PEARL IZUMI PRO BARRIER LITE

The Pro Barrier Lite is definitely light and packable, stowing away in our jersey with ease and weighing just 123g. A bold design includes important reflective detailing and a thin pocket on the middle of the back, while the softshell protection is supposedly windproof and water resistant. While it might be unfair to judge showerproof packable jackets during a deluge, we’d at least expect some level of prolonged protection, but unfortunately the Pro Barrier Lite lost any ability to keep us dry after just 20 minutes. Both phone and wallet were soaked in jersey pockets underneath and the sleeves had stuck to our skin, making for an unpleasant end to our ride. It does pick up marks for the form fit offered by Softshell Lite fabric, which means the jacket doesn’t flap around in the wind and it’s stretchy enough to give you a decent range of movement. Sadly it’s so thin that the water-resistant fabric just doesn’t stand up to medium to heavy rain. The Pro Barrier Lite is fine for a light shower, is adequately windproof and breathable, but there’s better out there and for less money, too.