The best mountain bike jackets are an investment you will never regret, especially when it starts tipping down halfway through an already wet and muddy winter ride. Whether you’re looking for breathability when working hard, packability so your jacket is always on hand, or something that can withstand the heaviest rain, we’ve got you covered with these extensively tested and reviewed options.

Pair any one of these jackets with some of the best mountain bike trousers and you’ll have no fear of getting out there on splashy trails.

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Best MTB jackets – quick list

• Best overall MTB jacket – Gorewear Endure
• Best breathable MTB jacket – Endura GV500
• Best budget MTB jacket – Madison Roam
• Best women’s MTB jacket – Madison DTE

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1. Gorewear Endure Gore-Tex jacket

Best overall mountain bike jacket

Weight: 298g | Sizes: S-XXL | Colours: Orange, green, grey, blue, black/red, neon yellow, black | Breathability rating: n/a  | Waterproof rating: 28,000mm  | Rating: 10/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Super build quality
    • Silky fabric
    • Drier than a Martini

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Zip pulls are small and slippery
    • Expensive

The Gorewear Endure uses the latest Paclite Plus, which means it’s really comfy to ride in thanks to the inherent stretch in the fabric. Indeed, the Endure is luxuriously soft to the touch, both inside and out, and there’s none of the crackling, snapping sound you used to get from Gore-Tex of old.

Couple the comfort with first class waterproofing and the Endure is a winning jacket. For something so lightweight and minimal it’s ridiculously good at keeping the water out, which makes it one of the best jackets for those big days in the mountains when it’s going to be soggy. The Endure isn’t small enough to cram into you pocket, but it does a ruddy good job being unobtrusive on your back.

Read our full review of the Gore Endure Gore-Tex jacket.

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2. Endura GV500 Waterpoof Jacket

Best MTB jacket for breathability

Weight: 238g | Sizes: XS-XXL | Colours: Red, green, black | Breathability rating: 40,000g  | Waterproof rating: 20,000mm  | Rating: 10/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Extremely breathable
    • Lightweight

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Slender fit
    • Single pocket

Although the GV prefix here places this jacket in Endura’s gravel range, it actually works brilliantly as a mountain bike outer layer. Lightweight and minimal, the no-nonsense GV500 is nicely tailored, so it doesn’t flap about and works well in a more stretched position.

Yes, there’s only one pocket, but the fabric performance more than makes up for it, being super breathable and more than capable of withstanding a typical rainy day’s ride.

Read our full test review of the Endura GV500 Waterproof jacket

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3. Rapha Trail Gore-Tex Infinium

Most stylish mountain bike jacket

Sizes: XS-XXL | Weight: 326g | Breathability rating: N/A  | Waterproof rating: N/A  | Rating: 10/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Excellent breathability and waterproofing
    • No unnecessary features
    • Backed up by excellent after-care

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Comes at a price
    • Limited pockets

The Rapha Trail is an expensive investment, but it delivers serious performance. It wicks moisture very effectively. During testing, when we took one of the other jackets off and put this one on, we actually started to cool down, it’s that good.

It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it fits really well; there’s no excess bulk in the front and you can easily wear this all day or just pack and hack. It’s a clean, efficient waterproof jacket and highly recommended.

Read our full review of the Rapha Trail Gore-Tex Infinium jacket

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4. Madison DTE Women’s

Best women’s jacket

Sizes: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Weight: 475g | Breathability rating: 20,000g  | Waterproof rating: 20,000mm  | Rating: 10/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Great fit and protection

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Lack of features

Madison’s DTE jacket won our women’s waterproof test, with its three-layer construction proving a match for the worst of a British winter. Our tester praised the hood for having enough room for long hair or a ponytail, and came away extremely impressed with the performance of the Durable Waterproof Repellent coating, with water sheeting off the surface perfectly. A heavy duty jacket, the DTE is the ideal match for even the most stinking of winter days. The jacket to reach for before every wet ride.

Read our full test review of Madison DTE Women’s jacket

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5. Madison Roam 2.5 jacket

Best budget winter jacket

Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL | Weight: 355g | Breathability rating: 10,000g  | Waterproof rating: 10,000mm  | Rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Great price/performance ratio
    • Packed with features and good breathability for a two-layer jacket

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Looks a bit army surplus
    • Superfluous rear pocket

With relatively modest claims for waterproofness and breathability, we didn’t have high expectations for the Madison Roam 2.5 jacket when we tested it. But it outperformed its rivals with higher specs in the real world, keeping water out and allowing sweat to escape effectively.

Madison has added a useful hood and pockets – although the rear pocket is overkill – while the cut allows plenty of movement without hanging like an old sack. For the money it’s a great winter jacket.

Read our full test review of the Madison Roam 2.5 jacket

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6. 7Mesh Chilco Thermal anorak

Best jacket for freezing temperatures

Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL | Weight: 380g | Breathability rating: N/A  | Waterproof rating: N/A  | Rating: 10/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Amazing drying ability
    • Windproof
    • Perfect sweet spot of ventilation and warmth
    • Looks cool and modern
    • 7Mesh repair service

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Expensive
    • Kangaroo front pocket is thin and heavier items pull it out of shape easily
    • Fabric washes well but can get snagged over time
    • Not a waterproof, per se

The 7Mesh Chilco is a favourite of two of our product testers, both of whom live and ride in Yorkshire, where the winters are proper, lad. It’s a soft-shell pullover design with a textured fabric to increase the surface area, trapping air and allowing sweat to escape more easily like a radiator.

It works really well over a wide range of temperatures, and dries exceptionally fast, so while it’s not designed to be waterproof, it still works for the odd shower. Only the kangaroo pocket misses the mark, as anything stored inside will pull the fabric down and flap about on descents.

Read our full test review of the 7Mesh Chilco Thermal Anorak

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7. 7Mesh Skypilot

Best money-no-object waterproof jacket

Weight: 253g | Sizes: XS-XXL | Colours: Green, beige, blue | Breathability rating: 25,000g  | Waterproof rating: 28,000mm  | Rating: 9/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • High performance breathability and waterproofness
    • Lovely fabric feel
    • Superlight

Reasons to avoid:

• • • It’s very expensive
    • Zip pulls can loosen and fray

7Mesh stuff ain’t cheap. It’s a relatively small brand formed by folk who used to work at Arc-teryx, that now designs specific cycling gear in Squamish, BC. The general vibe of 7Mesh is one of no-compromise. Take the fabric – Gore-Tex Active – it’s pretty much the best full three-layer fabric that Gore-Tex makes. This alone forces the high price tag, due to its unbeatable rating for both waterproofness and breathability. A rating that’s backed up by some of the best performance we’ve ever experienced in testing.

The cut is on the loose side, but the light nature of the fabric means it’s not annoying or bunchy. And while the initial cost is high, 7Mesh’s offer amazing after-sales care, repair, and warranty, so as an investment, it’s a sound one.

Read our full test review of the 7Mesh Skypilot

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8. Fox Defend 3L Water

Best waterproof mountain bike jacket for e-bike use

Sizes: S-XXL | Weight: 600g | Breathability rating: 10,000g | Waterproof rating: 10,000mm | Rating: 9/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Excellent pooling of water on fabric surface
    • Reinforced Cordura fabric panels on elbows
    • Extended rear coverage
    • Full protection for all-day epics in the wet

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Hood toggles are hard to adjust
    • A weight penalty for this level of protection
    • Requires careful layering
    • Expensive

The Fox Defend 3L Water is a serious jacket for the wettest weather and filthiest conditions. It’s a fully-featured hardshell jacket, using an in-house 3 layer laminated fabric, with taped seams and waterproof zips all round. At 600g it’s not light, but this figure is realistic considering the protection that it gives.

Although the fabric’s performance ratings are only average (10K/10K for waterproofing/breathability), the DWR coating is impressive, pooling water and didn’t ‘wet out’ over our test period. There are generous pit zips to allow airflow when heat builds up. And the Defend can be a warm jacket, with our tester noting that careful strategy of layering beneath it is needed, on all but the coldest days.

A generous hood is standard and fits over a bulky trail helmet, along with adjustable cuffs and zipped hand water pockets. This Fox jacket is one to put on at the start of a wet ride and leave on – it deals with spray from the trail, rain and mud. If you’re a year-round e-bike rider, the Fox Defend 3L jacket makes perfect sense and is a sound long-term investment.

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9. Scott Explorair Light Dryo 3 Layer jacket

Best hooded waterproof mountain bike jacket for packability

Sizes: S-XXL | Weight: 374g | Breathability rating: 30,000g | Waterproof rating: 30,000mm | Rating: 9/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Packable and compressible
    • Dual-use hood
    • Excellent hem adjusters
    • Minimal cuff design

Reasons to avoid:

• • • No armpit vents
    • A touch short at the back
    • Elbow pads are a tight fit

Scott’s Explorair Light Dryo 3 layer jacket is a lightweight take on a hooded mountain bike jacket. At 374g for our test sample it’s over 200g lighter than the heavy duty Fox Defend 3L Water jacket, so it makes for a packable, compressible option for year-round use. Pop it in your waist pack in the summer or wear it from the start on wet days.

As its name suggests, the Explorair jacket uses an in-house DRYOsphere 3 ply membrane, with high waterproof and breathability ratings. The outer polyester fabric has a ripstop weave and is made from recycled materials. Waterproofing is excellent – with the DWR remaining intact after a few washes. It also has very good breathability; when the pace hots up, you do stay pretty cool, which is good news as the Explorair doesn’t have any pit zips.

It may be a more pared-back design but it’s equipped with a clever dual-use hood (that works well under or over a trail helmet), a Napoleon chest pocket and two generous side pockets. The only compromise for some will be the fit – it comes up a little short at the rear hem, and the slim-fitting arms means elbow pads are a tight fit.

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10. Endura MT500 Waterproof Jacket II

Best waterproof mountain bike jacket for size choices

Sizes: XS-XXXL | Weight: 433g | Breathability rating: 40,000g | Waterproof rating: 20,000mm | Rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • A proven blend of durability and fabric performance
    • Packed full of features
    • Huge range of sizes
    • Women’s fit option available
    • 90 day satisfaction guarantee

Reasons to avoid:

• • • A bulky jacket
    • Can feel hot when working hard

Endura’s MT500 waterproof jacket has a long-standing reputation for keeping you dry and protected in the wettest weather. Designed and tested in Scotland, this hooded and fully-featured jacket is a core garment in Endura’s MT500 mountain bike lineup and has been refined and tweaked over the years. The brand is so confident in the result, that it offers a 90 day satisfaction guarantee with this jacket.

This jacket is packed with features, with every one being well thought through. A helmet-compatible hood, well-placed pockets and decent sized vents showcase the attention to detail we often see in Endura’s clothing.

The MT500 jacket uses Endura’s ExoShell40 fabric, an in-house three-layer laminate with a rip-stop face fabric, a PU membrane and textured inner layer to help draw moisture away from the skin. To further vent heat there are mesh panels on the backside of the pockets, as well as two long pit zips. Although the fabric has very good breathability and waterproof figures, the MT500 isn’t the coolest running jacket when you’re working hard – our tester felt it’s ideal for colder, wetter days in exposed terrain. Alternatively, just like the Fox Defend 3L Water jacket, this would be an ideal option for e-bike use.

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11. Endura Singletrack Jacket II

Best value fully-featured jacket with a hood

Weight: 456g (M) | Sizes: XS-XXL | Breathability rating: 20,000g | Waterproofing rating: 10,000mm | Rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Plenty of room for layering up underneath
    • Breathability out-performed our expectations
    • Effective zipped ventilation
    • Ample pocket storage

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Hood can’t be folded away when not in use
    • Not the most packable jacket
    • Generous cut may not suit all riders

As with Endura’s MT500 garments, its Singletrack range has a mountain bike focus but with lower-spec fabrics, and more affordable price tags. And just like the well regarded MT500 II waterproof jacket, the Singletrack II is equipped with a non-removable hood, well-placed storage pockets and zipped vents. Both are mid weight, fully-featured jackets that aren’t the most packable – a garment to put on at the start of a wet ride, and leave on. Where the two jackets differ is in the fabric choice, attention to detail, and range of sizes available.

The Singletrack II jacket uses Endura’s ExoShell 20 laminated fabric, with lower specs (than the MT500 jacket) for both breathability and waterproofing. The superfine tricot lining has a soft feel, boosting comfort on bare arms when a short sleeve top is worn beneath the jacket. Our tester found the Singletrack II ran impressively cool considering the weight and the fabric stats, with the zippered vents working very effectively.

With a generous fit, there’s ample space for layering up on a colder day but this does mean it’s slightly baggy, with excess fabric flapping about. This will suit many riders but if you’re a slimmer build this may be a compromise.

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12. Specialized Trail SWAT jacket

Best wind-resistant, packable jacket

Weight: 156g | Sizes: XS-XXL | Breathability rating: N/A | Waterproofing rating: N/A | Rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy:

• • • Lightweight
    • Compact: 20cm x 7.5cm packed size
    • Ripstop fabric with stretch
    • Under-helmet hood
    • Chest pocket doubles up as pack bag

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Not waterproof
    • No storm flap on main zip
    • Expensive for a windshell

With an emphasis on functionality over frills, the Specialized Trail SWAT jacket is a stripped down wind-resistant shell with a cut to suit mountain biking. The lightweight ripstop fabric isn’t a waterproof laminate but has a DWR surface coating to help shed water. The result is a shell jacket that acts as a barrier against wind and light rain, prioritising low weight and breathability.

Specialized hasn’t removed every feature from the SWAT Trail Jacket though. There’s a hood that works under (not over) a helmet to help seal in heat on blustery days and a chest pocket that doubles up as a pack pocket. When packed away, this compact shell slides into a pocket or tucks into a downtube storage compartment.

This type of jacket excels when riding under tree cover, where you’re not as exposed to the elements, and windchill or heavy rain makes less of an impact on you. At £110, it’s an expensive option for a windshell that will be used as a supplement to a proper waterproof, but it’s a type of jacket we frequently grab for typically changeable UK weather.

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13. 7Mesh Copilot

Best premium, lightweight, Gore-Tex jacket

Weight: 265g | Sizes: XS-XXL

Reasons to buy:

• • • First class construction
    • Proven Gore-Tex fabric
    • Minimal, stripped-back design
    • Dries quickly
    • Women’s version available

Reasons to avoid:

• • • Over-helmet hood flaps about
    • No vents
    • Only one pocket
    • Expensive

The 7Mesh CoPilot is a packable jacket built from Gore-Tex Paclite Plus fabric, so has excellent breathability and proven waterproofing integrity. It’s a stripped-back design but it’s not a delicate super-light option that compromises on durability – the CoPilot has longevity in its DNA. To reduce weight and bulk, the CoPilot has minimal features. There’s just one rear pocket which the jacket can pack down into for transport and no vents.

7Mesh sits at the premium end of the market and is known for its quality and attention to detail. Our tester noted the taped seams and stitching are immaculately finished, although the cut of the garment was a touch baggier in the body than other test jackets of the same size.

Gore-Tex has a reputation for reliable waterproofing and this jacket proved itself over our test period. Our tester pulled the CoPilot on during some pretty filthy winter rides and it easily coped with the conditions. He also found that it dries really quickly, which means that once the rain stops you won’t have to stuff a wet jacket back in your pack.

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Other mountain bike jackets to consider

The Madison Roam 2.5 is this UK brand’s mid-weight, hooded mountain bike jacket. When we reviewed it in the winter of 2022 it had a price tag of £79.99, so one of the few from that group test under the £100 mark. The Roam jacket promised plenty, with long, zipped vents, an over-helmet hood and a lightweight 2.5 layer fabric. It packed down small too. However, our tester felt the jacket ‘ran warm’, and the fabric and design was compromised, letting in water in heavy rain. Madison looks to have updated this jacket now, with a stretch fabric, naming it the Roam 2-Layer waterproof jacket.

Another established UK brand in the mountain biking apparel world is Altura. We tested the Altura Ridge Pertex, its premium jacket, selling at £150. It had many similarities to the Madison Roam 2.5, including a generous over-helmet hood and long vents. The premium Pertex Shield fabric bumps the price of the Altura jacket up though and our tester noted that although the material has good waterproofing, the jacket is not that breathable. You really need to regulate the temperature with careful layering as the Ridge Pertex jacket was one of the hottest and heaviest jackets on test.

We were impressed with the lightweight (but expensive) Specialized Trail SWAT wind-resistant jacket but the Specialized Trail Rain jacket didn’t score as well. This is another 2.5-layer jacket, with a polyester face fabric bonded to a waterproof and breathable membrane – it’s a good looker and well priced, but let down by a poor fit and the basic fabric. Although the looser cut allows for multiple layers beneath, or elbow pads, our test notes revealed that the design of the hood, cuffs and storm flap all need reworking.

Rab has a long-standing reputation in the outdoor world and has recently launched the Cinder range of clothing, focused on mountain biking and gravel riding. Alice Burwell tested the women’s Cinder Borealis and found it to be a well cut, lightweight, packable, windproof jacket that’s let down by a couple of details. Our tester noted the excellent figure-hugging women’s specific cut and neat details but disliked the lack of chest/front pocket. She struggled to stuff the jacket into its specific ‘pack pocket’ which was her main criticism.

Until recently it was rare for the ‘moto’ brands to offer a high performance waterproof, breathable jacket, with their focus mostly on jerseys, shorts and racewear. However, Troy Lee Designs, Alpinestars, Fox and 100%, can now equip you with suitable jackets.

First up is the Alpinestar Sierra, another mid-weight, hooded jacket constructed from a 2.5 layer fabric and offering plenty of protection. We found it packs down easily, making it a year-round option but the fabric spec of 10k waterproofness and 5k breathability is very low for a jacket with a £200+ price tag. A few niggles with the features and fabric’s DWR coating knocked its overall rating down.

The Fox Ranger 2.5L Water is a hooded jacket that’s a lighter weight offering to the brand’s Defend 3L Water. However, at 431g our tester noted that the Ranger was the heaviest 2.5 layer jacket on test. It’s packed with features, including two absolutely huge zippered front hand pockets which contribute to the weight. The Ranger 2.5L Water has clean lines and is certainly a looker, but it’s let down by poor fabric breathability which is not helped by the lack of additional venting.

We’re fans of Troy Lee Design kit here at MBR, with many of this brand’s garments and helmets scoring highly – the Resist Pant is a favourite. The TLD Shuttle jacket is a wind resistant jacket, with a sporty cut and stretchy fabric. It will shrug a shower off, and just like the Specialized Trail SWAT jacket it excels when working hard on the bike, especially under tree cover. However, the TLD Shuttle is heavier than the Specialized jacket – even though it lacks a hood – and doesn’t shed water as well, or pack up as small.

The 100% Hydromatic is a jacket that we reckon you’ll wear for the full ride. With a generously-sized hood and pockets, this is one of the more affordable jackets that works well on an e-bike – especially in colder, wetter weather. Although the Hydromatic has a sub 400g weight (for our review sample), it is bulky when packed and like many of the 2.5 layer membrane jackets on test, careful layering is needed as it can feel warm and clammy when working hard.

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How we test the best mountain bike jackets

There are a couple key tests we do to all waterproof clothing. The first is to verify the pooling on the DWR (durable water-repellent) coating on the face fabric by spraying all of our test jackets with water and gauging the run-off. This coating does wear out and wash off, so we test this again by riding several times in each jacket and putting it through a spin cycle.

We tested the waterproofness by immersing a section of the fabric in a shower for 20 minutes. Several back-to-back test rides were undertaken in each jacket to gauge breathability and condensation and heat build-up.

What to look for in the best mountain bike jackets

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘there’s so such thing as bad weather, only the wrong type of clothing’, and that rings true for mountain biking as any outdoor activity. But there are probably few disciplines placing such extreme, and often conflicting, demands on foul weather clothing as riding bikes in the dirt.

Not only does a mountain bike jacket have to protect you from the elements, it needs to process sweat generated by your body too. It has to be durable enough to endure being sprayed by abrasive pellets of mud and dirt, and resistant to rips and tears when you crash, yet, ideally, lightweight and packable into a pocket or bag. An obvious aspect to prioritise is water resistance. And while that’s crucial, we’d argue that waterproofing should never come at the expense of breathability, since you’ll only get soaked on the inside if your jacket can’t manage the heat you generate on a climb.

The reason jackets can be both waterproof and breathable is down to the size of the water molecules. Water droplets are larger than moisture vapour molecules, so by designing the size of the fabric weave, a jacket can block the rain while also allowing sweat to escape. Most quality waterproof jackets are built from a laminate fabric, which consists of a waterproof/breathable membrane either sandwiched between two layers (three- layer jacket) or stuck to the inside of one (two-layer or 2.5-layer). The membrane is the part that keeps rain out while allowing sweat to escape.

Are jackets tested for waterproofness and breathability?

To help define a jacket’s performance, standardised lab tests have been developed. For waterproofness, this involves putting a piece of fabric under a 1in diameter tube and filling it with water until it leaks through. The height at which the water starts to penetrate the fabric is its hydrostatic head. Hence a 20,000mm jacket can withstand a column of water up to 20m high.

For breathability, the test examines how much water vapour can pass through 1m2 of fabric in 24 hours. So a 3,000g jacket lets through 3kg of water in 24 hours. Some brands publish the figures for their garments, but these tests don’t always tell the full story, as they can relate to the fabric itself rather than the performance across a specific garment taking into account zips, pockets and seams, which can alter performance.

What is a DWR?

Stands for durable water repellent and is a hydrophobic fabric treatment that helps any water to bead into droplets and run off the surface rather than collecting in pools and wetting-out, which impedes the transfer of water vapour (sweat).

How important is a hood?

While not essential, a hood (either fixed or removable) prevents water running down your neck and keeps heat in. They are designed to fit either over the top or underneath the helmet, so need to be either pretty tight against your head or generously sized with a means of tightening down. This means they need adjustment, which usually takes the form of drawstrings or pull toggles, located on the crown, rear, sides, chin or combination of these, to get the best fit.

So vents must be pretty important, right?

To a degree, yes, although the most breathable jackets we’ve tested rarely have vents, as it’s actually the fabric (usually Gore-Tex Pro or Infinium) that makes the biggest difference. Vents are often used as a way of introducing airflow to a jacket with poor breathability. Mechanical venting can include zipped vents at the front and exhaust slits on the back. Armpit vents are also popular and some jackets also have mesh-lined pockets, so simply opening them can also increase airflow.

Certain fabrics (such as Gore- Tex Active) breathe better with a pressure differential between the interior and exterior, in which case keeping everything zipped up actually helps keep you cool in the long run.

What should I look for in a zip?

Lots of jackets have waterproof zips, but some companies add a storm flap as a second line of defence. These are effective, but if they’re too narrow or flimsy they can snag in the zip. Also look for a zip gutter (garage) and/or a fleecy area at the collar – this stops the sharp end of the zip scratching your neck.

A zip gutter (garage) is a little pocket at the top of the zip that the zip tag goes into when it’s fully done up, which stops it irritating your neck. It usually comes hand in hand with a storm flap, which is usually on the inside but on some of the heavy-duty, threep-layer jackets you also get one on the outside.

How is water prevented from leaking through the seams?

Most quality waterproof jackets are built from a laminate fabric, which consists of a waterproof/breathable membrane which is either sandwiched between two nylon layers or stuck to the inside of one. To ensure full waterproofness, the seams are then taped on the inside. It’s worth noting that the reason manufacturers recommend you only wash the jacket at a certain maximum temperature is because it can melt the glue used on this tape.

What’s the difference between a 2 layer, 2.5 layer and a 3 layer jacket?

A two-layer fabric is made up an outer face fabric bonded to the waterproof membrane, usually with a mesh liner hanging inside. On a 2.5-layer, the mesh liner is replaced with a micro (or half) layer, which is either bonded or printed onto the membrane. A three-layer jacket has a third layer attached to the membrane, which usually has some form of texture or open weave to help draw out moisture, promos wicking and feel good next to the skin.

Do I really need pockets?

Not if you use a pack, but we’d always go for a jacket with at least one pocket on the front, as they’re incredibly useful. Some jackets have a ton of pockets, while some have none. There are side pockets for keys, a phone or tools, a big rear pocket to stuff the whole lot in, or even a Napoleon chest pocket for putting your hand in, like er… Napoleon.

How should I care for/wash my waterproof/Gore-Tex jacket?

Since jackets are expensive, it makes sense to take care of them. The best way to prolong the life of your waterproof jacket is to wash it in either pure soap liquid (available from most supermarkets) or a specialist detergent such as Nikwax Tech Wash. Use a low temp (30º) and either air dry or tumble dry on low. Wash-in reproofers are also available to restore the DWR should you notice that water is no longer beading on your jacket.

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