Review: Rapha Men’s Brevet Gore-Tex Rain Jacket

The Rapha Men’s Brevet Gore-Tex Rain Jacket is light, very packable and offers immense waterproofing which makes it perfect for wet days or changeable conditions. The reflective stripes are a neat touch and also have near iconic status, plus the relaxed fit makes it ideal for those who aren’t always in a hurry.

Rapha’s Brevet range is biased more towards long-distance or a less aggressive riding style than its Pro Team range, which is why you’ll find a more relaxed fit in this jacket than the one Liam tested back in January.

> Buy now: Rapha Men’s Brevet Gore-Tex Rain Jacket for £265 from Rapha

That’s not to say the Brevet isn’t tailored for an on-the-bike position – it certainly is – but you just get a bit more freedom of movement, a little less restraint around the chest and arms. Excess material isn’t an issue, though, and there is nothing flapping around in the wind.

As for sizing, it’s based on what I’d call typical UK figures and tallies nicely with Rapha’s size guide.

On Rapha’s website the pictures show a considerably dropped tail, but in reality it’s not overly long, so you don’t get a massive amount of coverage for your rear if you are riding without mudguards.

That aside, coverage elsewhere is plentiful. Even stretched out in the drops I didn’t run out of length in the sleeves, so on winter days there’ll be no exposed skin, while the tallish neck fits snug enough to not let in too much in the way of cold breezes or rain.

Rapha has also offset the (two-way) zip so it doesn’t clash with the zips of lower layers.

That’s the fit taken care off, what about the performance?

What we’ve got is a two-layer waterproof fabric, Gore-Tex Paclite Plus, made from a 100{5b4d37f3b561c14bd186647c61229400cd4722d6fb37730c64ddff077a6b66c6} recycled nylon outer shell bonded to a waterproof and breathable membrane.

Its waterproofing is very good indeed. Rapha doesn’t quote a specific hydrostatic head rating, as many manufacturers do, but it’s definitely up there with some of the best jackets I’ve worn for keeping you dry.

Throughout a four-hour ride in heavy drizzle and medium rainfall I stayed completely dry, and thanks to some impressive breathability it never becomes ‘boil in the bag’, as long as you layer up sensibly for the conditions.

It’s good for three-season use, from autumn to spring, and even in the summer it packs down so small that it’s worth stuffing in your jersey pocket or frame bag. It even comes with its own little loop to hold it when rolled.

The overall quality is very good, and the ripstop construction of the material adds durability.

I tend to split my riding 50-50 between road and gravel, so clothing I’m testing tends to find itself on overgrown byways and gravel tracks. That means brambles and low branches, none of which have snagged the Brevet jacket while I’ve been riding.

The jacket is available in three colours, navy, yellow and this one, Brick. All come with corresponding stripes around the torso, one of which is reflective – a nice touch.

There is a sleeve stripe too, although it’s on the wrong arm to be of much use on British roads or others where you ride/drive on the left.

When it comes to looking after the jacket it’s not just your usual wash and dry. You have to wash it at 40°C or lower, which is pretty normal, and it’s the usual ‘do not bleach, do not dry clean, do not use fabric conditioner’, but you do have to tumble dry it on cool to reactivate the waterproofness.

That’s not too much of an issue unless, like my household, you don’t have a tumble dryer… I had to bother a neighbour to borrow theirs – that was a weird doorstep conversation.

Value

All of this performance, fit and quality comes at a price, and £265 is a fair old wedge of cash for a jacket.

It’s £45 more than both the Pro Team Gore-Tex Rain jacket mentioned earlier, and the Pro Team Lightweight Gore-Tex jacket, which uses Shakedry fabric.

> Buyer’s Guide: 37 of the best waterproof jackets

Looking beyond Rapha, Pactimo’s Torrent Stretch Waterproof Cape has many similarities to the Brevet – it’s a bit more race orientated, but Iwein was very impressed with the waterproofing and breathability, and it’s packable too. That’s now £170, though currently reduced to £93.

And then there’s the Galibier Tourmalet 3. It doesn’t quite offer the extreme waterproofing of the Rapha, but it still does a decent job, is highly packable, and costs a mere £68.

Conclusion

The Brevet is a quality jacket with a great performance. When it comes to waterproofing and breathability it is definitely one of the better ones out there, and there are loads of other neat details too. I’d like to see a more dropped tail, though, and it is a big chunk of money.

Verdict

Great combination of waterproofing and breathability, but expensive and doesn’t cover your rear that well