Pearl Izumi PRO AmFib Softshell Jacket

The Pearl Izumi PRO AmFIB Shell is much more than just a shell: it's amazingly water resistant thanks to the company's PI Dry treatment but it behaves and fits like a thermal long-sleeved jersey, making it ideal for three out of four UK seasons.

• Pros: Water resistant, breathable, form fitting, sleek looking
• Cons: Zipped centre pocket is counterintuitive

The PRO AmFIB Shell is a really versatile garment: it's stretchy, comfortable, form-fitting and insulated like a thermal long-sleeved jersey, but thanks to its high-tech water resistant treatment you don't need to take a separate rain/wind jacket out with you.

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We checked out Pearl Izumi's PI Dry treatment when it was launched in 2017, at that time only available with arm and leg warmers. Now extended to jackets as well as tights, the Shimano-owned brand clearly has Castelli's game-changing Nano Flex and Sportful's NoRain technology in its sights.

Pearl Izumi says the PRO AmFIB Shell is its most technical outer layer and the price certainly reflects this. However, it will earn its keep: I've been wearing it as my regular jacket this last month in all conditions. I've done dry three-hour rides as well as soggier ones in both chilly and milder temperatures. I would ride in it – adjusting layering as necessary – in anything from 15°C (the temperature below which legs and arms should be covered up according to the old pro rule) down to freezing.

Different coloured panels, bands, stripes, patterns and logos are conspicuous by their absence: the PRO AmFIB is strikingly plain, with just a reflective strip and a black zip surround at the rear breaking up the single colour. It is also made of a single fabric: Pearl Izumi's PRO three-layer, four-way-stretch AmFIB Softshell fabric which it says is windproof, water-resistant and 50 per cent more breathable than typical membranes.

I will insert my only criticisms of the jacket here. Neither this teal nor the atomic red – actually almost pink – are 'my' colour, leaving just black – which as an option can turn the high-vis brigade beyond atomic red with rage.

I also didn't get on with the zipped central pocket (there are three pockets in total). For many riders that's the one for the rolled-up gilet or the mini pump, not the phone. I appreciate that Pearl Izumi might be trying to highlight that you no longer need the rolled-up gilet, but it slightly upset my pocket organisation system.

On the subject of zips, the front one is two-way. This is a nice feature to have as long as it doesn't compromise the operation of the zip itself, but unfortunately it does. It's not as easy to get the zip started when it has to go through two pullers, and here the top one is stiffer than the bottom one. I would prefer Pearl to have kept it simpler (and lighter) with a one-way zip.

With those minor (and personal – you might love the colours) niggles out of the way, I will concentrate on the good – and there is much to concentrate on.

The fit of the size medium is exactly right for me (185cm, 68kg). The stretchy fabric means it can be worn with just a baselayer underneath or over another long-sleeved jersey.

The sleeve length is well judged: when stretched, the wrists stay covered and to help them stay that way there's a double cuff feature that keeps the wind and rain out when you're wearing gloves: an inner stays next to the skin while the outer goes over the gloves' cuff.

It would be nice if the collar had something similar: although it's a good height, it doesn't quite sit snug to the neck and with a bonded hem that's stiffer than the main fabric, it leaves a small gap. (It's not me in the photos.)

Reflectives are subtle but effective and are stylishly integrated into the jacket's design. The front strip is next to the zip and invisible by day, while a rear stripe is almost as discreet.

Performance and durability

I've been very impressed with the water resistance of the PRO AmFIB. You can see in the video how water beads and runs off the PI Dry-treated fabric when it's new. Pearl Izumi says that since its PI Dry treatment coats each individual fibre, the treatment will never wash off or lose its effectiveness and will last the life of the garment, but as with any DWR coating you've got to be very careful with the washing – no fabric softener. A few washes in with just liquid detergent, my test sample is still good and I intend to keep wearing it through the April showers to test the claim.

> Essential wet weather cycle clothing and gear

As I mentioned above, Pearl Izumi claims the PRO three-layer, four-way stretch AmFIB softshell fabric is windproof, water-resistant and 50 per cent more breathable than typical membranes. On the long, dry December club runs on which I've worn the Pearl Izumi, it kept heat in nicely at a slower chatting pace, while it didn't get clammy after harder efforts on the flat and up hills. Even though there are no extra windproof panels at the front or mesh at the rear – features used by some manufacturers to trap heat or let it escape – I always seemed to be riding at a comfortable temperature. The construction is actually fairly simple, as you can see from the photos – the performance is all down to the fabric and it just works.

Value

Yes, £200 is quite a lot to pay for a 'shoulder season' garment, but it's very versatile, will get a lot of use and should prove its worth spread over the course of a couple of seasons.

> Buyer's Guide: 29 of the best waterproof cycling jackets

It is slightly more expensive than some competitor shoulder season jackets that don't have waterproofing, such as the Assos Mille GT Spring/Fall, now £170, and Sportful's Strato, which is 'only' £155, but the Lusso Aqua Pro Extreme, which is waterproofed, also undercuts it with its £165 price tag.

Verdict

Even though I'm not overly enamoured with the teal colour or the rear zip pocket location, I can't fault the technical performance of the PRO AmFIB jacket. As long as it's neither Baltic nor Saharan out, this jacket will handle anything.

Verdict

Long-sleeved jersey and waterproof rolled into one, this jacket could sound the death knell for the traditional rain shell