Rapha has an all-new Professional Staff Light-weight Gore-Tex Jacket that replaces ShakeDry with a brand new, extra environmentally-friendly model of the long-lasting waterproof materials maker’s newest membrane. It’s now totally PFAS-free – so not less than yet one more product that received’t be leeching ‘eternally chemical compounds’ into our world. And surprisingly sufficient, Rapha made the brand new Gore-Tex jacket lighter than ever, even when it took a little bit of barely sneaky ways to shed these few further grams.
Rapha Professional Staff Light-weight Gore-Tex Jacket goes PFAS-free
Rapha’s latest gentle, breathable, and fully-waterproof Gore-Tex jacket is made to be “hard-wearing and extremely packable”. However most significantly, it was made to be higher for the setting. Outdated Gore-Tex used PFAS ‘eternally chemical compounds’ to maintain water out, and their ShakeDry was a selected offender. So all these outdated waterproof options needed to be redesigned from the bottom up.
This newest model addresses these issues, and on the similar time guarantees improved sturdiness due to a brand new 3-layer material building that’s as gentle because the lightest outdated Gore-Tex resolution, even with the additional outer safety layer. And as you’d hope, it’s “assured to maintain you dry.”
It’s not fairly as stretchy as earlier than, so Rapha needed to refine the reduce a bit to make the match excellent. Nevertheless it seems like they’ve dialed in an important new packable waterproof highway driving jacket, so long as you possibly can abdomen the ever-higher price.
“In 2021, our supplies staff began exploring new applied sciences that might match our efficiency expectations with out using PFAS chemical compounds that may hurt the setting… After years of worldwide put on testing and refinements, Rapha launched our first PFAS-free GORE-TEX jacket final Autumn. Now, we’re proud to introduce this durably waterproof innovation to our Professional Staff vary. The result’s the last word rain jacket for giving your greatest within the worst racing and coaching situations.”
– Anne Weir, Supplies Developer at Rapha
How is it lighter, however not fairly as packable?
Rapha says it’s their lightest jacket ever. And my first impression is that sounds legit. I’ve solely had an opportunity to hook my Massive pattern onto a dangling scale (which is just correct to +/- 10g) however my jacket weighs ~120g. Examine that to 133g for my massive pink ShakeDry, and it appears there are some actual weight financial savings, even when tiny.
(Official Rapha claimed weight for a dimension M is 128g.)
To get that financial savings light-weight Rapha Gore-Tex Jacket is barebones. Not is there even a small mesh inner stuff sack pocket. Only a 2-way zip to make it simple to entry your jersey’s pockets beneath. Fortunately there may be nonetheless a loop to hold it to dry.
Whereas the marginally heavier ShakeDry model packed down into its mesh pocket as small as my fist, this new materials isn’t fairly as compressible. It’s nonetheless lots packable, and naturally incrementally lighter. However now it is best to count on that it’s going to fill one jersey pocket.
Because it doesn’t have its personal stuff pocket it’s a bit more durable to quantify packed dimensions precisely, however I might say it squishes all the way down to about 2x my fist. Nonetheless very small. Nonetheless simple to get right into a jersey pocket or small bag. Simply not fairly as tiny as earlier than.
PFAS-free particulars
The core rationale behind this new light-weight Rapha Gore-Tex jacket was to restrict the quantity of dangerous chemical compounds being put out into the world. Whereas the efficiency of ShakeDry was wonderful, a better take a look at the chemical compounds used to make it shed water revealed the Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) utilized in manufacturing principally don’t degrade. So as soon as they find yourself polluting the world, they’re there eternally. Therefore the nickname ‘eternally chemical compounds’.
Rapha explains that the brand new Professional Staff Light-weight Gore-Tex Jacket is “made with out deliberately added per- and poly-fluorinated substances”. What which means is that there might nonetheless be some ‘hint quantities’ of PFAS within the last product. Simply that Gore-Tex & Rapha labored to create new waterproof supplies and clothes that didn’t depend on particularly including PFAS coatings for it desired efficiency.
Rapha Professional Staff Light-weight Gore-Tex Jacket – Pricing, choices & availability
Rapha’s all-new Professional Staff Light-weight Gore-Tex Jacket goes on sale right this moment for $390 / 335€ / £295, both straight from Rapha, their very own Clubhouse shops, or associate outlets. And sadly for my part, it appears to be solely out there in a single almost-black darkish grey colorway with reflective rear stripe particulars, not less than in the interim. Fingers crossed that Rapha will determine a colourful model for improved moist climate & low-light visibility quickly.
For these preserving rating at residence, that’s about 30% costlier than the earlier ShakeDry model of their light-weight, packable & breathable Gore-Tex waterproof highway driving jacket. However, not less than this one ought to now be quite a bit gentler on the setting, not including extra dangerous microplastics and pointless ‘eternally chemical compounds’ into the bottom and water the place we journey.