Rapha Packable Waterproof Jacket

The Rapha Packable is a well made, good-looking, high-performance waterproof jacket that can be used on or off the bike.

When I received this jacket, the unthinkable happened: it was simply not raining in the UK. As two weeks went by with no rain I was starting to think that I would need to just put my turbo in the shower and see how it held up. Luckily, Glastonbury happened and of course, so did the rain. You've never seen a cyclist so happy to wake up on a Monday morning and see the clouds open.

As a waterproof jacket, it performs excellently, with water literally beading off it as you ride. I used it on a truly horrendous day (the British weather was presaging the recent Dusseldorf Tour de France Grand Depart) and it was amazing to see how well this jacket sheds water. Duck's back and all that. The Packable uses the same material that Rapha use in their Core Rain Jacket, and it seems to work just as well. Rapha have only claimed that it's a showerproof fabric, but I rode in the pouring rain with this on for at least an hour and it kept everything out. It also has fully taped seams and a nice high collar which certainly helps on this front.

Buy Rapha Pckable jacket

The breathability of the Packable jacket is also strong and I was very impressed with how it performed despite using it in very wet and warm conditions. At one point it was certainly too warm to wear the jacket, but even then I didn't get the 'boil-in-a-bag' feeling that often happens with waterproofs.

The fit is fairly relaxed, to the extent that I used it as a jacket off the bike too and didn't feel like it looked strange. It has a slightly elongated back, but not to the extent that it's obviously a cycling jacket.

Read more: The best waterproof cycling jackets — wet weather protection to suit all budgets

One thing worth noting is that it was a little tight around my shoulders when in the drops. I have wide shoulders for my height, but if you want to avoid this it may be worth sizing up or at least trying before you buy.

The jacket has some nice design features too, with easily hidden high viz elements such as cuff straps that can be hidden and a high viz collar that is simple to tuck away. It also has a strong, thick zip with a wind barrier behind. Rapha have included soft elasticated cuffs to both keep your wrists away from the irritation of the sleeve hems and also keeps out the water. In addition to these, it has two front pockets. That's something that you don't often see on cycling specific jackets, but is especially useful for a city jacket like this. There is even reinforcement around the hanging loop to stop the jacket losing its shape when hanging.

Much of the jacket's design lends itself perfectly to city riding and inside the signature quote is clearly about exactly that. I would be more than happy to walk into a pub wearing this jacket, which shows how versatile it is.

One of the selling points of the jacket is that it's packable and 'storable for emergencies'. It just about fits into a rear jersey pocket, but compared to others I have tried from companies like Chapeau! and Giro, it doesn't pack down nearly as small. However, given its city-specific design, this isn't much of an issue at all as it easily fits into most bags without taking up too much room.

RRP of the Rapha Packable is £160, which is expensive, but as we have come to expect from Rapha, you get what you pay for and the quality of construction and design goes some way to justifying this price tag.

Overall I was really impressed with the Rapha Packable. It is well designed for use both on and off the bike, it keeps out the elements and is has some strong features. Breathability is really impressive and it was great to watch the water bead off it in even the most torrential downpours.

Verdict

Well made, strong performing jacket, which works as well around the town as on a long ride