The Gorewear Everyday Women's Jacket is a well-made and versatile top that can serve as a layer suitable for cycling and other outdoor activities. It's windproof, breathable and offers some resistance to the rain, performing well in all but the worst weather conditions. I would have liked some more reflective detailing but that's about my only criticism of this well-considered product.
> Buy now: Gorewear Everyday Women's Jacket for £159.99 from Gorewear
Our best cycling jackets buyer's guide features men's and women's jackets at a wide range of prices.
The Everyday Women's jacket is designed specifically for cycling but its relaxed fit also makes it ideal when you're not riding.
Materials
The jacket's fabric includes some recycled materials in its construction, and Gorewear uses its Windstopper material on the front panel and arms to provide protection from wind and light rain. The material did a good job of keeping the wind out, particularly when descending, and it successfully shrugged off light rain and drizzle.
The rest of the jacket is made from a stretchier material that Gorewear says is highly breathable. But there's always a trade-off balancing breathability and windproofing and, as with all jackets of its type, you do have to choose your layers carefully to prevent overheating.
I found that by wearing one layer underneath the jacket I was able to stay at a good temperature when I was riding at around 5-12°C, and I could afford to add another layer when walking around without the risk of overheating.
The cuffs are half elasticated, which helps to keep them in place and stops cold air blowing up your sleeves when you're riding.
And I found the double-ended zip a welcome feature on mountain bike rides, when I was able to pull the zip up from the bottom by a few inches to give some additional breeze, which also allowed me to grab some mid-ride snacks from my back pocket.
The two zipped front pockets set the jacket apart from a standard cycling jacket where you'd expect to find the pockets at the rear. The pockets are a good size too, able to accommodate a phone and a purse and they're well positioned so you can access them even when you're wearing a backpack.
The adjustable hem has elasticated drawstrings so you can tighten or loosen it accordingly to keep the wind and any road spray out.
The Everyday jacket comes in this 'process purple' and two other colour options: neon yellow and black. My only real criticism is the lack of reflective detailing... unless you plump for the neon yellow.
Size and fit
The Everyday jacket comes in five sizes from XXS-L. I chose a size S based on the size guide and it fitted me well. The relaxed fit means there was enough room to add a base layer and a non-bulky, long-sleeve jersey underneath the jacket, making it adaptable to a wide range of temperatures.
Despite the jacket's regular fit, it doesn't have excessive material when you're riding, and the long rear provides additional protection from road spray.
Value
Finding a jacket with cycling-specific features and a casual style can be difficult and there are both cheaper and more expensive options than Gorewear's Everyday jacket.
A less expensive alternative would be the Altura Grid Women's Half Zip Softshell Hoodie. It has an RRP of £115, but it is currently priced at £57.50. Lara found it warm and waterproof and suitable for all types of riding without looking too technical.
While there are cheaper jackets, you can easily pay a lot more too. The Castelli Perfetto ROS Women's Long Sleeve Jacket is now £220, up from £200 when Emma tested it last year. While it is a technical-looking jacket, Emma found it a great all-round performer, ready for whatever the elements throw at you.
The Specialized Women's RBX Softshell Jacket is a £150 performance jacket which, like the Everyday jacket, can withstand bad though not extreme weather conditions. Caroline found it warm and breathable, but she felt it needed more reflectives.
Overall
Gorewear's Everyday women's jacket is well-made and versatile and features some recycled materials. It's suitable for various types of riding as well as other outdoor activities, which goes some way to justifying the price. I also found that it performed well in all but the worst weather conditions, though I would have liked some more reflective detailing.
Verdict
A well-made windproof and breathable jacket for all sorts types of riding and other outdoor activities
Make and model: Gorewear Everyday Jacket Womens
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?
Gorewear says: A versatile, partially windproof jacket for various activities on or off the bike.
Designed for days when it's dry and windy, WINDSTOPPER® products by GORE-TEX LABS bring totally windproof, reliably breathable, and water-resistant protection & comfort to your active lifestyle. Expect more efficient, versatile coverage against wind and wind chills with better moisture control and responsibly made materials. Totally windproof. Reliably breathable.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?
Gorewear says the details and materials are:
Made with recycled content
Highly breathable, quick-drying materials
Partially windproof and water-resistant
2-way front zipper
Adjustable hem with drawcord
Reflective details on sleeves, back and chest
Weight:
239 grams
SHELL: FACE: 100% Polyester (recycled) BACKER: 100% Polyester BACK PANEL: 100% Polyester LINING: 56% Polyester (recycled), 44% Polyester
Rate the jacket for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the jacket for performance:
8/10
The jacket does what it says. The windproofing is very good, especially for such a thin material. Breathability is also good and the water resistance will protect you from light showers.
Rate the jacket for durability:
8/10
Rate the jacket for waterproofing based on the manufacturer's rating:
8/10
It doesn't claim to be waterproof but will protect you from light rain and road spray.
Rate the jacket for breathability based on the manufacturer's rating:
8/10
You need to choose what you wear underneath it but I found that it was breathable when wearing it over one other layer when riding, and two layers underneath when I was off the bike.
Rate the jacket for fit:
9/10
I don't usually opt for relaxed-fitting cycling kit but I liked that this was more casual and relaxed but without being too baggy.
Rate the jacket for sizing:
9/10
Size small fitted as expected; the body and sleeves were a good length.
Rate the jacket for weight:
9/10
At 248g is considerably lighter than the Altura and Specialized jacket's mentioned in the review. Altura's Grid Women's Half Zip Softshell Hoodie weighs 441g and Specialized's Women's RBX Softshell Jacket weighs 395g.
Rate the jacket for comfort:
8/10
I found it comfortable, and the elasticated sleeves and drawstring waist helped it to stay in place and not ride up.
Rate the jacket for value:
6/10
There are cheaper cycling jackets that do a similar job but it's difficult to find a jacket suitable to wear off the bike as well as on, which helps to justify the price.
How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Machine washable at 30°C and I haven't noticed any depreciation in performance from washing it so far.
Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose
The front panel does a great job keeping the wind out and the stretchy fabric on the back adds some breathability to prevent you from overheating, provided you wear the right layers underneath.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket
I liked the fit of the jacket - it was relaxed but without too much excess material and was still long at the back to protect you from road spray.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket
Some more reflective detailing particularly for this colour way.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market including ones recently tested on road.cc?
There are both more expensive and less expensive jackets. A less expensive jacket would be the Altura Grid Women's Half Zip Softshell Hoodie which has an RRP of £115 and a more expensive option would be Castelli's Perfetto ROS Women's Long Sleeve Jacket which has an RRP of £220.
Around the same price is the Specialized Women's RBX Softshell Jacket priced at £150.
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
A useful jacket that's well-made and versatile, suited to various types of riding and other outdoor activities. It is windproof, breathable and protects you from light rain but I would have liked some more reflective detailing.
Age: 23 Height: 175 Weight: 64
I usually ride: specialised tarmac sl6 My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
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