Review: Showers Pass Elite Rainjacket (Long)

[Nanci]

(Skip to the end for final grade)

In my search for rainpants that I loved, I couldn't help but come across some very nice jackets. I have a Marmot waterproof hiking jacket, which is truly waterproof, with giant pitzips, but it makes no claims of breathability, and it's like being inside a greenhouse if I sweat at all. Great for going out to check the house in the middle of a hurricane, but not so great for biking.

So I see the Showers Pass Elite Jacket at TE, and it is quite pricey, $179, but, the way my shopping brain works is, if it costs that much, it must work that well and have features to match. I look at the size chart and order a large.

It gets here, and it is beautiful, and well-made. A stylish cut, closely-fitted, in a pretty goldenrod color, with striking black accents, with reflective taping.

The fabric is eVent, which is waterproof and breatheable. The waterproofness comes from the tight weave, but if you look at a magnified view, you can see the little pores that allow it to breathe. Nothing laminated onto that, so it is light.

It has taped seams, a sort of waterproof zippers that I have never seen, with no storm flap, adjustable velcro cuffs, microfleece collar, a waterproof zip back pocket, no side pockets, no hood, but has attachments for one.

For venting there are pitzips, the shortest I have ever seen, covering only the actual armpit. (My Marmot rainproof and Mountain Hardwear windproof both have zips that go from mid-forearm to mid-ribs.) Plus the back has a permanently open but storm-flapped nice big vent, with a mesh liner.

Unfortunately, it had _very_ long arms. I'm 5'2", but I can generally live with a standard arm length. These were a good six inches past my finger tips. Recommended for tall women!!

There would be a way to shorten the sleeves, since it had a very simple construction, but I thought I'd check out the Medium, and had time to get it over-nighted and still have it for my ride Saturday. God bless Internet shops (Team Estrogen) who have late ordering hours for the East coast- if an order is in by 5:30 EST, it goes out that day. The sharp eyes of Susan Otcenas noticed my second order for the same thing in two days, and figured it must be an exchange. She e-mailed me and told me she had refunded the cost of standard shipping, and that TE had an exchange policy where they wouldn't charge for standard shipping of the new item. I _used to_ always order two sizes of a thing, particularly shoes, so I could compare, but I'd fallen out of the habit. It saves time/money in the long run, though.

Friday I rush home from work to see the size Medium. It fits like a dream. _Very_ close-cut, but not in a tight way. The sleeves are only an inch too long, which is good for pulling out over my hands in rain, anyway. I am glad I didn't stick with the slightly baggy Large, even though I love clothes that fit that way.

The Test:

Saturday I head off to the Great Valentine Century, in Sanford, FL. It it about 50 at the start, and clear, with a brisk wind. Cold enough to freeze my ears. I am optimistically wearing a Shebeest tank, with arm warmers, and the Showers Pass Jacket. On the bottom I am wearing my much-loved Performance Thermal Fleece tights, over Trashy Cat shorts, normal socks, PI Calientoes. The Showers Pass jacket is windproof, but I could have used another layer, such as a long sleeve jersey. But hey, it's supposed to get up to or over 70- you have to draw the layering line somewhere. I should have had the pitzips closed, too, if I wanted to be warmer. That said, I was warm enough on a day I knew was going to warm up.

I left the SP jacket on throughout much of the day. As the temps warmed, I could appreciate the unique venting system. The small pitzips sucked air in, it cooled me, and vented out the back like a wind tunnel. I was able to leave this jacket on (highly visible in traffic!) much longer than anticipated. I just kept lowering the front zipper, and eventually removed the armwarmers, (pulled out through the sleeves) and stayed not too warm up to 70 degrees. I did not get wet from sweat.

Another thing I loved about it was it didn't bouf up around my shoulders/neck like every other windproof thing I own. You know that feeling- you get any speed going and your vest/jacket is pulled by the wind up around the back of your neck like a life preserver where it flails and flaps with a big puff of air trapped inside? Well, the SP jacket didn't even have a _hint_ of that. Probably a combination of the close fit and the wind tunnel venting.

Rode an hour, and then the wind picked up, and the sun disappeared, and I felt the first drops. The temp must have dropped down to 65. The two guys I was riding with were having difficulty with cramping, so I was reluctant to stop, but I finally pulled off and put on the Showers Pass jacket, just in time for the downpour. There was the strongest accompanying wind I have ever ridden in. I felt like I could truly get blown over. SP kept me warm and dry, and nothing came in through any zips, even the open pitzips, or seams, or collar. (Too bad I didn't take time to put on my helmet cover!)

I was happy for the storm, because I was expecting it, had the right clothes stashed away, was only 10 miles out, and was anxious to put the new jacket to the test, without being trapped in it for hours if it didn't work well. Then the sun came back out, and I told my riding buddies, "See, we got the full benefit of that rain storm, got to ride through the whole thing, and don't have to pack up our bikes in the rain!" They were beyond appreciating my sense of humor, I guess...

Back at the car, I took the jacket off and found my clothes no wetter than when I had put it on. There was a little dampness from sweat from the whole day. My arms felt a little clammy, from just my bare skin on the jacket. On a normal rainy day, though, it would be cool enough to keep sleeves on, and I think it would feel just fine.

Final Score:

Style/Construction: A+
Windproof: A+
Breathability: A-
Venting: A+

[DeniseGoldberg]

Nanci -
Thanks for the very detailed review. I've had my eye out for a good rain jacket since mine is 8 years old, figured there's something better out there now. It's always good to hear some first-hand experience.

--- Denise

[ladyfish]

Thanks for the great review. Saw from your other thread that the ride itself was disappointing--sorry to hear that. But you made the best of it, and have a great story to tell of the ride you won't do again! Besides, you got the perfect test for the jacket, and now it's on my wish list!

[Nanci]

It's even comfortable enough to wear on the two hour car ride home. No urge to take it off and put on a fleece. Because it's not plastic-y or billow-y or too restrictive to drive in.

Nanci

[maillotpois]

I also give the SP jackets a huge thumbs up. I've been friends with Dave Morrow, the owner of SP since I started cycling. So I have never worn any other jackets! The new version has slightly thicker fabric, but still breathes well. (The older one was so light I almost thought it fell out of my pocket when I wasn't wearing it - but it was still waterproof. The newer one is slightly thicker but still folds up well.)

The jackets are light weight and made specifically for cyclists. They don't get billow-y or act as a sail like some jackets do .

[Dianyla]

I must have missed this thread before. I also have this jacket and I absolutely love it. I also wish the pitzips were a bit larger however there is much less chance of rain leaking in with these smaller length ones. Love the "mango" color and the reflective stripes for visibility in traffic.

And most importantly, it makes me look thin.