Rapha Brevet Gore-Tex Rain Jacket review - a trusty, packable waterproof for winter layering

A great jacket in so many ways, especially if you don’t mind the offset zip

Image shows a rider wearing the Rapha Brevet Gore-Tex Rain Jacket
(Image credit: Future)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

A great jacket that stacks up well against its (even more expensive) competition. The waterproofing is top notch, the breathability is great, and it scrunches up small enough to easily fit into a jersey pocket. The fit is a fairly relaxed cut for winter layering and more casual riding through summer showers; race-y types will be better suited by other jackets with a tighter fit. The pink retention band isn’t as effective for packing away the jacket as stuff sack and the offset zip is a little annoying – but neither of these are deal breakers for an otherwise excellent jacket.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Easily packable

  • +

    Incredibly waterproof

  • +

    Impressively lightweight

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Not quite as easy to pack as a stuff sack

  • -

    Quite pricey

  • -

    Offset zip takes getting used to

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Rapha’s Brevet Gore-Tex Rain Jacket is a highly effective waterproof with a slightly looser cut for accommodating winter layers and providing just a bit more all-round comfort. But despite its more endurance-focused credentials, the Brevet Gore-Tex Rain Jacket is still lightweight enough to easily stuff into a jersey pocket.

The breathability also ranks amongst the best waterproof cycling jackets we’ve tested – and so it should, utilising Gore-Tex’s 2L Paclite Plus fabric. Naturally, all this comes at a high price, but if you are after such a technical rain jacket, then that is simply the premium for this level of performance.

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