Riding in the UK is often a lottery when it comes to the weather, be it summer or winter. The risk of rain is often not far away and being ill-prepared can really put a dampener on your ride. So to combat that, an ideal piece of kit for just about every single ride is a packable waterproof jacket. However, when choosing the right packable jacket for you, there are lots of elements to consider.
Some jackets are fully waterproof, while others offer water resistance using repellent treatments that will not be fully waterproof in heavier rain. There is also the weight and bulk of the jacket, which affects how easy it is to pack away into a pocket. Also look out for features such as two-way zips for easy access to jersey pockets, as well as storage on the jackets themselves. Fit and breathability are other hugely important aspects, as flapping fabric or feeling like you’re wearing a bin bag is never fun.
One thing not present in this list are any entries that use Shakedry technology. Although this has been the benchmark material for packable waterproof jackets, due to new manufacturing regulations, the processes that allow for the creation of Shakedry material are now being phased out in an effort to be more environmentally conscious. This has led to most manufacturers having to develop new materials that offer waterproofing, light weight, great packability and breathability.
Reviews of the best packable cycling jackets
- Altura Icon Pocket Rocket Waterproof Packable Jacket: RRP £125 – Read our full review
- Café Du Cycliste Gaella: RRP £157 – Read our full review
- Castelli Aria Shell Jacket: RRP £120 – Read our full review
- Rapha Core Rain Jacket II: RRP £140 – Read our full review
- Sportful Hot Pack No Rain: RRP £70 – Read our full review
- Pas Normal Studios Mechanism Pertex Rain Jacket: RRP £240 – Read our full review
- Assos Equipe RS Clima Capsule Alleycat: RRP £228.99 – Read our full review
- Poc Supreme Rain Jacket: RRP £450 – Read our full review
- Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket: RRP £304 – Read our full review
Related questions you can explore with Ask Cyclist, our new AI search engine.
How do we test and why trust our advice?
All of our product review team, led by tech editor Sam Challis, are avid cyclists who have been riding for many years. They have all built up a huge array of experience from riding in various conditions and testing what kit works and doesn’t work in these situations.
We’ve ridden on warm summer days where light showers can put a dampener on things before they brighten up and become toasty again. We’ve also ridden in persistent rain storms with hail and gales. We know that the best packable cycling jackets are lightweight, easy to take on and off, offer enough protection across a range of weather conditions without overheating you, and won’t break the bank while doing so. We only ever recommend something that we would be willing to spend our own money on.
Best packable cycling jackets 2025
Altura Icon Pocket Rocket Waterproof Packable Jacket
£93.75 (RRP: £125) | View offer
- Pros: Plenty of reflectives, Warm collar
- Cons: Quite loose fit, Not very packable
- Great value for full waterproofing and extra-durable material to protect from rips
The Altura Icon Pocket Rocket Waterproof Packable Jacket is a fully wind- and waterproof packable jacket. It has a few nice features such as a rear pocket that can be used to keep tools or to pack the jacket into itself. There is also a fleece neck to keep you warm and a two-way zip for easy access to jersey pockets.
The jacket isn’t the most packable and has a loose rather than slim fit, but it is meant to be a more durable material and is also good value.
Café du Cycliste Gaella
£157 | View offer
- Pros: Incredibly lightweight and packable, Very breathable
- Cons: Mesh back lets in water
- Close fit with a slot for access to rear pockets
The Café du Cycliste Gaella jacket is a special edition colourway of the brand’s Petra jacket, a super-lightweight packable jacket that features a windproof and water-repellent front with a very breathable rear. Coming in at 87g for a medium, it is the lightest packable jacket in our group test by a margin, and is easily packable into any jersey pocket even if it is already occupied by other items.
The fit is great, being comfortably long enough at the rear to offer splash protection, with a high neck and long sleeves, and does not flap much at higher speeds. The front does a great job at keeping the wind and showers at bay, while the back offers superb breathability. In heavier rain, the mesh back does get wet and cold, however, especially at lower speeds.
- Read our full Café du Cycliste Gaella jacket review
Castelli Aria Shell Jacket
£108 (RRP: £135) | View offer
- Pros: Very lightweight, Packs very small into its own pocket
- Cons: Not fully weatherproof
- A close fit to minimise material flapping and easily packable when not worn
The Castelli Aria Shell Jacket is an incredibly lightweight and packable jacket, which offers good weather-proofing in light rain. However the mesh panels do reduce its weather-proofing in heavier rain but aid the fit and breathability significantly.
It comes in at a good price for the practicality of the jacket and is ideal for changeable conditions, however lack of full weather-proofing means it isn’t the best for days with heavy rain.
- Read our full Castelli Aria Shell Jacket review
Rapha Core Rain Jacket II
£140 | View offer
- Pros: Great value, Very good weather-proofing
- Cons: Some windflap
- Superb performance for the price, with well-fitted cuffs to ensure no cold wrists
The Rapha Core Rain Jacket II is nicely packable into a jersey pocket and well-fitting while being water- and windproof. There is still some flapping at higher speed and in the wind, but overall the fit is fairly good.
The cuffs are elasticated so keep the wind and rain out from your arms but remain breathable. It also comes in at pretty decent value given its full waterproofing.
- Read our full Rapha Core Rain Jacket II review
Sportful Hot Pack No Rain
£37.50 (RRP: £70) | View offer
- Pros: Waterproof yet nicely breathable, Packs into its own pocket for easy storage
- Cons: Difficult to pack while riding
- A close fit with full water- and windproofing and limited excess material
The Sportful Hot Pack No Rain jacket offers full waterproofing and windproofing while being able to pack into its own pocket, which then fits nicely into a jersey pocket. At speeds there is very little flapping and it fits nicely without being too close.
The sleeves are long enough with gloves to offer full protection while breathability is decent. It’s very easy to take off while riding but difficult to pack into its own pocket while on the move. Overall a very complete package.
- Read our full Sportful Hot Pack No Rain jacket review
Pas Normal Studios Mechanism Pertex Rain Jacket
£240) | View offer
- Pros: Superb weather-proofing and breathable, Effective two-way zip
- Cons: Pricy, Short sleeves
- A lightweight jacket with great practical touches
The Pas Normal Studios Mechanism Pertex Rain Jacket is incredibly lightweight for a fully water- and windproof jacket and very easily stowable in a pocket. The two-way zip is brilliantly practical for getting access to your pockets easily while wearing the jacket, and it’s very breathable while being easy to take on and off.
One gripe is that the sleeves are not quite long enough and there was some flapping the shoulders. It is also on the high end of pricing but performs fantastically.
- Read our full Pas Normal Studios Mechanism Pertex Rain Jacket review
Assos Equipe RS Clima Capsule Alleycat
£225 | View offer
- Pros: Very breathable yet weatherproof, Packs very small
- Cons: Little arm protection, Expensive
- Optimised race fit with easy on/off arms, but more of a gilet with arms than a jacket
The Assos Equipe RS Clima Capsule Alleycat is a very interesting weather-proof jacket. It’s incredibly thin, see-through even, and the forearms offer virtually no protection at all. However it is the easiest jacket to take on and off while riding, it packs up incredibly small, and it offers superb wind- and waterproofing on the main body of the jacket while being nicely reflective and visible.
It does not come cheap, but for when you’re doing hard efforts or races, and have layered up appropriate thermal layers beneath, the Alleycat is the ideal packable jacket to keep the weather off your core.
- Read our full Assos Equipe RS Clima Capsule Alleycat jacket review
Poc Supreme Rain Jacket
£450 | View offer
- Pros: Incredibly light, Packs very small, Good weatherproofing
- Cons: Hugely expensive, Fiddly zip, Short at the rear
- Market-leading weight and packability offset by imperfect fit and colossal pricetag
The Poc Supreme Rain Jacket is a specialist piece of rain kit that nails a few key performance points. There's no arguing with its barely-there weight, thanks to the gossamer-thin material that packs down into a special pouch in the neckline. It breathes well and the waterproofing is effective, albeit unconventional, as the DWR treatment doesn't bead as expected.
Few will be able to stomach the pricetag, especially for a jacket that isn't quite perfect, but those that do will have a very effective rain layer.
- Read our full Poc Supreme Rain Jacket review
Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket
£304 | View offer
- Pros: Light, Packable, Beads well, Intelligent cut
- Cons: One-way zipper, Potentially leaky rear vents
- A smartly tailored rain shell with a particularly effective DWR treatment, but the rear vents can leak
In spite of the name, the Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket is more recognisable as a thin shell to shrug off bad weather than a jacket. The proprietary membrane is lightweight, impressively waterproof and has built in rear vents to aid breathability. Plus, the elasticated cuffs, hems and neckline are all well thought out.
It's a shame there's no two-way zipper and said vents open the door to some water ingress, but all-in-all it's a great jacket to stow away.
- Read our full Q36.5 Rain Shell Jacket review
Willing to sacrifice packability for added rain resistance? Read our buyer's guide to the best waterproof cycling jackets.
