7Mesh Oro jacket review

7Mesh is a techy, boutique brand based in Canada’s stormy North Shore. The Oro uses Gore’s ultra-light Shakedry waterproof fabric, for a jacket that weighs just 93g, which we reckon makes it the lightest production rain jacket in the world, to the best of our knowledge.

Unlike conventional waterproof laminates, which sandwich the water-resistant membrane between two layers of nylon, Shakedry has the membrane on its outside face. The high water repellency of the membrane means that Shakedry garments never wet out, while removing the face fabric layer makes for an ultra-light, highly packable jacket.

The thinner fabric means that there’s excellent vapour transfer too, so there’s little or no tendency for moisture to build up on the Oro’s inside.

Many of the founding members of 7Mesh are veterans of Arcteryx, and the high-level fabric experience shows here with welded raw hem edges, a laminated zipper and taped seams.

The biggest pros of this jacket, aside from the fabric of course, are the big rear flaps that allow for jersey-pocket access without bulk or fuss.

The long tail is a plus for a rain jacket, as is the wraparound reflectivity on the lower hem. The wrists have a single band of elastic to cinch down the fit.

The downside of the 7Mesh Oro’s lightweight and pared-back design is the relatively short collar, which doesn’t keep wind and rain out as well as the higher ones found on other Shakedry jackets that we’ve tested.

The reverse coil zipper, while great at deflecting water, is small and difficult to engage too, especially while riding.