £165 / $215 / €197 / AU$325
- Madison Apex Waterproof Storm Jacket: £135
- Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Gore-Tex Shakedry: £220 / $295 / €260
- Santini Guard Nimbus: £149
- Van Rysel RCR Ultralight Packable Showerproof: £45 / €25
- Albion Rain Jacket 2.0: £175
- Altura Firestorm Waterproof: £80 / €100
- Ashmei Waterproof Jacket: £238 / $200 / AU$258 / €172
- Decathlon Triban RC500 Rainproof: £40 / €50
- dhb Aeron Rain Defence Polartec: £130 / $180 / €160
- Madison Peloton: £90
- Métier Beacon: £250
- Q36.5 R.Shell: £300 / €249
- Rapha Commuter: £100 / $135 / AU$175
- Santini Vega Multi Jacket: £220 / $322 / €240
All RRPs refer to the price when the jacket was originally tested by BikeRadar.
Castelli Idro Pro 2
- £340 / $400 / €350 as tested
- Rear pockets
- Mix of Gore fabrics for skin-tight fit
- Weighs 185g
Hitting five stars in a face-off of 10 waterproof shell jackets, the Idro Pro 2 has a racer’s cut and is made of Gore Shakedry fabric tempered by panels of equally waterproof Gore Topo to add stretch at the sides, shoulders, elbows and wrists, for a skin-tight fit.
Unlike many waterproof jackets, the Idro Pro has a decent run of pockets, complete with drainage holes. Along with its fit, great waterproofing and other quality features this all made it the winner in our recent group test.
albionCastelli now sells the Idro 3 Pro, with updates to fit and cuffs and added reflective elements.
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Endura Pro SL Shell Jacket II
- £165 /$225 / €200 as tested
- Highly breathable
- Great fit and value
- Weighs 175g
Endura’s rain shell is highly breathable and very waterproof, leading to a comfortable ride in the rain. Fit is excellent, with an effective drop tail that stays put and an extra storm flap at the collar to keep out the rain.
Although there are no rear pockets, a zipped flap gives access to your jersey beneath and there’s a side pocket to stash a couple of gels. It’s great value for a feature-packed waterproof.
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Gore C5 Shakedry 1985 Viz
- £250 / $300 / AU$360 as tested
- Fixes many of the issues with the original jacket
- Ludicrously light and breathable
- Weighs 134g
Made from Gore’s now-legendary Shakedry material, the C5 Shakedry 1985 Viz jacket is an update to the original model and addresses many of the issues we had with that jacket.
The new model is available in a range of high-vis colours, is ridiculously light, has unrivalled breathability and it’s better than the old one – what’s not to love?
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Assos Equipe RS Schlosshund
- £290 as tested
- Breathable and very waterproof
- Jersey pocket access flaps double up as vents
- Weighs 155g
Another one for the racers, the Assos rain jacket has a close fit from its stretchy fabric and panel lay-up, and good length to keep your arms and body dry. The silicone gripper at the hem helps keep the tail in place well, which stops most road spray.
There’s a high breathability rating paired with quality three-layer waterproofing, taped seams and a waterproof zip to keep the weather out, even on the wettest days. There are flaps to access your jersey, rather than pockets in the jacket itself, which double as vents to help keep you comfortable.
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Castelli Idro 2
- £300 / $300 / €270 as tested
- Amazingly waterproof and breathable
- Race cut
- Weighs 105g
As with other Shakedry jackets, the combination of low weight, packability, total waterproofness and excellent breathability never fails to impress.
Castelli’s version distinguishes itself with its excellent race cut and smart features, such as the pull-tag extension added to the zip to aid use while wearing winter gloves. The only drawback is the price, but racers who demand the best won’t be disappointed.
The latest Idro 3 has been updated with a stretch panel on the rear to make for an even closer fit, new cuffs and extra reflective.
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Gore-Tex Paclite
- £170 as tested
- Robust build with plenty of room and adjustment
- Great breathability
- Weighs 210g
The Paclite jacket is cut a bit larger than many waterproofs, so it’s not just for the racer. Its waterproofing is great, with taped seams and it’ll fit in a jersey pocket. Hem and cuff adjusters mean there’s the adjustability to ensure a good fit.
The jacket feels more robust than many and we rated the Paclite’s breathability. With its combination of reflectives and bright colour options, the jacket should ensure you’re seen on a wet day out.
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Lusso Aqua Pro Extreme
- £165 / $215 / €197 / AU$325 as tested
- Versatile design
- Designed for tough UK conditions
- Weighs 405g
The Aqua Pro Extreme is a different type of jacket from most on this list; rather than focusing on absolute waterproofness and packability, it prioritises protection from foul weather of all kinds.
There are compromises, such as increased bulk and reduced waterproofness in absolute terms, but it makes massive gains in versatility.
It’s possible this jacket could handle almost everything the weather throws at you from autumn through to spring.
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Madison Apex Waterproof Storm Jacket
- £135 as tested
- Ideal for truly horrible days
- True to size
- Weighs 445g
Madison’s Apex Waterproof Storm Jacket is a heavyweight waterproof jacket designed to be worn in the worst conditions. Its waterproof rating of 20,000mm is impressive for the price and breathability is solid too.
It’s not a packable jacket, but that also means it can stand up to a lot more abuse, so there’s less need to worry about wearing a backpack or taking it off-road.
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Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Gore-Tex Shakedry jacket
- £220 / $295 / €260 as tested
- Proven Gore-Tex Shakedry performance
- Good fit and competitively priced
- Weighs 125g (medium)
Surprisingly, Rapha’s Shakedry jacket is actually cheaper than much of the competition, which is a boon when you consider how impressive this package is.
As with other Gore-Tex Shakedry jackets, Rapha’s is lightweight, completely waterproof and impressively breathable.
The cut is also very good, and Rapha’s understated styling looks great too (as long as you’re happy with black).
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Santini Guard Nimbus
- £149 as tested
- Lightweight material and good packability
- Stretchy fit and good coverage
- Weighs 120g
Santini takes a different approach with the Guard Nimbus, which looks and feels more like a windproof jacket than a waterproof, with plenty of stretch and a matt jersey outer face. Despite this, it functions well in light rain, although it didn’t stay dry in a downpour.
Nice features include plenty of reflectives, an easy-to-use zip and a small pocket. There’s adequate length to the sleeves and tail for comfortable riding and protection from wheelspray, while the Guard Nimbus packs down small too.
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Van Rysel RCR Ultralight Packable Showerproof
- £45 / €25 as tested
- Good breathability and adequate rainproofing
- Enough stretch for a comfortable fit
- Weighs 125g
Decathlon is renowned for the excellent pricing of its technical kit and its Van Rysel branded jacket doesn’t disappoint. It weighs just 125g and has good packability, while the stretchy fabric and close-ish cut make for a comfortable fit without windflap.
There’s enough waterproofing from the built-in membrane for a few hours of riding in showers, although it’s not a jacket intended for use in a downpour. The fabric’s breathability is good too, and there are rear and pit vents to help keep you comfortable.
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Albion Rain Jacket 2.0
- £175 as tested
- Close fit, although with some stretch
- Rather tight cuffs make getting on and off difficult
- Weight 160g
Made from a slightly stretchy, Bluesign-approved three-layer laminate, the Albion Rain Jacket received a number of upgrades in the 2.0 version, which has subsequently been superseded by the Albion 3.0. Improvements in the 2.0 included revised cuffs, although we found these too much of a tight fit.
At 160g, it’s not too heavy and it’s very waterproof and breathable, with the two-way zip helping with heat and moisture regulation, although you don’t get many vents or pockets. As well as the hi-vis orange reviewed, there’s a slate grey option.
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Altura Firestorm Waterproof
- £80 / €100 as tested
- Clever reflective print
- Excellent value
- Weighs 110g
Altura’s Firestorm Waterproof jacket doesn’t have the highest spec in the world, but at under £100 its 15,000mm waterproof rating is competitive and breathability is good enough for all except the hardest of efforts.
Its standout feature is the clever reflective print that covers the whole of the jacket. It goes almost unnoticed during the day, but makes the jacket glow like a beacon when light hits it at night.
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Ashmei Waterproof Jacket
- £238 / $258 as tested
- Super-stretchy fabric
- Well made
- Weighs 240g
Ashmei might be a relatively new name to the cycling world, but this super-stretchy waterproof did not disappoint during testing.
The jacket is made from an extremely thin (seven microns!) fabric that is stretchier than most – a good thing given the cut of the jacket is relatively racy.
The jacket also features three jersey-style pockets on the back. These have drain holes, so shouldn’t cause any issues in wet weather.
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Decathlon Triban RC500 Rainproof
- £40 / €50 as tested
- Low price
- Solid performance
- Weighs 280g
Decathlon has really outdone itself with the Triban RC500 Rainproof jacket. Out of the box, it looks and feels like a jacket costing much more.
It only has a waterproof rating of 8,000mm, so it isn’t the best option for truly horrendous conditions, but for shorter rides and commutes it’s perfectly adequate, and we’ve got no complaints at this price.
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dhb Aeron Rain Defence Polartec
- £130 / $180 / €160 as tested
- Warm and breathable
- Good price
- Weighs 255g
The dhb Aeron Rain Defence Polartec jacket is a lighter-weight jacket made from a triple-layer softshell fabric that offers decent water and wind resistance and exceptional breathability.
It won’t keep you bone dry in a concerted downpour, but on those drizzly, cold days that we seem to get so many of here in the UK, it will ensure you’re warm, dry and comfortable. As usual for dhb, it’s reasonably priced too.
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Madison Peloton
- £90 as tested
- Robust feel
- Relaxed fit
- Weighs 235g
Mid-weight and with a more relaxed cut, the Peloton jacket caters well for less slim riders and for layering up in the cold. It feels hard wearing too. There can be a little windflap and pooling of water in folds, but they’re not intrusive.
The Peloton jacket folds small enough to get into a jersey pocket when not in use. It’s a solid performer at a reasonable price, although breathability isn’t quite as good as some, despite the mesh rear vent.
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Métier Beacon
- £250 as tested
- In-built lights genuinely boost visibility
- Soft-touch lining feels great
- Weighs 404g
Métier’s four-product line-up is focused solely on jackets and gilets fitted with its signature integrated lighting technology. The Beacon is its all-round shell jacket.
The jacket is easy to live with and comes with a dedicated wash bag and cleaner, alongside extensive care instructions.
Sizing is snug, so pay attention if you can stomach the £250 price tag.
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Q36.5 R.Shell
- £300 / €249 as tested
- Very breathable and waterproof
- Jersey access flaps instead of pockets
- Weighs 160g
Q36.5’s shell jacket has lots of quality features, such as a reduced number of seams, which are tape sealed, and V-shaped wrist openings to up their coverage. There are two stretchy side panels for a close fit and the tail offers plenty of coverage.
Breathability and waterproofing are top notch for great performance, no matter how bad the weather gets. It’s everything you’d expect from a money-no-object rain jacket.
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Rapha Commuter
- £100 / $135 / AU$175 as tested
- Feature-packed jacket with smart details
- Range of bright colour choices (and black)
- Weighs 280g
Coming in at a surprisingly reasonable (for Rapha) price, the Commuter jacket is nevertheless a fully featured waterproof.
Designed, as the name suggests, for commuting, it’s available in a selection of bold colours – though black is still offered.
Features such as zipped front pockets, a relaxed fit and a hood that can be worn under a helmet help it stand out from standard road cycling jackets.
The jacket breathes reasonably well thanks to its 2.5-layer fabric and shoulder-width vent, but this isn’t a piece for fast road riding. The dropped tail also offers some protection from road spray and is covered with a reflective print for increased visibility.
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Santini Vega Multi Jacket
- £220 / $322 / €240 as tested
- Waterproof softshell
- Warm and cosy
- Weighs 325g
The Vega Multi jacket is a do-it-all softshell jacket with a waterproof rating of 5,000mm.
This is at the lower end of the scale for waterproofness, but it’s more of a multi-purpose cycling jacket designed to help you deal with the cold and wind as well, rather than something you only put on when it rains.
Think of it as a classic winter jersey with added waterproofing and it starts to make a lot of sense. As long as it’s not pouring for hours on end, the Vega Multi jacket can keep you warm and comfortable on those long winter rides.
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What to look for in a waterproof jacket for road cycling and commuting
A waterproof jacket used to mean a hard-shell garment made from a fabric that felt more like plastic. However, we’re now seeing the rise of the ‘jerket’ or rain jersey.
These are softshell tops that feel like a jersey but use a waterproof membrane or DWR (durable water repellent) treatment to repel precipitation.
Things would be easier if it were simply a matter of keeping the rain out, but pedalling makes you hot and sweaty, and the heat and moisture you generate need an escape route.
The trouble is, the properties that allow a waterproof jacket to keep the rain off also make it difficult to deal with the damp building up on the inside.
The ideal solution, therefore, is a cycling jacket that combines being waterproof with breathability, which is difficult, but by no means impossible. Some garments manage it by using advanced materials, others solve the problem by incorporating vents into their designs.
Aside from being waterproof and breathable, it’s worth seeking out a jacket that packs down into a tiny package that’s easy to stow. Better still, if the rain stops, you can take it off and put it away rather than keep wearing it long after it’s done its job.
How waterproof fabrics work
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.