Five Sub-£100 Shells Put Through a Proper British November

November in Britain is a very specific kind of wet. It isn't a downpour you can shelter from; it's a low, persistent drizzle that finds the gap between your glove and your cuff and settles in for the duration. That's the weather these five jackets were bought for.

All of them cost under £100. All of them claim to be waterproof. Only some of them are pleasant to wear for forty minutes twice a day, which is the bit the spec sheet never tells you.

How we tested

Each jacket did a minimum of six commutes on the same 8.5-mile mixed route — suburban roads, a stretch of towpath and a couple of draggy climbs — plus one longer weekend ride of around three hours. Riders ranged from a very relaxed pootler to someone who treats the morning commute as a training session, because breathability claims fall apart the moment you start sweating.

We judged five things: does water actually stay out (seams, zips, cuffs, drop tail), can you breathe in it, does the hood work over a helmet, will a driver see you at 7am, and can you roll it up small enough to live in a bag all day.

Decathlon Triban waterproof jacket — around £45

Best for: the rider who wants a shell in the bag for emergencies and doesn't care what it looks like.

The cheapest jacket here, and it behaves like it in the details — the cut is boxy, the fabric rustles and the cuffs are a simple elastic job. But it kept water out on a genuinely grim ride, the taped seams held, and there's a decent drop tail that covers your backside when you're on the drops.

Breathability is the weak point. Push the pace and you'll be damp from the inside by mile five. Treat it as a rain shell for a gentle ride and it's remarkable value. The hood is helmet-friendly only in the sense that it will go over one; it flaps above about 15mph.

Verdict: 7/10. Buy it, keep it in your bag, don't expect miracles.

Galibier Mistral — around £70

Best for: year-round commuting where you want one jacket that does most things.

Galibier keeps turning out kit that looks like it should cost more, and this is the pick of the bunch for pure commuting. The cut is closer than the Decathlon, the fabric is softer, and the collar sits high enough to stop the drip down the back of your neck. Pockets are sensible, cuffs are adjustable, and there's a decent bit of reflectivity on the rear.

It's not fully waterproof in the sense of sitting in a downpour for an hour, but for steady rain it's fine, and it breathes well enough that you don't feel like you're wearing a bin liner.

Verdict: 8.5/10. The one we kept reaching for.

Altura Nightvision Typhoon — around £90

Best for: dark winter rides where visibility matters more than style.

Altura has built a whole identity on being seen, and this jacket is unapologetic about it — big reflective panels front and rear that genuinely light up in headlights. If you commute on unlit roads, that alone might settle it.

Waterproofing is solid and the hood is one of the better ones over a helmet, with a decent drawcord arrangement. The trade-off is weight and packability: this is a bulky jacket that doesn't compress small, and it runs warm. On a mild, wet November morning you'll notice it.

Verdict: 7.5/10. Excellent for the dark months, a bit much the rest of the year.

Endura Hummvee waterproof — around £85

Best for: riders who want a jacket that survives being treated badly.

The Hummvee feels like it was designed by someone who commutes. Tough fabric, a cut roomy enough for a fleece underneath, and a hood that actually stays put over a helmet thanks to a decent adjustment system. The drop tail is generous.

It's heavier than the Galibier and doesn't breathe as well when you're working hard, so it's better suited to a steady ride than a fast one. The payoff is durability — this is a jacket that will still be going in three winters' time.

Verdict: 8/10. The workhorse.

Proviz REFLECT360 — around £95

Best for: anyone whose commute is mostly after dark.

The Proviz is the most visible thing in this test by a country mile. Under headlights it turns into a glowing white shape, and drivers genuinely do give you more room. That's not a small thing in November.

As a waterproof, it's good rather than brilliant — the fabric is heavier and less breathable than the Galibier, and it doesn't pack down small. It also has a distinctly 'safety garment' look that not everyone wants to wear on a Sunday club run. But for pure commuting utility, it earns its money.

Verdict: 7.5/10. Buy it for the reflectivity, not the cut.

Does a premium membrane justify the extra spend?

The obvious question: would a £250 jacket with a proper branded membrane be twice as good?

For an eight-mile commute at conversational pace, no. At that effort level you're not producing enough heat to overwhelm a decent budget fabric, and you're better off spending the £150 difference on mudguards, a decent merino base layer and a spare set of gloves for the office.

Where the money starts to make sense is when you're riding hard, riding long, or riding in genuinely wet weather for over an hour. That's when breathability stops being a nice-to-have and starts being the difference between arriving at work and arriving soaked from the inside. If that's your commute, save up. If it isn't, spend the money on the rest of your kit.

The things that matter more than the jacket

A jacket is one part of a system, and the system fails at the edges. Seal the wrists with a decent glove that overlaps the cuff, not the other way round. Wear a cap under the hood to keep rain off your glasses. Keep a spare top at work — you will sweat, whatever the marketing says. And mudguards. Always mudguards. They'll do more for your comfort on a wet commute than any membrane ever will.