Velocio Men’s Ultralight Rain Jacket

The Velocio Ultralight Rain Jacket is great – it's waterproof and breathable, easily packable and light, making it perfect for changeable days. Unsurprisingly, it comes with a premium price tag to match – though it's still (slightly) cheaper than some.

For a variety of choices at a variety of prices, check out our guide to the best waterproof cycling jackets.

> Buy now: Velocio Ultralight Rain Jacket for £292 from Velocio

The jacket is very light at only 182g, and packs easily into a jersey pocket. So that's what I did, and took it on a trip to Snowdonia, a region guaranteed some grim weather, to put it through its paces.

Waterproofing & breathability

The jacket doesn't give a waterproof rating, but it's excellent. I got caught in some short truly torrential downpours and my upper body remained dry (sadly, it couldn't protect my feet).

During my Snowdonia trip I was glad I was diligent with checking the weather. A beautiful morning turned into a very soggy afternoon and during an hour-long ride back in warm but wet conditions I remained largely dry.

There's no breathability rating either, though Velocio describes it as "highly breathable". I overheated a bit on the arms, and on punchy climbs in around 19℃ I'd never expect to be totally dry (especially as I tend to get a bit sweatier than most), but it was generally good, and the pocket-access flap on the back helps with ventilation.

I haven't tested this in truly cold conditions, but you can easily add a layer, making it suitable as a year-round emergency rain jacket – which helps justify the price.

Fit

The fit is optimised for a cycling position, so when first trying it on it felt quite tight across the chest and shoulders, but once on the bike it fitted well. There was minimal flapping, only a small amount on the upper back while descending fast (well, fast for me) – at all other times there was none.

The rear of the jacket is dropped enough to ensure your backside stays dry when you are riding in the drops.

The sleeves are a good length and fit, too, to ensure no water or draughts get in there.

The collar is tall to prevent any rain or draughts getting inside, but the fit here could have been a touch closer. The collar lining is soft and comfortable against the neck, though.

At the back there is a flap that enables you to access your jersey pockets easily while on the move, even if you have gloves on. At first glance it looks like it'll let water in but that wasn't the case. It possibly helps with ventilation, too, allowing warm air to escape.

A dual zip also means you can undo just the bottom of the jacket and get easy access to your jersey pockets, too. The zip pull is a good size and was easy to adjust on the fly.

Inside the jacket there is a pocket big enough to take a modern smartphone – useful if you are caught in truly awful conditions.

Size

Going by Velocio's sizing, I was at the lower (as opposed to my usual upper) end of medium. I'd say it's a little on the generous side compared with other brands, but I was still happy with my usual size.

It's available in a huge range of sizes, too, from XS to 4XL, so almost anyone should be able to find a suitable fit.

We were sent a navy jacket to test, but it is also available in citron, which is a bit more visible for those miserable days, though both have reflective dots and a reflective logo on the back, and a small reflective logo on the front. It would benefit from a few more, though, on the arms or shoulders.

Value

At £292, the Ultralight Rain Jacket is a premium priced option. It's not alone at this end of the market – the Rapha Men's Brevet Gore-tex Rain Jacket is now £300, for example, and received a great review – but there are plenty of very good jackets for less, and some a lot less.

The Showers Pass Spring Classic Jacket, for example, which Stef rated highly, comes in at £249 (and is currently reduced to £199), and I tested the Endura Pro SL Waterproof last year and thought it was great, and it's £199.99.

And Stolen Goat's Men's Waterproof Jacket, which Stu reviewed last year and liked, is cheaper still – up a fiver since then but still only £140.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a very good jacket. The waterproofing is excellent, its breathability is good, it fits well, is light, and fits easily in a jersey pocket when not required. It should work well as a year-round rain jacket, too, provided you don't run too hot.

As with all the Velocio kit we have reviewed recently, the quality is excellent, but with a premium product comes a premium price.

Verdict

Very good lightweight jacket with excellent waterproofing but a premium price