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review

Bontrager Velocis Stormshell Jacket

9
£149.99

VERDICT:

9
10
The waterproof jacket fights back: comfortable, breathable and with a great fit – highly recommended
Weight: 
268g

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What sorcery is this? I'd thought the days of the fully waterproof jacket were numbered, pushed out by rain-resistant jerseys and high-performance softshells. I've not worn one much lately, and only on the most biblically wet days, but the Bontrager Velocis Stormshell might just change all that.

It's waterproof, natch, and it's breathable too. Yep, the usual marketing shtick, but this really is – as breathable as many a softshell in fact. It fits really well, thanks to the surprising stretchiness of the fabric and well-designed cut. And the details are all there, from the waterproof zip to the comfortable fleece-lined neck and admirable use of reflectives. It was all set to get the full five stars, in fact, were it not for one small thing...

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Hardshell waterproof jackets haven't really made waves that much of late. The focus has mostly been on the fabric technology allowing manufacturers to make jerseys that can keep riders relatively protected from the elements; the distinctive fwappy noise of a rain jacket seemed consigned to the past.

There's not too much fwapping here as the Velocis is nicely fitted and its outer layer feels and behaves more like a softshell. It's really soft, lightweight and comfortable. Water doesn't bead off it, it soaks into the outer fabric – but that's as far as it gets. The seam-sealed layer is on the inside, and it's clever stuff – a 2.5 layer fabric "powered by 37.5™ active particle technology", says Bontrager.

Bontrager Velocis Stormshell Jacket - chest.jpg

Okay, 37.5 technology was a new one to me but there's a website that gives you the skinny. Active particles built into the fabric play a role, and the goal is maintaining a 37.5% relative humidity "microclimate" between the jacket and your body. That sounds like a tall order given that typical relative humidity on a wet autumnal day in Britain is 95%, but apparently the hotter you get inside the jacket, the more efficiently it moves moisture across the membrane to the outside.

The explanations left me a little sceptical, but by golly it works. Sometimes the measure of how breathable something is becomes clearest when you look at the bits that aren't. Look under the scorpion decal on a Castelli Gabba sleeve after a hard ride and there's a neat circle of moisture that couldn't escape. On the Velocis, it's the seam taping that doesn't breathe as much as the rest of the fabric, and it was only there that I ever found thin stripes of condensation. The rest of the inner surface stayed stubbornly dry even when I got pretty warm.

The inner surface has an unusual but not unpleasant feel to it. Generally, I only ever wear waterproof jackets over long sleeves as I hate the feeling of clammy arms. Here, that was still my preferred option but the inside surface of the jacket remained pretty much dry, meaning comfort was decent even against bare skin. This meant I used this jacket even when rain was but a distant threat – like I would a softshell, in other words – but with the knowledge that it would keep me really dry were the skies to open.

Bontrager Velocis Stormshell Jacket - back.jpg

And when they do, the Velocis does a cracking job of keeping it all on the outside. I wore it on some pretty grim days and was reminded of what a real waterproof gives you compared with a mere DWR-treated jersey: 10,000mm water resistance is typical on a breathable waterproof (25,000g/m2/24hr breathability) and I didn't have an issue with rain penetration.

A further surprising property of this rather unusual material is how stretchy it is – significantly more than something like the Sugoi RSE Neoshell and notably more than some weather-proof jerseys, even. It's directional, so the fabric will quite easily stretch to twice its normal size in the horizontal direction but less in the vertical. This makes it comfortable but also allows for a really good fit. The size tested was a large in EU sizing (or medium in the US) and fitted well, while allowing room for a couple of layers underneath.

The rear of the jacket is dropped around 100mm lower than the front, such that it looks right on the bike without really being enough to keep your bum dry if you're not running mudguards. It would be nice to see this extended further to offer better protection, especially as the elasticity means it could be cut to sit close to the body.

Bontrager Velocis Stormshell Jacket - riding.jpg

There is a generous assortment of reflective details – narrow stripes down each side of the back, down the sleeves and by the zip at the front, plus decals by the cuffs and a logo on the butt. Like a lot on this jacket, they really suggest some concerted design effort was expended to get it right. The Firebrand orange of our test sample looks pretty smart too – falling acceptably short of full-on high vis. There's a Visibility Yellow and a black option too.

>> Check out our guide to the best waterproof jackets here

The only pocket is on the left breast and is a decent size – easily enough to get a phone in, and with a small eyelet to feed a headphone cable through inside the jacket. The main zip is waterproof, with a flap to protect your neck and a double pull, so it can be opened from the top or bottom once it's done up. I'm not a fan of this – I've never really seen the need of opening a jacket from the bottom, and it just makes it more fiddly to close the zip. Every. Single. Time.

Bontrager Velocis Stormshell Jacket - chest pocket.jpg

My only significant reservation was with the stitching at the cuffs. There's a single row of stitching and it was already coming undone on one sleeve before I even donned the test sample for the first time. Trek sent another one over, and within a couple of weeks the same thing happened again. There are pull loops protruding from each cuff, apparently intended to make it easier to take the jacket off. They do, but there's no reinforcement where they join the sleeves, and you only need to use them once or twice before the stitching starts to come undone. Reinforcing this area would be such an easy, cheap fix, so it's hard to fathom how this made it through to production.

Cut those loops off straight away, exercise care taking the jacket off, and you've got an absolutely cracking waterproof. In use it feels more like a softshell but will keep you drier in foul conditions. The details are almost all spot on and it's not bad looking. I really like this jacket.

Verdict

The waterproof jacket fights back: comfortable, breathable and with a great fit – highly recommended

road.cc test report

Make and model: Bontrager Velocis Stormshell Jacket

Size tested: Medium, Orange

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Bontrager says: "The ultimate bad weather jacket that offers superior waterproof and windproof protection, the Velocis Stormshell has you covered. Features include a streamline fit, full-length, two-way zipper, and a zippered left chest pocket, into which the jacket can be packed."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Profila Stormshell fabric powered by 37.5™ technology

2.5 layer fabric provides next to skin comfort with a stretchy no-flap fit

Full-length, two-way YKK zipper provides great ventilation options

Zippered left chest pocket into which the jacket can be packed

Drop-tail and articulated sleeves for a precise on-bike fit

Reflective elements enhance visibility for maximum safety

Fitted - Streamlined fit for all-around cycling performance

10,000mm waterproof, 25,000g/m2/24hr breathability

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Very high-performance fabric, well thought through details and a great fit. I could live without the lower zip pull but I guess some people like them. Loses a mark for the inadequate stitching around the cuffs.

Rate the product for performance:
 
10/10

Simply the best waterproof jacket I've ever used. Keeps the rain out while being as breathable as many a softshell. Stretchy fabric means you can get a close fit too, if you want.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

The single-row cuff stitching is a definite minor weak point – the test sample started to come undone here, was replaced, and the same thing happened with the second jacket (when I tried to use the pull-loops to take it off). Otherwise no indication of weak points and it's not a superlight shell so I wasn't worried about it tearing too easily.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

You can get waterproof jackets that are around 40-50g lighter, but normally without some of the niceties present here, like the fleeced collar and zipped pocket. This one feels well built but with minimal weight penalty.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
10/10

The outer shell feels like a lightweight softshell, and even the inner surface is pretty comfortable against the skin. Nice fleecy neck lining.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

It's an expensive jacket, but you get what you pay for here. I've not used a cheaper jacket that is in any way the match of this, and I've used more expensive waterproofs I've liked less.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Superbly.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It ticks all the boxes – waterproof, particularly breathable and with a great fit thanks to the stretchy material. Add in very well-designed reflectives and agreeable styling and it's just about perfect.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Very little. The stitching around the cuffs should be doubled up as it's a vulnerable area and I'm not a fan of zips with two pulls, but that's about it.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

This was a stone-cold five stars if it wasn't for the flimsy stitching around the cuffs. That aside, it's a superb piece of bad-weather gear.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 190cm  Weight: 78kg

I usually ride: Commuter - something with disc brakes, drop bars and a rack  My best bike is: Rose X-Lite CRS

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

Jez spends his days making robots that drive cars but is happiest when on two wheels.  His roots are in mountain biking but he spends more time nowadays on the road, occasionally racing but more often just riding. 

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11 comments

Avatar
Sam Zam | 7 years ago
0 likes

I know I am a bit late commenting on this article, however..

I picked up one of these jacket in the fall of 2016 and didn't have much opportunity to use it in a full downpour until this week.. We had 50km winds with bibical rain.. went out on a 1 and a bit hour ride and came home 100% dry (well above the waist).

The jacket performed as advertised and kept me dry and not soaking wet on the inside from sweat. I went from a full gore-tex GORE jacket and this is by far a better fit and breathed much better..

 

Avatar
maldin | 8 years ago
0 likes

Thanks Jez  1 the RRP of the pave seems pretty high, but the online price seems much more inline with the Bontrager. I'll have to see which fits me better. 

Avatar
maldin | 8 years ago
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It's probably not you reviewing it, but any rough idea when the Castelli Pave review will be out? I'm wondering whether to dive in now and buy something or hold off until I have seen the Pave review - if its in the next few weeks I'll hold off.

Avatar
Jez Ash replied to maldin | 8 years ago
1 like

maldin wrote:

It's probably not you reviewing it, but any rough idea when the Castelli Pave review will be out? I'm wondering whether to dive in now and buy something or hold off until I have seen the Pave review - if its in the next few weeks I'll hold off.

 

It's written, actually.  Not sure why it's not appeared yet - that's an editorial thing.  In short - it's a v effective, breathable barrier but with very few bells and whistles (esp given the enormous price).  I found the Bontrager fitted a bit better, but the Pave fits more easily into a jersey pocket.

Avatar
maldin | 8 years ago
0 likes

I was wondering about the Pave jacket - good to see its being reviewed. As much as the Gore Tex jacket seems good, the fact that it also seems too large to pack is off putting. If a jacket can't breath well enough when its warmer and be taken off and stored in a pocket, then its use is limited to wearing all ride in wet weather. And that limits its appeal given the high cost of a decent jacket. I know Gore Tex and eVent have different properties - some people claim eVent is more breathable, others say Gore Tex works better in practice (even if the lab numbers say otherwise). I'll keep an eye out for the Pave review. 

Avatar
Jez Ash | 8 years ago
1 like

Funnily enough I also did several hours in the lashing rain and howling wind today, wearing the Bontrager jacket with a couple of layers beneath (it was 6-10 degrees while I was out).  It's probably a sterner test than it had during the test period but it did pretty well.  Some moisture got in down the neck, and I sweated a bit (even breathable membranes struggle when they're getting a soaking on the outside), meaning that my jersey was a little damp, but certainly not wet, by the end and I remained warm throughout.

I have a Gabba which is great when there are showers and I want to go fast, but any softshell or water-resistant jersey would have left me utterly soaked today

If you want something really packable then the Castelli Pave (which we're also reviewing) packs down smaller than the Bontrager, but is a silly price.  dhb do a rather cheaper eVent jacket which probably performs similarly (i.e. pretty well).  Finally, this looks like it might be quite special.

Avatar
maldin | 8 years ago
0 likes

After today's 4hr soaking I think I'll be looking at one of the sealed shells then! Ideally one that is packable and breathable so I can use it in slightly warmer weather as well and take it off if the weather improves enough. For me, softshells (e.g. the Gabba-like Etxeondo Team Edition Windstopper Jersey I own) seem ideal, but slowly get damp from both the inside and outside until I'm eventually chilled and end up having to put on an emergency jacket (Sportful Hot Pack 4) - perhaps I don't have enough natural padding!  1 

Avatar
Jez Ash | 8 years ago
1 like

Gore stuff generally is pretty decent but I've not tried either of those jackets.

In general, re the breathability vs waterproof debate, it's not possible to maximise both - there is always some compromise. 

If you're buying something to go out when it's lashing it down then a proper sealed shell (e.g. this one or the first Gore that you listed) will keep the rain outside for longer than any soft-shell or DWR-treated jersey/jacket hybrid.

 

Avatar
maldin | 8 years ago
0 likes

Thanks Jez. I'm weighing this up against the Gore Bike Wear Oxygen 2.0 Gore-Tex Active Shell Jacket which is supposed to also be fully waterproof like the Bontrager jacket. I'm also considering the   Gore Bike Wear Xenon 2.0 Active Shell Jacket as I suspect it could be even more breathable and, whilst not waterproof, perhaps sufficiently water resistant. Do you have an opinion on the Bontragers breathability compared to the other two? 

Avatar
Jez Ash | 8 years ago
1 like

Hi maldin,

I've rolled it up and put it in jersey pockets without a problem - it's not the most packable on the market and you might have some poking out the top, but that wasn't an issue for me.

I found it to be pretty breathable, but it depends on how much you sweat, how you layer up and how hard you're riding.  I've used it happily in both of the scenarios you suggested, and only got damp inside if I was really pushing hard.

Avatar
maldin | 8 years ago
0 likes

Is this jacket packable into a jersey pocket?

Does the jacket breath well enough that it could be used as a outer layer in 5C winter as well as 15C summer rain?

 

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