7mesh has announced its new Guardian collection, which consists of two waterproof jackets and a pair of waterproof trousers.
In a world where many clothing brands have a specific jacket for different sports and disciplines, the Guardian collection is refreshingly intended as a one-stop multi-sport solution.
The pieces can be used for cycling, running and skiing – or any outdoor activity where lightweight and packable waterproof garments are advantageous.
The range consists of the Guardian Air and Guardian Apex jackets, with the Air a stripped-down, lightweight jacket claimed to weigh only 200g in a size medium, while the Apex is a little more rugged but still comes in at a lightweight 310g (medium).
Rounding out the collection is the Guardian Apex Pant – waterproof trousers with an articulated fit, claimed to weigh only 250g (medium) and packing down seriously small.
All three products combine Gore-Tex’s latest ePE technology, which utilises thinner and lighter fabrics, with a PFAS-free recycled backer. 7mesh has made a concerted effort to combine these lightweight constructions with thoughtful features.
The Guardian Air jacket retails for a punchy £400 / $500 / €450, with the Guardian Apex Jacket even more costly at £500 / $600 / €550, and the Guardian Apex Pant £350 / €400 / $400. The whole range is available in men’s and women’s versions.
I’ve got the Guardian Air Jacket in for testing – let’s take a closer look at this intriguing jacket.
Sweating the details
7mesh says the Guardian Air jacket is designed for riders who want full wet-weather protection, but where low weight and packability are absolute musts.
The minimal jacket uses a Gore-Tex ePE 3L shell with a 15d Ripstop fabric – the lightest ePE fabric commercially available. For context, the heavier-duty Guardian Apex jacket steps up to a 40d Ripstop fabric.
The jacket uses what 7mesh calls its ‘CrossPull’ hood, which is designed to fit over a helmet. It’s tightened by pulling a set of minimal cords just inside the jacket’s hood, and loosened by a larger cord at the hood’s rear.
If you don’t want to use the hood, it can be rolled down and it’s held in place by a popper.
In terms of storage, you get a stash pocket that the jacket can be packed into and a secondary pocket for storing gloves or other essentials, both on the jacket’s inside left.
You can store the jacket on the bike, such as around the bar or a tube, or you can pack it in a bikepacking bag or hydration backpack.
7mesh has also seriously sweated the details on the cuffs, with the brand saying it spent a “disproportionate time working on it to get it just right”.
It uses a smooth Velcro closure that the brand claims won’t stick to snow or to your clothing, yet sticks to its hook counterpart, and 7mesh has also reduced the bulk of the cuff by using “delicate trims and tiny tapes”.
The brand says it’ll work well with deep winter gloves, or with no gloves at all.
A new bikepacking favourite?
7mesh claims a size-medium men’s jacket comes in at 200g, while the women’s version undercuts it at an even more scant 180g.
I’ve got a medium jacket in ‘Graphite’ in for testing and it weighs bang-on 200g on my Scales of Truth.
For reference, my current benchmark Castelli Trail GT jacket weighs 297g in a medium, and for the last two years, it has been my trusty companion on all my bikepacking trips and ultra-distance races.
That jacket commands a similarly fearsome price tag, retailing for £460 / $549.99 / €399.95 / AU$749, but I’ve found it to be brilliant.
It’s constructed from Gore-Tex Paclite Plus and has more creature comforts, with four storage pockets, two of which can be opened for ventilation. Granted though, it doesn’t fold up anywhere near as small as the 7mesh Guardian Air.
If you want a slightly more sensibly priced jacket that I fully endorse, I recommend the Patagonia Dirt Roamer Storm jacket at £290, which saw constant use when I bikepacked the Pictish Trail in summer 2023. The jacket even made it into my Gear of the Year 2023.
I’m looking forward to seeing if the Guardian Air usurps my trusty Castelli and the proof will be in the pudding when I decide which jacket I take with me to Chile for the Across Andes race in November.
