Style: City-oriented rain jacket
Price: $250
The right jacket for: Rainy rides through town where you need to look good
This striking cobalt-blue jacket offers more than just good looks. It’s fully waterproof, with taped seams and a zipper that won’t let the rain in. The fabric is thick and sturdy enough to feel almost indestructible. It’s nicely breathable, and there are zippered vents under the arms, which enable the rider to dump heat when the temperature climbs. And the hood is great too—it’s tall enough to accommodate even a bulky mountain bike helmet, and its shape keeps your head nice and dry without impeding visibility. Elastic drawstrings with cord locks cinch it around your head, if you need (I was fine without adjusting it at all). This is one of Chrome’s first women’s clothing products, and the brand nailed it. The fit is feminine without being constrictive, and there are lots of deep, roomy pockets for storing all your stuff—a major victory in women’s clothing.
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A New-ish Thing for Chrome
This is the first women's piece that Chrome has made in several years, after taking a hiatus to address women's fit, product developer Nicole Funke says. "After extensive research, many prototypes and wear-testing by many Chrome ladies, we felt confident in bringing our improved women’s apparel back to Chrome." It's the only women's piece in the line right now, but there will be more apparel items available in spring 2019.
This jacket is available in two colors (the blue pictured and black), and a men's version too.
Tech
The Storm Seeker is constructed of tough, fully waterproof polyester material. "The fabric we use is 2.5 layer ‘soft-shell’, which gives it a much stretchier, softer feel than many other jackets out there," Funke says. (It's true, it felt less crinkly than many bike rain jackets I've sampled.) All the seams are taped to keep water out, the zippers are water repellent. There are four zippered vents—two in the armpits, and two on the chest which double as pockets—which help you dump heat when needed.
Its hood fits a helmet underneath, and has a great shape that sits close to your head without looking strange or falling down. A piece of wire in the front of the hood helps it keep its shape and doesn’t break into a hundred pieces in the wash, like the plastic pieces in the same place from other manufacturers. Two bungees cinch the hood down for a great fit when you’re not wearing a helmet.
There’s also plenty of roomy, secure pocket space. Two large pockets that open from the top and snap closed are on the front hips, and are wide and tall enough to store my iPhone 7 with two inches to spare. Behind each of those is a zippered pocket that’s about the same size. There are also the two chest pockets that I already mentioned, that act as vents when you get too hot.
The sleeves are cut so that they're as protective and comfortable as possible while riding a bike. When gripping the bars, the back of your hand is covered by the waterproof fabric. But on your inner wrist, there’s a small elastic piece that keeps the fabric snug to your skin. This part of the jacket only extends to the wrist, which helps you move freely.
The Test
I spent most of my time testing the Storm Seeker while I was pedaling around town in cool and rainy fall weather. I love the fit and style of the jacket—I don't like looking like a bike nerd if I'm casually dropping into the local brewery for a beer. The hem falls long enough to protect my jeans from road spray, and, miracle of miracles, it has a hood! That doesn't look pointy or weird! And works with my helmet! (I have one too many cycling jackets that let water drip down my back because there is no hood.)
It did a great job of keeping water off my outfit when I rode, but like most rain jackets it's not crazy-breathable. Which is fine, under the circumstances— I don't want a racer-tight $400 Gore Shakedry jacket when I'm pedaling around town. I want something that looks casual, and can hold my stuff, and has a hood for when i inevitably get off the bike. And with those criteria, the Chrome Storm Seeker jacket gets full marks.
