Rapha Souplesse Insulated Jacket

The cut and sizing of the Rapha Women's Souplesse Insulated Jacket won't suit everyone, but there is no denying that even with its minimal weight and bulk it does an exceptional job of keeping you warm.

• Pros: Excellent insulation, good frontal protection from wind chill
• Cons: 'Racefit' will not suit everyone, only one colour

Weighing in at just over 200g and feeling very flimsy, it might have you questioning what exactly you've got in return for your pounds. But don't let its flimsy appearance and feel lead you to believe it's not up to the job. Its first outing was in 3°C and drizzle – only a six-mile commute but enough for starters; not only was I warm enough when I got to work, I was surprised to find I was dry too.

> Buy this online here

The front panels and upper side of the sleeves are made with a DWR-coated, paper-thin, synthetic fabric. Under this is the all-important Polartec Alpha insulation. The rear and underside of the sleeves comprise a single layer of a much more stretchy fabric. Dave wrote a very good introductory piece about the jacket back in November, detailing some of the background to this material and its properties.

The jacket has continued to perform week after week in cold conditions. Its ability to resist rain has deteriorated only a little, as would be expected from a DWR coating, and it's still working well on those drizzly commutes. Anything more than an hour in the drizzle and dampness seeps through, but even so it still insulates you against the cold – when moving, anyway; you wouldn't want to stand still in it for long. The fabric dries out exceptionally quick too.

After a few weeks of commuting, and being this light, pale colour, the jacket has needed a fair bit of washing. I was pessimistic about it cleaning up that well, free of the mud and filth it had acquired, but it came out like new.

The temperature regulation comes from the thin rear and under-sleeve fabric (the dark stuff): hot air escapes here. It works well up to about 8°C. Above this and I began to sweat excessively. The only remedy was to unzip the jacket, though thankfully the fleece lining seems to hold generated body heat sufficiently well to not have to keep zipping it up and unzipping.

However, this same fabric used on the rear and back of the sleeves does feel chilly when it gets wet; it's clingy, so it's noticeable if you are wearing a minimal baselayer. Because the front panels and Polartec fleece are so effective, this chill isn't enough to make your entire torso cold, but it isn't a pleasant sensation. It's avoidable if you layer up, but the close race fit doesn't lend itself to this, and you might then begin to overheat.

While providing a warm, cosy interior for the torso, the Polartec Alpha lining stops short of the collar, and I found the thin collar insufficient in temperatures close to zero. It's very snug fitting, which is good for keeping out draughts, but a polo-style undervest is a no-no – there's no room – and when wearing a neck warmer it had to sit outside the collar. A bit of an oversight to my mind, given that the jacket is designed for 'the coldest of weather'.

Quality & details

The jacket is very well constructed. Potential weak spots have been looked after: loading up the pockets puts a lot of strain through the thin fabric, but Rapha has built in strengthening tabs where the pockets attach to the body of the jersey. The seams and finishing are all seriously clean and show no signs of deterioration despite repeated wear and washing. I also had the misfortune of a sliding encounter with the tarmac while testing the jacket and was amazed that, while I came off with a hairline fracture to the elbow, the jacket was unharmed.

A rather rigid strip runs down the centre of the rear panel, presumably there to prevent the fabric stretching too much. Load up the pockets as much as you want and this strip will help to spread that load across the panel, so the fabric is getting even wear. The strip is also reflective, which is a bonus.

The standard three rear pockets are generous and easily accessible. There is also zipped access to an interior mesh pocket which has a cutaway for a headphone wire, with further loops inside the jacket to hold any wire in place.

The smooth-running front zip closes nicely to the top of the jersey, and there is no irritation thanks to an interior flap that runs the full length of the zip.

Race fit

If you are on board with the colour – there is only the one option – you will still need the rather niche cut to suit you. I tested a medium and found it short in the body and very tight across the chest with no tapering at the waist, while being excessively wide on the upper arm.

The short body is less noticeable on the bike than off, as you'd expect, but I'd say it's essential to wear bib shorts if you want full coverage around the hip area. Sizing up would lead to excess around the waist and arms.

A wide silicone strip on the rear hem keeps the jacket in place, and fully loading the pockets means you can get a little more coverage of the lower back, helping to hold the jacket as low as possible.

The cuffs are a bit quirky too: they are tight around a seam that sits hidden under the sleeve. In fact, you could almost say there is no cuff, rather a folded-over sleeve. You need to team it with substantial gloves to keep your wrists protected. Zero elasticity at the seam means taking the jacket off demands a good wrench, or accepting going for an inside-out technique. 

Value

At full price (£160) this is a steep investment for something that won't necessary get a huge amount of use throughout the year, and may not fit perfectly. Given the fabric's excellent properties and performance, I can't help thinking that the Souplesse Insulated Gilet might be a better use of the material.

> Buyer's Guide: 14 of the best winter cycling jackets

Neither jacket nor gilet are available on the Rapha website any longer – Rapha is rolling out its spring collection now. But both are currently available at SportPursuit and at a 50% discount: £79.99 for the jacket, £69.99 for the Souplesse Insulated Gilet. That's a much more acceptable price for the excellent performance in cold, dry conditions, especially if the colour and sizing suit you.

Verdict

Lightweight appearance belies the excellent insulation, let down by a fit and single colour choice that won't suit all