Gorewear Everyday Jacket Womens

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