7mesh Copilot Women's jacket review

The 7mesh Copilot Women's jacket is a lightweight and breathable Gore-Tex shell that is packable too. The sizing of the relaxed fit is a little off, but we love the excellent waterproofing and fantastic breathability when pedalling hard in the rain.

7mesh call the Copilot a ‘backup shell’, meaning they think it’s perfect in your pack for emergency use. Although the packability is good (it stuffs into its own pocket) I think keeping this unfussy, hardwearing jacket out of sight would be a bit of a travesty.

I’ve worn it in all conditions this winter and found it performs well, keeping me dry and relatively well ventilated too.

The breathable Gore-Tex Paclite Plus material has an eco-friendly, 100% recycled nylon face fabric.

This type of Gore-Tex has a two-layer construction and is supposed to be thin yet durable – the Copilot may feel a little flimsy at first, but it stood the test of time (and some crashes too) without damage.

It is superbly breathable, and a great jacket for those days when it's either raining or chilly and you are pedalling hard. Between 5-10°C I mostly paired mine with a base layer and a long sleeve jersey, and found the jacket dispersed any sweat well.

I would like to see some kind of underarm zip or vent for getting a proper breeze through, but that would also add weight – I can see why 7Mesh chose otherwise.

There is one large pocket, but the backward-slanting opening makes it only for storing things, not hands. Minimalist drawstrings pull in the hem for adjustment, and three cords winch in the hood and cinch it down when not in use.

Thankfully 7Mesh hasn’t skimped on the hood or the collar. The collar is tall and protective when the hood is down, and the hood goes up over a helmet easily and stays secure too.

The cuffs are elasticated but could do with either being tighter or adjustable – I found them a little baggy. This may have something to do with the fact the whole jacket is a little baggy.

I am usually a size Small in 7Mesh (I’m a size 8 dress size), but this ‘relaxed fit’ jacket was on the large side – I might be better off in an XS. Still, the extra room means I can fit any number of layers underneath, and gives a very protective long tail too.

In terms of waterproofing, the Copilot performs well: taped seams and top quality Gore-Tex material keep you dry all day long. I did find some water got in via the loose collar, though – another reason to consider sizing down.

At £220 the 7Mesh Copilot jacket is pricey, but given its performance, quality and almost year-round usefulness, it really seems a worthwhile investment.

Note on shipping - 7mesh plan to have a UK distribution centre up and running in mid-March and this is still on track. You can expect orders to the UK to resume soon to coincide with this.