Sealskinz Waterproof Cycling Jacket review

The Sealskinz Waterproof Cycling Jacket takes Sealskinz's proven expertise in wet weather gear for your extremities and extends it to your top half. How does it stack up against the competition?

Cycling Weekly Verdict

Sealskinz has made an impressive Gabba-style jacket with excellent waterproofing and windproofing but which is still breathable enough to be comfortable for harder efforts.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Impressive waterproofing and windproofing

  • +

    Comfortable, if close, fit

  • +

    Full range of features

  • +

    Five pockets

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Limited reflectives

  • -

    Expensive

  • -

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Sealskinz has been making waterproof socks and gloves for ages. It’s now aiming to keep the rest of your body dry with new waterproof bibshorts and tights and this waterproof jacket.

This is the brand’s take on the ubiquitous waterproof, breathable, lightweight cycling jersey. In Sealskinz’s case, it’s totally waterproof with a triple-layer stretch fabric incorporating a breathable membrane.

All Sealskinz's zippers are waterproof, with the front one being backed too

All the seams are flatlocked and taped internally. There’s a waterproof zipper with a stormflap to make doubly sure no water gets in. As well as the usual three open rear pockets, there is also a fourth waterproof-zipped rear pocket and a fifth pocket – also waterproof – on the chest.

>>> Better than the Gabba? Wet weather racing jackets on test

The open rear pockets have laser-cut drainage holes and there are also five laser-cut holes under the armpits for additional heat dissipation with minimal chance of water ingress. The collar is cut high and is fleece-lined; there are inner storm cuffs and a dropped tail for additional coverage.

Rear pockets have drainage holes. There's a reflective Sealskinz logo as well as reflexives on the upper arms

Overall, it’s an impressive range of features to keep you dry and fend off cold winds on milder wet days. I found I was very comfortable in typical spring conditions with a long sleeved baselayer underneath. The Sealskinz jacket is a tight fit, although there’s enough stretch to accommodate a little extra padding. If you’re not a racing snake, you may want to consider sizing up. I did find that the dropped tail tended to ride up.

>>> Buyer's guide to waterproof cycling jackets (video)

Watch: How to dress for rain

Lightweight jackets tend to either wet out in prolonged rain or become a bit damp and clammy inside if they’re more waterproof, but Sealskinz’s manages to avoid either, even on longer climbs, which is impressive.

>>> Castelli Gabba 2 review

The Waterproof Jacket comes in all-over black, although you do get reflective red patches on the upper arms and reflective lettering on the rear right pocket for a bit of extra visibility.

Overall, Sealskinz’s entry into this crowded field is impressive and merits its hefty £190 pricetag.

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Paul Norman

Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.

He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.