Rev’it describe this as an ‘affordable, waterproof Gore-Tex jacket with multi-season versatility’. I like the thought of that, and my last European trip of 2022 gave me the perfect testing ground, with rain forecast to fall every day of my week’s trip to France.
First things first, the Rev’it Vertical GTX is a good looking jacket that has a tailored fit and gives a secure comfortable feeling when I put it on.
Two straps at the waist, a pullcord at the bottom hem and a strap on the lower part of each sleeve allow adjustment to personal fit.
The circumference of the collar can be adjusted with what Rev'it call a flexisnap, which is a handy feature allowing you to adjust the collar to cater for different clothing worn underneath. The snap catch on this fastening also gives a more positive and secure closure than the Velcro closure you find on the collar of most jackets.
A press stud also allows the collar flap to be fastened back, which gives more ventilation to the neck.
The four external pockets - one on each side, one at the rear and one on the left sleeve - are all rated as waterproof.
The rear pocket is a good size with a side entry zip giving easy access and the two side pockets have a zip closure, though the tailored fit of the jacket means they are a little tight to get your hands into once the jacket is zipped up.
The pocket on the wrist of the left sleeve is a nice touch as it’s a convenient place to keep a credit card or toll tickets.
Inside the jacket there are two pockets, one on each side in the lower part of the jacket.
Ventilation is provided by two vents at the front, which fold back and are held open by a magnetic catch called a Fidlock. A zip over each shoulder then opens to provide rear exhaust vents.
The ventilation worked well on a warm day, allowing a very pleasant breeze to get into the jacket and cool me down.
The jacket is supplied with a thermal liner for colder days that’s fastened into the jacket with press studs down the line of the front opening zip.
The use of a laminated two-layer Gore-Tex material for the outer should mean the jacket won’t absorb water and get heavy in wet conditions.
On the road, the jacket is very comfortable over a long day’s riding. The build quality is excellent, and it certainly feels like it would give give many years of good service.
As forecast, it did rain every day when I was in France. On some days it rained all day and on some occasions it was torrential. I remained dry and no water got to me through the jacket.
What impressed me most was how quickly the outer jacket dried, because the laminated construction means the outer material of the jacket doesn’t soak up a lot of water.
In practice this meant the jacket was always dry again by the next morning, so I didn’t have that horrible experience of putting on a heavy, wet, cold jacket to start a day’s ride.
All the waterproof pockets did exactly as they say on the label as well, keeping the contents dry even in the heaviest rain.
One thing I’ll point out, though - this is not the warmest jacket I have worn, though that would be easily solved with a windproof mid layer
The shoulder and elbow armour fits snugly and doesn’t move around - add to this the Class AA rating in the CE safety certification and we have a jacket that should provide good protection.
My only minor irritation is the side pockets. Even though I have small hands, once the jacket is zipped up I find it difficult to get my hand into the pockets.
This irritation doesn’t detract from what I see as a very good well priced jacket that delivered good performance in some very wet weather.
Overall, this is an excellent jacket that’s very comfortable, well made and comes at a good price for one that has laminated Gore-Tex for the waterproof outer layer.
Fit and Comfort
It’s a comfortable, well-tailored jacket that can be adjusted for a personalised fit. I take a medium in everything, though a medium on this occasion was on the small side and buyers may want to try the next size up if they are going to wear more layers in colder conditions.
Protection
The elbow and shoulder armour meets the higher Level 2 of the CE standard. I fitted an optional Level 2 back protector. The armour feels large enough to cover the vulnerable areas without being obtrusive. It always remained comfortable and in the right place.
Waterproofing
I have no complaints in this area. The jacket performed faultlessly in a week when it rained every day