Review: Showers Pass Elite Pro Jacket

Let me first say, I love this jacket.  I’ve used it now in the rain and it is my go-to jacket in colder weather.  I’ve had it for about 10 months and I continue to be amazed at the quality and versatility of this jacket.

This is the description from Showers Pass:

Insanely light at 240 grams with a sleek, contoured, high performance fit.
Engineered with three-layer waterproof and highly breathable elite™ Fabric, combined with softshell side panels to keep you protected from the elements.  Adjustable ventilating cuffs, water-resistant zippered core vents, asymmetrical front zipper and a rear exhaust vent keep you comfortable.  Race, train or just ride.

•  Ultra light Elite 3-Layer performance fabric for extreme breathability and top-notch waterproofing without bulk
• Seam taped construction for maximum waterproofness
• Two-way water resistant front zipper is asymmetrical for more comfort and reduced chafing at the neck
• Dual core vents and upper back opening for flow thru ventilation; and specially designed air flow cuffs
• Race cut and stretch sides for reduced wind resistance and contoured fit
• Reflective trim on front, back and sides
• Packable: stuffs into its own back pocket

My Impressions:

This jacket is very light and thin, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t cut the wind.  I’m wearing it also as my winter jacket over a long sleeve jersey, and I’ve been very comfortable below 20° F in it.  In fact, I’ve often had vents open slightly in the cold temperatures.  I’ve also worn it in heavy rain during warm weather and stayed dryer than in anything else I’ve worn.  There are some definitely well-designed features to this jacket.  In particular, I note:

• Soft collar so that up against the neck this is comfortable.
• The zipper extends high against the neck but tucks into a little “pocket” to keep the zipper away from the skin.
• The zipper seals out the water.
• The sleeves are long (especially for my short arms).  The sleeve closures take care of any excess length.
• The rear cut is very generous, keeping my posterior warm and dry.
• The underarm vents are easy to reach and operate with either hand!  It seals the water out when closed.
• The upper back vent is generous and helps keep the rider cool.  It also seals out the water when closed.
• There is a large single back pocket with a flap extending over the zipper to keep the interior dry.
• It looks good!

I was able to purchase this jacket on a sale rack at my local bike shop.  I opted for the large after trying both the large and medium.  I’m 5’6″ tall and weigh about 165 and I appreciate the little bit of extra room this gives me.  As I said, I sometimes wear a long sleeve jersey under this in the cold weather and yet without that extra bulk this jacket doesn’t flap in the wind.  It would fit a taller rider of the same general girth pretty well.

Others I ride with who have a Showers Pass jacket have a version of this that is thicker and warmer.  They routinely tell me they wish they had purchased the lighter weight jacket.

I’ve not found anything I don’t like about the jacket, except the long arms.  But then, I’m short and have very short arms also.

There you have it.  While I’ve not tried a great number of jackets and therefore make no comments about comparisons, I like and highly recommend this jacket.

Note: I purchased this jacket with my own money and have not received nor do I anticipate any form of compensation for this review.