Gore Torrent Jacket review

The Gore Torrent Jacket uses the brand’s Gore-Tex Active fabric to great effect.

Highly waterproof, it has stood up to the wettest testing conditions, while it's very breathable.

Gore has also packed in creature comforts such as a zipped pocket and fleece neck lining. The jacket is also (a little) cheaper than a key competitor.

Gore Torrent Jacket details and specifications

The Gore Torrent Jacket is designed to be a waterproof shell for those who can sport a slim cut.

While the jacket is slim, it isn’t overly restrictive in the waist. That said, it sizes a margin smaller than usual across the chest, which meant I needed to try an extra-large jacket as well as my usual large.

The brand has used its Gore-Tex Active fabric, which is well-regarded as one of the best protective and breathable fabrics around.

The zip features an inner liner, with distinctive Gore branding on the outside and a reflective badge on the rear-centre. The arms feature a dotted print, although this isn’t reflective.

Up top, the collar has a band of fleece lining for comfort and there’s a small zip garage.

On the rear right flank, Gore has added a zipped pocket. Unlike the zipped pockets sometimes found in cycling jerseys, it’s large enough to store a bar and a few energy gels – or itself.

The waist hem is lightly elasticated all around, with a printed gripper on the underside to prevent the jacket riding up, and the cuffs are partially elasticated. Gore says this helps the cuffs overlap cycling gloves.

Gore offers the Torrent in six colours – Process Purple, Orbit (navy) Blue, Fireball (orange), Uniform Sand (yellow, as tested), Utility Green and black.

Five sizes are available, from S-2XL.

Gore Torrent Jacket performance

Gore has used its Gore-Tex Active fabric to great effect here, as one might expect, given it ‘owns’ the fabric.

Importantly, although it is an incredibly similar jacket to the Rapha Men’s Pro Team Gore-Tex Jacket, it means Gore is able to price the Torrent slightly lower.

It costs £229.99 / $230 / €229.95 versus the Rapha example at £250 / $300 / €285.

Waterproofing and breathability of the fabric are excellent, with no hint of wetting out through testing.

Repeat washes with a tech wash product didn’t degrade its performance.

The fabric cuts out the majority of penetrating wind, and although breathability is compromised in the rain (when ambient humidity is at its highest), this is a factor of physics for every such fabric.

The fabric is light enough to let some air ‘flow’ through when riding, which at least helps prevent condensation build-up on the inside.

The cut is slim overall across the chest and the jacket isn’t as long as some, but the space in the arms is relatively generous.

I also tried an extra-large alongside my usual large sample. This left me with too much arm and waistline bagginess, but a more accommodating fit across the chest, plus a small amount of extra length in the body.

If nothing else, this demonstrates that trying on in a bike shop – or, at least, ordering options online and keeping the best-fitting garment – is a wise thing to do.

The Torrent jacket’s zippable pocket is easy to access from the side, with the zip moving easily on the go.

That said, it can be tricky to locate the slim pull tab with gloved fingers, which is a common problem.

I also liked the wrist cuffs, which are effective at keeping draughts and the worst of water at bay.

They extend forwards slightly more than average, offering a little more protection, plus some overlap for thinner gloves.

Gore Torrent Jacket bottom line

The Gore Torrent Jacket is an excellent waterproof cycling jacket.

It sizes up slightly small across the chest, which is worth bearing in mind for some, but there’s little else to criticise it for.

The fact that it costs £20 less than its closest competitor from Rapha means it just edges ahead.