Gore-Tex Paclite jacket review

If you want to stay seen while keeping dry, the Paclite should float your boat. This high-quality, relatively lightweight jacket is highly breathable and completely waterproof and windproof.

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Realising that not everyone is a svelte racer but will still want high performance, Gore has cut the Paclite generously. It fits true to size and while I found it to be a little flappy out on windy roads, anyone with a little more meat on them won’t have a problem. Gore has kept the arm size sensible, so thankfully these are not overly flappy and the length is perfect.

The Paclite combines half elastic cuffs with Velcro closures to dial in the fit and seal the wrists without issues or leakage. These work well but do add a little bulk.

There’s ample rear coverage to keep road spray at bay and the tail can be fine-tuned with two side adjusters.

The tall collar seals well, there's a large-tooth waterproof front zip and the zip-tag makes life easier on the fly. A soft inner flap and zip garage help keep the elements out and add extra comfort, too

Stash duties are taken care of by a single rear pocket with side access via another waterproof zip – getting in and out is easy thanks to its location. A chest pocket with waterproof zip adds extra storage. The Paclite packs small enough to fit into a jersey pocket.

While testing on a wet afternoon, the Paclite material and taped seams never let any rain or dampness through. It’s impressively breathable, too, and few at this price can compete with how well it performs here. It’s robust and can take being thrown around, which often happens after a cold, wet ride.

The bright fluro yellow is great for cycling this time of year and ideal for low light situations, but other more-subtle colours are available if this is too bright for you.

It’s good to see a jacket of this quality being offered with a little more room for any non-race-shaped riders. With the Paclite, you enjoy top performance in a well-thought-out and practical jacket.