BOARDMAN WOMEN’S WATERPROOF

The Gore jacket might be the most stylish on test, but with the black fabric making us nervous about visibility this was the one we reached for next as being the best option for good looks, but with great winter riding features. We liked the space age silver/pink combo and reflective details on the sleeves and back add to the safety element. At just 141g it was light too, but with a slightly thicker fabric and taped seams felt like it offered a bit more protection than the Endura and gave better waterproofing in heavy showers, too. Sizing is more generous than other brands – we’d usually go for a UK10, but our UK8 was plenty big enough and with enough length in the sleeves for riding, too. You also get a dropped hem, plus snug elasticated cuffs and one large pocket on the back which was big enough for all our riding essentials (you can even get a map in there, if you’re old-school). It isn’t designed to stuff into the pocket, but you can do - although the zip isn’t reversable which makes getting it out again a bit tricky. Finally breathability was okay, although we did get a bit clammy when the sun broke out.