Rapha Women’s Commuter Lightweight Jacket

The Rapha Women's Commuter Lightweight Jacket is exceptionally breathable and comes in two bright colour options, ideal for short, urban commutes where visibility is a priority. It protects against cool winds, but struggles with anything more than the lightest of rain.

Fit and fabric

The jacket has a loose fit, which allows you to quickly pull it on over bulky layers, without it being so generous that you find yourself inflating when on the move.

> Buy this online here

It's well proportioned throughout, with enough length in both body and sleeves and doesn't fall short at the rear like some. There's no drawstring at the lower hem, but it is lightly elasticated at the rear and this does a good job of preventing flapping in breezy weather.

The hood is intended to fit under the helmet and is cut well enough not to obscure vision. When not needed, or if a hood isn't your thing, it can be rolled up and secured with a couple of poppers.

The fabric is exceptionally lightweight and breathable, with a mesh panel over the shoulders to help too – it works particularly well if you carry a rucksack.

Everything about the jacket is minimal: the cuffs are a simple, lightly elasticated affair; zippers are smooth and easy to locate; and two easily accessible front pockets accommodate essentials.

All this makes for very little bulk and the jacket packs down into its own integrated pouch when not needed.

Rapha has included an elasticated hook for convenience, and kindly placed the wash label on the side seam – there's nothing worse than an irritating label at the neck.

It's been in and out of bags and panniers a lot, and despite feeling very flimsy and fragile, it's withstood all of this. You're unlikely to be throwing yourself at bramble bushes on an urban commute, so I'd say it's fit for purpose where durability is concerned.

Performance

Breathability and visibility outperform any other feature of the Commuter Lightweight Jacket. It's not a rain jacket – you shouldn't wait for the rain to pull it on – it's more a shell to protect against changeable elements, cold winds and squally showers at worst. It does this well without letting you overheat while riding. 

The jacket's vivid colour (it's also available in 'Dark Yellow') is just the start where visibility is concerned. On the back there is a reflective pixel print and a 'commuter dot'. When light falls on these, they are impressive. Even better, they sit low so if you do use a rucksack they can still be seen. The pixels are much more inconspicuous in daylight; the jacket doesn't scream 'cyclist' when worn off the bike.

There's also reflective stitching on the elasticated portion of the cuff, intended to be visible if you are signalling, though it's not as bold as the detail on the rear. The same reflective stitching is used on the rear hem and the side, elasticated hood hem.

If you don't zip up fully, which I rarely do, a reflective tab/zip guard is also visible.

Rapha claims that the jacket is water resistant, and this really is as far as it goes. After three or four minutes in light rain, the water seeps through. You are trading any kind of protection in rainy conditions for exceptional breathability, though, so you certainly won't be boiling in a bag if you are in a rush.

Packability

The jacket packs down exceptionally well. If in doubt, Rapha demonstrates how to do it on its website. If time is short, it does just scrunch up to something about the size of a drinks can.

However you opt to fold it, you're unlikely to notice the weight it adds to a jersey pocket or bag – 140g is nothing.

Value

While there are plenty of packable windproof jackets for road riding to choose from, and numerous waterproof/resistant 'casual' style jackets for commuting, with front pockets, hoods and so on, the Rapha seems to have few comparisons as a casual commuting-style windproof. It's certainly the most breathable jacket of this style that I've used, but every other one I've worn has offered more protection from the rain.

> Buyer’s Guide: 13 of the best packable windproof cycling jackets

It's a lot cheaper than Rapha's Classic Wind Jacket, at £145, but that's a rather different proposition. It's also £20 cheaper than Rapha's 'standard' Commuter Jacket, which does feature a waterproof membrane and waterproof zip, although Matt wasn't impressed with its breathability when he reviewed the men's one last year.

For more rain protection, Liv's Energize Off-Road Rain Jacket performs well but it'll cost you £124.99, and lacks the Rapha's visibility. Findra's Stroma Technical Jacket offers even more protection against the elements, but is double the price of the Rapha.

Proviz's Reflect360 tops the Rapha for visibility, for £89.99, but I can't comment on its breathability.

Conclusion

The Commuter Lightweight Jacket is ideal for urban commuters wanting to stand out on the roads but not stand out when off the bike, and not work themselves up into a sweaty mess while getting to their work place. It handles wind and chills well – just bear in mind that it isn't really up to much more than a bit of drizzle where rain is concerned.

Verdict

Good option if visibility and breathability are priorities – just don't expect to stay dry for long