Santini Guard Rain Jacket

Tell us what the jacket is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Santini says: "Now you have no more excuses; with our Guard jacket you can train and compete even in the rain! Made of an elastic fabric coupled to a breathable hydrophilic membrane to ensure maximum protection from rain and wind, Guard features thermos-taped stitching with a waterproof zipper to have you 100% covered! The inside collar and cuffs are made of soft and warm thermofleece. The reflective detail on the back ensures maximum visibility on the road in the dark. The side pocket with waterproof zipper allows you to carry everything you need with no risk of rain damage. Guard is super-light and pocketable making it easy to carry it in your jersey back pocket and has a slim fit which makes it ideal also when you race."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?

From Santini:

Fit - Super-slim aerodynamic cut and ultra-light construction make it ideal for speed when rain is forecast. Elongated back for added protection and elastic grippers to keep the bottom of the jersey in place.

Performance - Made from an elastic fabric coupled to a breathable hydrophilic membrane to ensure maximum protection from rain and wind. Reflective detail in the back ensures the maximum visibility on the road in the dark. Side pocket with waterproof zipper allows you to carry everything you need with no risk of rain damage.

Comfort - Engineered to keep you 100% dry while maintaining elasticity and above all breathability, to avoid the 'sauna effect' of lower quality rain jackets. Thermos-tape stitching with a waterproof zipper ensures no water will get through even after hours in the rain. The inside collar and cuffs are made of soft and warm thermofleece that is also treated with AcquaZero water guard.

Durability - Made from high quality locally sourced materials. Polyamide and spandex materials are long-lasting and won't lose their waterproof and formfitting qualities even after years of use. Made in Italy.

8 sizes from XS to 4XL

In grey, black or orange

All the seams are stitched, then heat-taped to keep the water out. The waterproof zip is neatly attached, with tape over the stitching for completion.

A surprising amount of weather protection for such a light garment. Wind resistance is excellent. Insulation is fairly light, but you may want that if you're already warmly layered. It only kept me dry for so long in really terrible Lake District conditions but I don't think the water came through the fabric – more likely down the neck.

It's a thin and light fabric so avoid abrasions. Thorns will make small plucks too. In normal road riding conditions it'll be fine.

Santini rates it 5 out of 5 for waterproofing. There was so much water about on the wettest ride I did in it, it's hard to say where it was all coming from and going to. Everyone was soaking wet, whatever they wore. A hose test showed the inside stayed dry even when the outer surface had wetted out.

Santini gives it 4 out of 5 for breathability and on that basis I'd say it's right. I did work up some condensation on milder, faster rides. A vented jacket might do better in these conditions, but that all adds bulk.

Santini says "Super-slim" but I've worn slimmer. There was a fair amount of space around the chest and arms. That's good for wearing over layers. For a bit of extra length I might have gone XL but that would have made the fit even less slim.

I fall between L and XL in Santini's size chart and that's where I'd say I ended up with this Large example. Good sleeve length, but a bit short around the bottom.

Amazing for the protection on offer. It rolls up small too and fits in a pocket.

I really enjoyed wearing this; there's plenty of stretch and give, and the cuffs and collar are well executed. The inner fabric feels a bit clingy against bare skin so if you're using it as a summer layer take that into account.

£160 isn't cheap, but it is an Italian made product.

How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

I worry about washing waterproof jackets for fear of ruining them, but having made a mess of the Guard I stuck it through on the normal programme and it came out fine – surface water still beaded ok.

Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It shrugs off the wind, the rain too if it doesn't get down your neck. Breathability is good for a non-vented jacket. Pleasant to wear, good-looking.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket

Packability, weather resistance, stylish looks and good quality.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket

I didn't particularly dislike anything but there were quite a few areas that could be tweaked.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Dave tested the Galibier Mistral Foul Weather jacket recently and loved it. That's half the price of the Santini. Then again, you pay another £100 or so for the Gore Shakedry and jackets made with the same Gore fabric.

Use this box to explain your overall score

I've picked quite a few faults with this, as I think that if you're shelling out £160 you need to know the full picture, but actually I think it's a very good jacket and you'll find it useful all year round.