Requiring excellent breathability, a hard-wearing construction and protection from the foulest of conditions, the best mountain bike jackets have a hard life. Here's our pick of the ultimate outerwear.
The best mountain bike jackets are an investment you will never regret, especially when it starts tipping down halfway through an already wet and muddy winter ride. Whether you’re looking for breathability when working hard, packability so your jacket is always on hand, or something that can withstand the heaviest rain, we’ve got you covered with these extensively tested and reviewed options.
Only the best make this list!
Pair any one of these jackets with some of the best mountain bike trousers and you’ll have no fear of getting out there on splashy trails.
Endura GV500 Waterproof jacket
Endura GV500 Waterpoof Jacket
Fantastic breathability and minimal weight
Weight: 238g | Sizes: XS-XXL | Colours: Red, green, black | Rating: 10/10
Pros: Excellent fabric put together… excellently.
Cons: Slender fit.
We’re far more used to seeing Endura jackets with a ‘MT’ prefix (MT = mountain biking) so what’s this here ‘GV’ labelling all about? It’s the dreaded G-word: gravel biking. But fear not, this jacket is not specifically about the cult drop-bar phenom. It works really well as a no-nonsense, nicely tailored waterproof jacket for the average trail rider on a mountain bike.
There’s enough adjustability and features on offer here and the key thing is that the fabric performance speaks for itself; super breathable and more than capable of withstanding the typical rainy day’s ride.
Read our full test review of the Endura GV500 Waterproof jacket
Mountain biking waterproofs shot in the woods
Rapha Trail Gore-Tex Infinium
Best mountain bike jacket
Sizes: XS-XXL | Weight: 326g | Rating: 10/10
Pros: Excellent breathability and waterproofing. No unnecessary features.
Cons: Comes at a price, although backed up by excellent aftercare. Limited pockets.
The Rapha Trail is an expensive investment, but it delivers serious performance. It wicks moisture very effectively. During testing, when we took one of the other jackets off and put this one on, we actually started to cool down, it’s that good.
It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it fits really well; there’s no excess bulk in the front and you can easily wear this all day or just pack and hack. It’s a clean, efficient waterproof jacket and highly recommended.
Read our full review of the Rapha Trail Gore-Tex Infinium jacket
Madison DTE Womens
Madison DTE Women’s
Best women’s jacket
Sizes: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | Weight: 475g | Rating: 10/10
Pros: Great fit and protection
Cons: Lack of features (which can also be a Pro for some riders!)
Madison’s DTE jacket won our women’s waterproof test, with its three-layer construction proving a match for the worst of a British winter. Our tester praised the hood for having enough room for long hair or a ponytail, and came away extremely impressed with the performance of the Durable Waterproof Repellent coating, with water sheeting off the surface perfectly. A heavy duty jacket, the DTE is the ideal match for even the most stinking of winter days. The jacket to reach for before every wet ride.
Read our full test review of Madison DTE Women’s jacket
Madison Roam 2.5
Madison Roam 2.5 jacket
Great value winter jacket
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL | Weight: 355g | Rating: 8/10
Pros: Great price/performance ratio. Packed with features and good breathability for a two-layer jacket.
Cons: Looks a bit army surplus and superfluous rear pocket.
Madison claims 10k ratings for breathability and waterproofness for its 2.5 layer mtb jacket, which is nothing to shout about, but it outperformed similar spec jackets from other rivals in the field, both in terms of keeping water out and allowing sweat to escape. There are generous pockets and a usable hood, as well as a cut that’s generous without being baggy. If you want a functional winter jacket without spending the earth, the Madison Roam is a great option.
Read our full test review of the Madison Roam 2.5 jacket
Endura MT500 Waterproof jacket II
Endura MT500 Waterproof Jacket II
The best jacket for the coldest, wettest days
Sizes: XS-XXL | Weight: 433g | Rating: 8/10 | Men’s and women’s versions
Pros: Loads of features, high collar, over-the-helmet hood, good breathability and waterproofing
Cons: One of the heaviest on test, stiff outer layer, runs hot when riding hard
MT500 is Endura’s hardcore mountain bike range, and features a quite stiff three-layer ExoShell40 laminate which has very good breathability and waterproof figures. That said, it isn’t the coolest jacket when you’re working hard, despite being able to vent away some heat using the pit vents.
It’s loaded with features like an over-the-helmet hood with stiffened peak and single pull toggle for adjustment, internal storm flap with zip gutter, two huge side pockets and an inside pocket with leashed lens wipe. Abrasion-resistant silicone ribs on the shoulder help protect the jacket from rubbing pack straps. While it’s not great in warm wet weather and doesn’t pack down very small, the attention to detail is excellent, it’s good value, and a must wear on the coldest and wettest days.
Read our full review of th e Endura MT500 Waterproof Jacket II
Nukeproof Blackline 2.5L Packable Jacket
Nukeproof Blackline 2.5L Packable Jacket
Best lightweight and versatile jacket
Size: S – XXL | Weight: 265g | Rating: 8/10
Pros: Versatile, plenty of storage, breathable, comfortable fit, adjustable over-the-helmet hood
Cons: DWR coating not super effective, will need reproofing sooner rather than later
Constructed from a lightweight breathable 2.5L fabric with DWR coating, this jacket is packable, highly breathable, with medium waterproofness. The fit is comfortable and roomy enough for layers underneath, including elbow pads.
For a lightweight jacket there is quite a bit of storage – two zip side pockets, two internal stuff pockets and also a mini-chest pocket, into which you can stash the whole thing. If you want, you can also use the key fob to hang the jacket on your pack, which is handy if it’s dirty.
Versatility is the name of the game – the Nukeproof Blackline is light enough to carry with you and throw on mid-ride, but you could also ride all day in it. It’s good value but will definitely need a re-proof sooner rather than later.
Read our full review of the Nukeproof Blackline 2.5L Packable Jacket
Endura Singletrack II waterproof jacket
Endura Singletrack II jacket
Brilliant budget mountain bike jacket
Sizes: S-XXXL | Weight: 476g | Rating: 8/10 | Men’s and women’s versions available
Pros: Great protection at a great price, PFC-free,
Cons: Bulky, some condensation build up
Constructed from ExoShell 20 Eco three-layer fabric, this jacket is softer against the skin that the Endura MT500 and has a very effective water repellent coating.
While it isn’t as cut back as the Rapha Trail Gore-Tex jacket, Endura has kept things simple. It features an over-the-helmet hood with two side toggles for fit adjustment, a high collar, waterproof zip with internal storm flap and pit zips for venting, plus side and chest pockets.
The Endura Singletrack II is a heavy hitter offering full-on protection at a great price, and is the sort of jacket you’d wear on a really cold day riding on the moors, despite its bulk.
Read our full review of the Endura Singletrack II waterproof jacket
Föhn Polartec Alpha Hybrid
Föhn Polartec Alpha Hybrid
Perfect winter warmer
Sizes: S-XXL | Weight: 218g | Rating: 9/10
Pros: Toasty warm yet breathable. Great value
Cons: Not designed for full-on downpours. Rustles a lot.
Polartec’s Alpha material is a brilliant new insulating fabric originally designed for special forces. Now incorporated into this jacket from Wiggle in-house brand Föhn, it does an great job of keeping you warm in the winter, and manages to regulate temperature better than any insulated jacket we’ve tested. Great value at £120, too.
Read our full test review of the Fohn Polartec Alpha Hybrid jacket
7Mesh Skypilot jacket
7Mesh Skypilot
Significant investment but the ultimate blend of weight, waterproofing and breathability
Weight: 253g | Sizes: XS-XXL | Colours: Green, beige, blue | Rating: 9/10
Pros: Money-no-object perfection.
Cons: £300! Zip pulls can loosen and fray.
7Mesh stuff ain’t cheap. It’s a relatively small brand formed by folk who used to work at Art-teryx and design mountain bike specific gear over in Squamish. The general vibe of 7Mesh is one of no-compromise. Take the fabric – Gore-Tex Acxtive – it’s pretty much the best full 3-layer fabric that Gore-Tex make. This alone makes for a high price tag due to its unbeatable rating for both waterproofness and breathability. The cut is a bit looser than some but the light nature of the fabric means it’s not annoying or bunchy.
7Mesh’s secret weapon is their after-sales policy of low-price repair (or replace) service for any damage that happens to the jacket.
Read our full test review of the 7Mesh Skypilot
Gore Bike Wear C5 Trail Hooded
Gore Bike Wear C5 Gore-Tex Trail Hooded
Compact and incredibly lightweight package
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL | Weight: 262g | Rating: 9/10
Pros: Minimalist.
Cons: Not the most stylish design.
It really was a close-run thing between this and the Endura MT500 for the test win. The performance of both jackets is superb but C5 Trail Hooded gets the runner up spot because the lightweight build is just a bit more fragile and we feel that under hood isn’t as practical and doesn’t offer the same level of protection as an over-helmet design.
Read our full test review of Gore Bike Wear C5 Gore-Tex Trail Hooded jacket
How we test the best mountain bike jackets
There are a couple key tests we do to all waterproof clothing. The first is to verify the pooling on the DWR (durable water-repellent) coating on the face fabric by spraying all of our test jackets with water and gauging the run-off. This coating does wear out and wash off, so we test this again by riding several times in each jacket and putting it through a spin cycle.
We tested the waterproofness by immersing a section of the fabric in a shower for 20 minutes. Several back-to-back test rides were undertaken in each jacket to gauge breathability and condensation and heat build-up.
We take no prisoners in our testing!
What to look for in the best mountain bike jackets
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘there’s so such thing as bad weather, only the wrong type of clothing’, and that rings true for mountain biking as any outdoor activity. But there are probably few disciplines placing such extreme, and often conflicting, demands on foul weather clothing as riding bikes in the dirt.
Not only does a mountain bike jacket have to protect you from the elements, it needs to process sweat generated by your body too. It has to be durable enough to endure being sprayed by abrasive pellets of mud and dirt, and resistant to rips and tears when you crash, yet, ideally, lightweight and packable into a pocket or bag.
An obvious aspect to prioritise is water resistance. And while that’s crucial, we’d argue that waterproofing should never come at the expense of breathability, since you’ll only get soaked on the inside if your jacket can’t manage the heat you generate on a climb.
The reason jackets can be both waterproof and breathable is down to the size of the water molecules. Water droplets are larger than moisture vapour molecules, so by designing the size of the fabric weave, a jacket can block the rain while also allowing sweat to escape.
To help define a jacket’s performance, standardised lab tests have been developed. For waterproofness, this involves putting a piece of fabric under a 1in diameter tube and filling it with water until it leaks through. The height at which the water starts to penetrate the fabric is its hydrostatic head. Hence a 20,000mm jacket can withstand a column of water up to 20m high.
For breathability, the test examines how much water vapour can pass through 1m2 of fabric in 24 hours. So a 3,000g jacket lets through 3kg of water in 24 hours. Some brands publish the figures for their garments, but these tests don’t always tell the full story, as they can relate to the fabric itself rather than the performance across a specific garment taking into account zips, pockets and seams, which can alter performance.
DWR
What is a DWR?
Stands for durable water repellent and is a hydrophobic fabric treatment that helps any water to bead into droplets and run off the surface rather than collecting in pools and wetting-out, which impedes the transfer of water vapour (sweat).
Bike product shot in the studio
How important is a hood?
While not essential, a hood (either fixed or removable) prevents water running down your neck and keeps heat in. They are designed to fit either over the top or underneath the helmet, so need to be either pretty tight against your head or generously sized with a means of tightening down. This means they need adjustment, which usually takes the form of drawstrings or pull toggles, located on the crown, rear, sides, chin or combination of these, to get the best fit.
What do the numbers mean when rating a jacket’s waterproofness?
Most quality waterproof jackets are built from a laminate fabric, which consists of a waterproof/breathable membrane either sandwiched between two layers (three- layer jacket) or stuck to the inside of one (two-layer or 2.5-layer). The membrane is the part that keeps rain out while allowing sweat to escape. To help define a jacket’s performance, standardised lab tests have been developed. For waterproofness, this involves putting a piece of the fabric under a 1in diameter tube and filling it with water until it leaks through. The height at which the water starts to penetrate the fabric is its waterproof rating. Hence a 20,000mm jacket can withstand a column of water up to 20m high. Anything over 10,000mm is pretty watertight in normal conditions.
For breathability, the test examines how much water vapour can pass through 1m2 of fabric in 24 hours. So a 3,000g jacket lets through 3kg of water in 24 hours. Some brands publish the figures for their garments, but these don’t always tell the full story, as they can relate to the fabric itself rather than the performance across the whole garment taking into account zips, pockets and other features – adding layers, zips and taped seams will impede breathability. Figures above 20,000g/m2/24hr indicate a good level of breathability.
Waterproof jacket vent
So vents must be pretty important, right?
To a degree, yes, although the most breathable jackets we’ve tested rarely have vents, as it’s actually the fabric (usually Gore-Tex Pro or Infinium) that makes the biggest difference. Vents are often used as a way of introducing airflow to a jacket with poor breathability. Mechanical venting can include zipped vents at the front and exhaust slits on the back. Armpit vents are also popular and some jackets also have mesh-lined pockets, so simply opening them can also increase airflow.
Certain fabrics (such as Gore- Tex Active) breathe better with a pressure differential between the interior and exterior, in which case keeping everything zipped up actually helps keep you cool in the long run.
waterproof jacket two way zip
What should I look for in a zip?
Lots of jackets have waterproof zips, but some companies add a storm flap as a second line of defence. These are effective, but if they’re too narrow or flimsy they can snag in the zip. Also look for a zip gutter (garage) and/or a fleecy area at the collar – this stops the sharp end of the zip scratching your neck.
A zip gutter (garage) is a little pocket at the top of the zip that the zip tag goes into when it’s fully done up, which stops it irritating your neck. It usually comes hand in hand with a storm flap, which is usually on the inside but on some of the heavy-duty, threep-layer jackets you also get one on the outside.
How is water prevented from leaking through the seams?
Most quality waterproof jackets are built from a laminate fabric, which consists of a waterproof/breathable membrane which is either sandwiched between two nylon layers or stuck to the inside of one. To ensure full waterproofness, the seams are then taped on the inside. It’s worth noting that the reason manufacturers recommend you only wash the jacket at a certain maximum temperature is because it can melt the glue used on this tape.
Fabric construction
What’s the difference between a 2 layer, 2.5 layer and a 3 layer jacket?
A two-layer fabric is made up an outer face fabric bonded to the waterproof membrane, usually with a mesh liner hanging inside. On a 2.5-layer, the mesh liner is replaced with a micro (or half) layer, which is either bonded or printed onto the membrane.
A three-layer jacket has a third layer attached to the membrane, which usually has some form of texture or open weave to help draw out moisture, promos wicking and feel good next to the skin.
Waterproof jacket pocket
Do I really need pockets?
Not if you use a pack, but we’d always go for a jacket with at least one pocket on the front, as they’re incredibly useful. Some jackets have a ton of pockets, while some have none. There are side pockets for keys, a phone or tools, a big rear pocket to stuff the whole lot in, or even a Napoleon chest pocket for putting your hand in, like er… Napoleon.
Reproof your waterproof jacket in the washing machine
How to care for your waterproof jacket
Since jackets are expensive, it makes sense to take care of them. The best way to prolong the life of your waterproof jacket is to wash it in either pure soap liquid (available from most supermarkets) or a specialist detergent such as Nikwax Tech Wash. Use a low temp (300) and either air dry or tumble dry on low. Wash-in reproofers are also available to restore the DWR should you notice that water is no longer beading on your jacket.