Before we get to anything else, let’s first address the elephant in the room. At a penny shy of £300, that is a sky-high price for a waterproof running jacket.
But for that money you get a jacket using Gore-Tex’s Shakedry technology. Instead of using a membrane sandwiched between an inner and outer fabric, Shakedry puts the hydrophobic membrane on the outside of the garment, with a second fabric on the inside.
This, the brand says, means water should ‘persistently’ bead up on the outer and run off, with a few shakes said to be enough to rid the jacket of most moisture when the rain stops.
Weather resistance and breathability
In testing, the jacket’s waterproofing proved formidable, and it performed as the brand suggested it would.
It is worth noting, however, that the front zip isn’t fully waterproof (zips rarely are), so in sustained heavy downpours you may notice some water ingress here. However, you will find a sizeable storm flap placed behind the zip that limits the impact of this.
Breathability is decent, and the fact that the material hasn’t wet out in our testing helps, but as this tester runs hot, it’s the two-way zip that proved most useful, as it made it very easy to unzip slightly at each end and dump heat.
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What’s the fit like?
Be aware that this jacket also runs a little on the small side, so you may want to size up.
We’ve taken our usual size medium here and it comes up short in the body, slightly short in the arms and it’s restrictive across the torso.
What features does the Gore R7 have?
As for features, there’s a single adjustment point on the rear of the hood, which can help you achieve a secure fit if needed.
In our testing, however, the hood fit perfectly without any adjustment whatsoever, moving with our head to allow an uninterrupted field of view and minimise any flapping in the wind.
There are also toggles at the waist so you can pull it in, though our sample felt tight enough, really.
There’s also a small pocket on the chest, which is large enough for a credit card and key, but it won’t fit our iPhone 15.
One thing we’re not so sure about is the style, with this particular jacket only available in black and the outer material looking bin-bag-esque.
That’s not ideal for visibility at night, but there is reflective detailing on the front, rear and arms.
Plus, for further visibility, you could invest in some running head torches or reflective running gear.
Weight and pack size
The jacket also packs down to smaller than a pint glass, though there’s no clip to hang it from.
A weight of 172g means it’s no trouble to chuck this in a running pack for your long sessions.
Verdict: Impressive Shakedry tech and fab hood, but price hard to ignore.
Score: 84%
For more expert gear reviews, see our list of the best waterproof running jackets, the best carbon plate running shoes and the best tri-suits for all sorts of racing.
