[Closed] Recommend a breathable softshell jacket - £100 max

anyone?

anything made from Gore Windstopper Softshell. Phantom Jacket is a good one. Normally GoreStore outlet would be my go to, but they don't have a lot of sizes. If you take a medium though:

Gore Oxygen

All about fit. Best ones I have are Etxeondo, which are silly light/thin but are just amazing. They are quite roadie fit though.

I usually pay £30 to £40 for whatever looks good in the sales.

Cyclestore seem to specialise in bargain jackets...
https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/jackets_windproof-water_resistant

not specific recommendation, more general advice of have a look at the general outdoor kit brands rather than cycling specific ones. tends to be more choice and lots of different weights and types of softshell. mountain equipment, montane and rab are usually my first points of call with softshells. normally find something in the sale or get on outdoor gear exhchange face book page and you can normally find some good kit second hand (MTB jackets tend to get abused pretty badly, so second hand is always preffered route for me)

Polaris AM

https://www.polaris-bikewear.co.uk/AM-Enduro-softshell-mountain-biking-jacket-p/pol01-5313-p.htm

Dubious whether it's worth the £90 RRP but an absolute steal at £5. I have two.

Oops. That should read £35!!!

I just picked up a scott jacket from start fitnesss. More hybrid than soft shell... it’s dwr Coated but very breathable. £35 down from £140

Endura Windchill has been my go to for years, but I always wanted a Gore Phantom

I'll second the Polaris jacket,I've got 2 which i use for commuting every day,windproof, breathable and good water resistance. Only wets out in a absolute downpour. I do wash with techwash though. Well worth £35

I always wanted a Gore Phantom

I have one of those. Prefer the Polaris. The Phantom is actually a bit heavy and I find the fit a bit baggy. It's only been on maybe three times.

Lol, I'm the opposite!

Polaris isn't bad per se, it's just not the first jacket I take for anything really, I keep trying to find a use for it. It's a tad short in the back too, but if I went up a size it would be too big in the body.

Had a phantom for 5 years, it's bloody brilliant, longer and slimmer cut, washes great, use it for biking, running and walking.

Was 50 quid in Halfords sale, bargain.

I've got a couple and I do wear them in the winter (altura night vison one for the road and one I bought cheap from planet x for mountian biking).

But generally I don't see the point of soft shells (hill walking and cycling). A merino base layer and thin manmade cycle jersey under a thin wind proof jacket do the same job when layered except you can adjust the layers to suit the temperature or time of day wheres I tend to boil in the soft shell unless it's under 10 degrees Celsius.

Maybe an expensive one is better.

unless it’s under 10 degrees Celsius.

That'll be most of the year up here then!.

I too have a Phantom and a Polaris Enduro. The Phantom is brilliant for the road bike in winter but I find it too hot for the MTB where you are moving about more. The Polaris is a bit lighter and is my go to winter off road jacket

There was a very similar thread a day or so ago. Had a phantom - too warm and didn't breath enough for me, but I'm in the tropical South West, so your mileage may vary. Lighter weight softshell hagloffs boa is ideal for me when it gets down to low numbers 8 or less. I can pull up the sleeves and open the zip if required, or batten down the hatches. Put a windproof over if it really comes in bad and I get caught out but otherwise it covers most cold and or damp riding. I have a Montane Dyno which is lighter again but has lots of panels so will probably have more wet spots. It'll be ok I think and was cheap enough - 60 quid or so?

Nobeerinthefridge, I live in the Scottish central belt and I'd reckon the general temperature when I ride to be about 12-15 degrees Celsius which is IMO too warm for the soft shells I have. I do get quite hot when riding though unless I'm out for a family ride.

Best mixed conditions Jersey/Jacket I have is a 7 mesh Synergy one but I only use it on the road to keep it nice and I still find that generally a bit too warm.

There was a review of soft shells on the Adventure Show a few years ago and when the reviewer was pressed to which one he'd pick, his reply was "none of them" as he said they were not adaptable enough for the mixed weather conditions you get in the uk and you'd be better off layering your clothes.
Couldn't agree with him more but if you like them and have the money for one then crack on. Just my opinion.

Just bought a rab borealis at £65. Lightweight and packs down really small.

I've just got an ION hybrid traze from bikester. Sub £100 at the moment.
First ride out yesterday in changeable weather and was very impressed. The front is a soft shell with the upper arms and back a waterproof material. Fit is great and large pockets at the front for phone etc. Breathability was excellent and it shed water really well. My usual winter jacket is just too warm and I'd only wear it in the wettest and coldest conditions, this the ION is a halfway house. Performed well.
https://m.bikester.co.uk/ion-traze-select-jacket-men-green-black-860830.html

Nobeerinthefridge, I live in the Scottish central belt and I’d reckon the general temperature when I ride to be about 12-15 degrees Celsius which is IMO too warm for the soft shells I have. I do get quite hot when riding though unless I’m out for a family ride.

Best mixed conditions Jersey/Jacket I have is a 7 mesh Synergy one but I only use it on the road to keep it nice and I still find that generally a bit too warm.

There was a review of soft shells on the Adventure Show a few years ago and when the reviewer was pressed to which one he’d pick, his reply was “none of them” as he said they were not adaptable enough for the mixed weather conditions you get in the uk and you’d be better off layering your clothes.
Couldn’t agree with him more but if you like them and have the money for one then crack on. Just my opinion.

Factor in windchill, which is a big factor on my local exposed trails, to that temperature. I don't mind running a bit hotter tbh, as it helps keep my hands and toes warm if my core is hot. Particularly stopping waiting for mates etc, having a blether, admiring the view.

I'd agree with the layering in terms of adventure show, as they're talking about walking in the hills, different thing altogether. I don't want to be carrying layers when biking tbh, unless out for proper big hill days.

We're all different though!.

If you have a waterproof my advice is to buy the thinnest Softshell you can lay your hands on. Anything else is just too warm most of the time. I have a Mountain Equipment Squall Jacket that I use all the time for skiing, Climbing, Hill bashing. I don't use it for MTB because its my go to jacket for everything else and don't want to trash it, but I will buy something similar for MTB.
Avoid anything that has a membrane or insulation etc, a true shoftshell will rely on the fabric being splashproof due to the DWR coating. It will keep a shower off you and reduce the wind getting to you. But because of these they are very breathable and comfortable to wear and most importantly not to warm.

Something like this will be perfect. Light, breathable and water resistant. No membrane so its very breathable. If weather is proper rubbish wear a waterproof Jacket.

https://www.facewest.co.uk/Rab-Borealis-Tour-Jacket.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwzvX7BRAeEiwAsXExo6lVp5AuIYN3b5HVLxxAYxn5_Jm44OWF3X8c1f7G8VHu4M4C5EXLIBoCIh8QAvD_BwE

I’d reckon the general temperature when I ride to be about 12-15 degrees Celsius which is IMO too warm for the soft shells I have.

I'd agree. I'm still in a base layer and a t shirt at those temperatures!

I have a Rab Borealis hoody that is a few years old and it's amazing for hill walking (and general slouching about) but is a touch too baggy and fragile for cycling. Looked at getting a new one the prices have gone up by quite a bit since I bought mine.

I’d agree. I’m still in a base layer and a t shirt at those temperatures!

Yep, T shirt weather here still, softshell will come out in a month or so. With the Phantom I would just wear it as a jersey. I do have an ample layer of blubber though 🙂 🙁

My Soft-shell is the Mountain Equipment Echo, use it a lot walking. Too baggy for cycling, would just use a roadie gillet for mountain biking and maybe arm warmers if it was too cold for bare arms.

I found the gore phantom either too hot or not breathable enough. The inner t shirt arms also annoyed me, rarely got worn as a gilet/t top

On the road I layer using windshirt etc, usually commuting

On the MTB my softshells are hiking ones, I find they work better than MTB stuff and has crossover for walking duties

I don't think there's an optimal softshell for MTBing really, I have six or seven which I pick from according to conditions.

Patagonia running one - perfect for damp, warm days
Altura Attack 360 - best all-rounder
Scott smock hoody thing - very thin, best for packing in case it's windy up high
Aldi "premium" jacket - has rear pockets, good for cold winter road rides and very water resistant
Endura Singletrack & Sugoi Firewall - both grabbed in sales and not worn yet, but both seem thicker, so will debut this winter

well i ended up getting a few off wiggle including the DHB one, then ended up back in the LBS and got a endura singletrack softshell

its absolutely perfect for what i want , as some ones said above, getting a thin as possible one (whilst still retaining some warmth is key to not over boil for me).....this one ticks all the boxes, fits me really well like my singletrck waterproof jacket in the same size

all the others from wiggle i tried were too thick, would be horrible to wear even for night rides in early october/late march etc .....

singletrack softshell is bloody lovely, as said its thin/but not too thin, its got a drop tail, its waterproof to 10k and breathable to 10k and will be perfect with just a short sleeve base layer for most autumn/winter months until it gets to full on waterproof jacket territory, but ill gladly wear this winter cold crisp days with a long sleeve baselayer on too

all in all very pleased with it

They seem to be EOL now, but the ~£30 I spent on a red https://road.cc/content/review/218748-planet-x-365-magma-convertible-jacket last December has been a brilliant jersey/jacket for me in 2020, wish I'd bought another to put in the spares box!

Great suggestions above. I'll throw in Paramo Fuera or Ostro into the mix, both shrink down and can fit in pocket and my go to for winter layering. For really wet days though, yeah, something a bit more hardcore.. MT500 etc.

I have a gore phantom jacket and it's brilliant but a bit on the warm side. I've also got a gore windstopper jersey that's actually more of a jacket but much lighter and yet still windproof. Gets used a lot at this time of year. General rule of thumb is if it's over 10C then I use the jersey, less or mega windy and the phantom gets used, with just a base layer t-shirt underneath. If it gets below about 5c then a long sleeve base layer underneath.

The only bad thing I've found about gore jackets are the zips are a bit crap, but I had a shop replace them for me for something like £20.

I've just got a NukeProof Blackline soft-shell jacket for the same purpose. Been out in it once so far, I like it a lot.

nice long arms, just the right length at the back (for me, 195cm and XXL size), roomy fit - I could go XL on roominess (which is unusual for me!), but then I'd lose the length.

So maybe size down. Cuffs don't have adjustable closure, thought that would bother me, but it doesn't.

Quite warm, but was greatly appreciate on the long road downhill home form a ride one evening this week when the temperature plummeted.

Personally I find most membrane based soft shells aren't that breathable, I would vote for Rab Vapourise garments.

If it is waterproof to 10'000mm then it must have a waterproof coating in it which in my mind makes it a waterproof jacket with a softshell face fabric. It will be very sweaty. For me a softshel should not have any membrane as that sacrifices breathability. If you want it waterproof buy a waterproof jacket. A softshell should be splas/shower proof.

i think ive made that up looking at the description ha! its not stated anywhere about the breathability/waterproof rating

it just says

'Windproof, breathable, high stretch 3-Layer softshell fabric with tough DWR finish'

i think i was getting confused with my proper waterproof singletrack jacket which is 10k/10k

A three layer softshell means it has a membrane that's sandwiched. Which ultimately (usually) means it's less breathable than a woven style softshell. My softshells are more like stretchy windshirts.

I wear windshirts when I think I'm going somewhere with rain, they pack down smaller. I wear softshells when I think I'm going to wear it most of the time

Also agree that Rab VR stuff is ace!

well what ever it is, it works a treat, wore it last night, chill in the air, but dry and it was absolutely 100% what i was after, its thin enough to not sweat out loads, and with a short sleeve baselayer perfect for temps around 10c, with a long sleeve base layer or my gore windstopper baselayer (deeper in winter) it will be worn more than any other jacket i own. last night once the light went in and a bit of drizzle it soon went bloody cold, but at no point was i cold nor sweating uncomfortably....really am pleased with it, if id have kept the oens from wiggle (dhb etc) id have sweated my knackers off last night as they were way way thicker

its exactly as you say, more like stretchy material, hugs closer to the skin without flapping around and isnt rustling or noisy in the slighest

the cut is perfect for mtb and size small fits me spot on

really pleased with it so far

Buffalo for me. I’ve an endura soft shell I’m going to sell with pit zips for added temperature control. Small/medium size (I’d have to check)

Not sure where you are OP, but I picked up one of the Simmond soft shells from Decathlon Sheffield for 25 quid the other day. Bought f9r bike related stuff.

They had loads on the rack. Don't seem to be on the website any more though.

I have a Endura windchill which is very good. I also have a Singletrack jacket from Endura which I have not worn yet, bought it in the CRC sale for £40.

Forgot to mention I also have an Altura Peleton Transformer jacket, which might well be EOL as well now, it's pretty good in the approx 0-10C range and is tolerable to ~13C... But the Magma is better and tolerable to ~18C (both while doing short intervals).

If anyone wants a cheap Altura transformer (as above) let me know. I have one but the sleeves are a tiny bit too short for my gangly arms (I'm 6'3 and usually take medium, can't remember what size)

Second hand Paramo. Tough as old boots.