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review
£200.00
VERDICT:
A fantastic lightweight jacket with impressive breathability
Weight:
188g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Rapha Pro Team Light weight Shadow Jacket is a very impressive piece of kit for wind protection, waterproofing, packability and breathability, and though it comes at a hefty price it's still cheaper than some rivals.
- Pros: Very impressive weatherproofing, packable, great breathability
- Cons: Expensive, two-way zip can be a little fiddly
I tested out the last iteration of the Rapha Shadow kit and I was really impressed with how it held up, but one slight negative was that the material was very thick and meant it tended to crease to strange shapes. I was really interested in seeing how Rapha had fared using the fabric to create a lightweight jacket.
Well, what was fairly thick is now paper thin. I was initially a little worried about its ruggedness, but after dozens of rides and stuffing it in pockets it still looks as good as when I first took it out of the packet.
Luckily Rapha has managed to reduce the thickness of the material without reducing its effectiveness, and the jacket took everything that the weather could throw at it.
Waterproofing comes from using yarns that have already been given a durable water repellent (DWR) treatment, before the entire jacket is treated again once it has been made. Rapha doesn't claim that it's completely waterproof, and only strategic seams have been taped, but I found that it kept everything out regardless of the intensity of the rain. I even used it during a thunderstorm and although the rest of me was drenched, my top half stayed perfectly dry.
Obviously a key element of a packable jacket is the windproofing, and the jacket is similarly impressive in this area. On several days when the mercury was refusing to rise I used the jacket to keep the bite off and it did it very effectively. Similarly, it was great to pull out of a jersey pocket and put on as I reached the top of a climb to protect me on the descent.
Talking of packability, the jacket folds down small enough to fit into a jersey pocket easily, and there were several rides where it was off and on more than Nigel Farage's political career. It was simple to get on, although the zip is slightly fiddly as it's a two-way design so you have to align the two zip pulls first, making it a little more tricky to do while riding than others.
Breathability is superb, helped by how thin the material is, and I would go as far as saying that this is the most breathable jacket I have ever tested – and I've owned or reviewed 40 or more similar products. (Ashia found the women's version less so in her testing – she thought the breathability was good, but not as impressive as a Sportful windproof).
Rapha has included some nice features on the jacket too, such as reflective elements on the back and front – something that the previous Shadow kit missed.
There is also a wind guard/baffle behind the zip, in addition to a zip garage, which kept out wind and rain. On the collar a softer cotton material helps prevent any discomfort on the neck.
With an RRP of £200, it's an expensive jacket. However, when you consider how light but also how waterproof and windproof it is, it goes some way to justifying it. It compares favourably to the 7mesh Rebellion Jacket, for example, which comes in a full £80 more. That is made with Gore-Tex Active, but there's barely anything in it when it comes to waterproofing.
You could also compared it to the Endura Pro SL Shell Jacket II that Jack looked at a couple of months ago. The Endura is £35 cheaper, but the Rapha is as waterproof and trumps it for both packability and breathability.
> Buyer's Guide: 21 of the best waterproof cycling jackets
Overall, the Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Shadow Jacket is a great garment; there is no getting around the price, but it's easily one of the best lightweight jackets I have tested. Its breathability combined with weatherproofing is a real indication of the thought put in by Rapha's designers. The price will be higher than many will be prepared to pay, and the zip can be a bit fiddly, but these are minor gripes considering how good this jacket is.
Verdict
A fantastic lightweight jacket with impressive breathability
road.cc test report
Make and model: Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Shadow Jacket
Size tested: Medium
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?
It's a high performance lightweight jacket designed for serious cyclists or road racers.
Rapha says, 'An extremely lightweight, packable layer for wet-weather protection when riding and racing.'
In my opinion this doesn't really do it full justice as Rapha doesn't even mention the breathability!
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?
Rapha lists:
Taped seams in key areas for water resistance
Collar lined with breathable mesh
Grosgrain hanger loop for quick drying
Reflective detailing on the rear
Wrap around reflective armband
Two-way zip
Elasticated hem and cuffs
Nylon 61%
Elastane 39%
Rate the jacket for quality of construction:
9/10
Very well made – thin jackets can sometimes be awkward, with things like zips getting caught or seams stretching, but there is no hint of that here.
Rate the jacket for performance:
10/10
Fantastic performance; I couldn't ask for any more in terms of weatherproofing or breathability.
Rate the jacket for durability:
7/10
I used this almost every day and it didn't get damaged at all, but it is a thin jacket so it warrants a little extra care, and I'd be surprised if it survived a crash.
Rate the jacket for waterproofing based on the manufacturer's rating:
8/10
Rapha claims this is not completely waterproof, but in the real world there was nothing that got through; unless you're trying to scuba dive in it you should be fine.
Rate the jacket for breathability based on the manufacturer's rating:
10/10
Rapha doesn't give a rating for breathability, but this is the most breathable lightweight jacket I have used.
Rate the jacket for fit:
8/10
Plenty of stretch in the fabric means that it sits nicely when riding.
Rate the jacket for sizing:
8/10
The medium size I tested fitted as I would expect.
Rate the jacket for weight:
8/10
It's not Gore Shakedry light (127g), but it's possibly a bit more durable for it, and 188g for a jacket is still impressive for how weatherproof the jacket is.
Rate the jacket for comfort:
8/10
Nice comfort features like elasticated cuffs, a zip barrier, and a soft material around the collar.
Rate the jacket for value:
6/10
It's expensive, you can't get around it, but it's £80 less than the 7Mesh and performs just as well.
How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Easy, I put it through a wash at 30 degrees a couple of times without it losing its waterproofing or looks.
Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well, I was incredibly impressed with how it performed.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket
The breathability is fantastic.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket
The two-way zip can be a little fiddly to join while riding.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It compares favourably to the 7mesh Rebellion Jacket which comes in a full £80 more expensive. That uses Gore-Tex Active fabric, but I would argue that there's barely anything in it when it comes to waterproofing. The Endura Pro SL Shell Jacket II that Jack looked at a couple of months ago is £35 cheaper, but the Rapha trumps it for both packability and breathability.
Did you enjoy using the jacket? Yes
Would you consider buying the jacket? Yes
Would you recommend the jacket to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
An excellent jacket that does everything you need a lightweight jacket to. It keeps out the weather, has excellent breathability and packs down small enough to fit easily in a jersey pocket. It's even cheaper than some rivals, too.
About the tester
Age: 29
I usually ride: Cinelli Gazzetta My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I've been riding for: Under 5 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking
George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between.
Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.
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15 comments
The 2 way zip looks like it's the same as the one on my insulated jacket, so watch out for the bottom zip wearing a hole in your bibs like it's done to mine. I've had to start wearing it with the bottom zip undone a few inches which isn't ideal
I am tempted by one of these at the current sale price but not convinced by the longevity of the waterproofing.
How is this jacket going to hold up after a year or two of use?
The reviewers do their best but how long term really are the tests? (The reviewer mentions only having washed the jacket twice) And how many really wet days do they actually test stuff like this in?
I probably need to just bite the bullet and shell out for a Shakedry.
I'm asking myself the same questions.
Do you think a shakedry will be as breathable and comfortable as this ? If yes it would probably be a better long term investment.
I didn't test this jacket but own a shakedry and hand on heart: in a closet full of cycling kit, nothing comes remotely close in terms of waterproofing and breathabilty. Only two drawbacks: 1) looks like a bin bag (I think they do colours too nowadays) and 2) it's sturdier than it looks but if you come off the bike or hit pointy branches while riding gravel then it will rip for sure and is a write-off.
Washed it maybe 30 times, just keeps going, contrary to all the DWR-stuff.
I'd get a very breathable, non waterproof jersey at a fraction of the price that this Rapha kit sells for, then combine with a shakedry jacket that stows in a small pocket.
For anyone looking, Gore have up to 50% off some Shakedry jackets on their website today, limited colours and sizes. I've just ordered a C7 for £119.
@philhubbard What types of fabrics are you talking about ? Any news if they're now available ?
Cheers
Hi @totogtr, sorry I missed this. Not for cycling yet unfortunately, the North Face Futurelight fabric is only available in their Ski and Mountaneering range but they are normally fairly good at sharing knowledge pretty quickly. Rab also have a similar waterproof "softshell" fabric called Pro-Flex which gives similar stats.
Gore-tex have also redesigned their fabrics to provide three different levels (similar to Paclite, "Sport", Pro and Shakedry) and it looks like Shakedry will be getting an update soon. Obviously Shakedry will still be the most breathable as it doesn't have any backing on the fabric so it means it can breathe easier. I would expect new fabrics from Pertex soon as the shield+ has been brought down to 185g for a fully featured outdoor jacket so someone should be able to go sub-100g for a cycling jacket pretty soon!
Just to keep people happy, with the use of Shakedry and the new waterproof C-Knit from Gore-tex we should be able to get colours on Shakedry and more visibility real soon!
What is the point of not taping all the seams?
Tape doesn't breathe and also the stretchier jacket the more likely the tape is to stetch and split/tear.
Also, on the waterproofing point, in the UK a garment only has to have a HH of 1500mm to be classed as waterproof. Most DWR fabrics will be higher than this but most brands class it as a showerproof to cover their backs and lower their return rates.
Also, on the mythical fabric point, people are getting there. From August this year there will be fabrics with a HH of around 10,000mm with an MVRT of around 40,000mm and that should be continuously improving so I would envision within two-three years we can get a 15-20,000mm HH with a 50,000mm MVRT rating, but then people will just complain that it doesn't last very long and it's not cheap enough....
Nice looking jacket.
You don’t need a fully waterproof fabric for a jacket that’s going to be used for exercise, you’re going to sweat so being fully waterproof is fairly pointless. What you need is something that is breathable first and will stop you getting soaked. It’s why jackets like the gabba do well.
Rapha have developed something good with the shadow fabric, it works well. Whether it’s a better choice than the gore active etc shakedry is probably the question. Certainly it will be an easier material to make something fit snugly with.
The part of this review that matters is:
"Rapha doesn't claim that it's completely waterproof, and only strategic seams have been taped, but I found that it kept everything out regardless of the intensity of the rain. I even used it during a thunderstorm and although the rest of me was drenched, my top half stayed perfectly dry."
But you guys just keep on wanking away about how much you know about fabrics. I'm sure everyone's really impressed.
It's grey, the same colour as the sky in Britain, what madness!
You've got to love someone who hasn't worn a jacket, but who still knows more than the reviewer about how well it performed...
This isn't a waterproof jacket.
It may have a very good DWR finish (PFAS based no doubt), but without a membrane or coating it likely won't have a hydrostatic head much more than 1000mm. I'm not saying that it isn't a good garment, but as Rapha quite correctly state on their website, it is "water resistant" rather than waterproof. As such, it's misleading to compare it to the 7Mesh and other waterproof garments. Not sure why they taped the seams either, seems like unneccessary weight and cost for a non-waterproof garment.