Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket review

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The Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket is a great waterproof with PFC/PFAS-free credentials.

It’s waterproof and breathable, in the right conditions, and is well-cut and designed.

While it's a bit more expensive than rivals with fabrics from other brands, real-world performance is up there with the best waterproof jackets.

Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket details and specifications

The Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket represents the brand’s first major attempt at a high-performance PFC/PFAS-free waterproof cycling jacket.

The brand has opted for a Gore-Tex-branded ePE (expanded Polyethylene) membrane, which it claims eliminates the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – commonly thought of as ‘forever chemicals’.

It’s worth noting that Gore’s official communications about its ePE fabric specifically address “PFCs of Environmental Concern”. The distinction suggests Gore might not consider all PFC or PFAS chemicals worth eliminating.

Nevertheless, it’s a step in the right direction as the industry moves away from PFC/PFAS use.

The fabric is three-layered, meaning nylon textiles sandwich the membrane, although it’s tangibly thinner-feeling than the brand’s excellent Torrent jacket, which uses the Gore-Tex Active fabric.

Gore says this is achieved because the ePE membrane is thinner, as are the overlaying textiles, while a PFC/PFAS-free DWR (durable water repellent) treatment helps water bead away.

The fabric is said to be waterproof to a minimum of a 28,000mm ‘hydrostatic head’ water column rating, although Gore doesn’t offer a figure for its breathability performance.

The cut is slim-fitting with a dropped, partially elasticated tail and the tapered cuffs feature an elasticated section to keep draughts at bay.

The collar is prominent, but doesn’t feature a fleece lining (unlike the Torrent jacket). There’s also no zip garage and the zip is single-action – so it can’t open from the bottom from a secondary pull tab when closed.

There’s a zipped storage pocket on the rear right flank, and reflective tabs on the back and arms. A collar hang tab is a useful extra.

Gore makes the jacket available in five sizes (XS-2XL) and in four colours (Utility Green, Lime Yellow and Cargo Blue, in addition to black).

I tested the men's version of the jacket, with a women's cut also available.

How we tested | waterproof jackets

This group of waterproof jackets were chosen to put to the test the latest PFC/PFAS-free waterproof textile technology.

These jackets are set to be the norm, as older textiles (such as Gore-Tex Active and Shakedry) are retired in response to bans rolling out worldwide.

The jackets were tested in the rain and dry, to assess their ability to resist water as well as their breathability. Each was washed using a technical detergent product, following brand recommendations.

Jackets on test

• Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket Mens review
• Men’s Rapha Gore-Tex Rain Jacket review
• Scott RC Weather WP Men's Jacket review
• Universal Colours Mono Men's Rain Jacket review
• Santini Guard Neos – Jacket with Hood review
• Albion Men’s All Road Pertex Shield Rain Jacket
• Van Rysel Men's Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Rain Jacket Racer Ultralight

Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket performance

The Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket is an excellent choice if you want a slim-fitting PFC/PFAS-free rain jacket.

The sizing is a little smaller than the Torrent jacket I mentioned previously – in that jacket, I found I fit a size large best, but here a size XL is as small as I’d be comfortable wearing.

Gore says this should fit someone with a 40.25in/102cm minimum chest measurement. At the time of the test, I had a 39in/99cm chest.

The arms are slimmer-fitting, though, which reduces the chances of flapping in the wind, and I appreciated the tapered cuff and neck designs.

Overall, it has a well thought-out shape and will likely suit most people with ‘average’ torso-to-leg proportions for their height.

The ePE fabric performs very well – it’s certainly waterproof in prolonged heavy rain and it feels very breathable when it’s dry.

Given the three-layer Gore-Tex ePE fabric is thinner than three-layer Gore-Tex Active, this seems to present less of a barrier to the air. My general impression is this makes air transfer a little easier, enabling a touch more heat and moisture to escape.

The downside is the jacket doesn’t shield you from the elements quite as well as the Gore-Tex Active-fabric Torrent, for example.

The upside? If it’s colder, you might not overheat so readily, but it’s worth remembering when ambient humidity is high, you’re still at the mercy of physics and will get damp underneath if you're working up a sweat.

The Spinshift jacket is also packable into a jersey pocket, assuming you have large-sized pockets. I got mine into my Rapha Brevet jersey (which has quite deep pockets) with only a little overspill.

The relative thinness of the ePE fabric raises legitimate questions over durability, although it’s still protected by its inner and outer textile layers. It feels far closer to the brand’s Active fabric than it does the almost-retired Shakedry.

In short, I have no concerns that it might snag or tear.

I encountered no issues washing the jacket with my trusty Nikwax Tech Wash detergent, and the DWR treatment has remained effective.

In terms of value, it’s certainly better than Rapha’s equivalent jacket with the same fabric (the Men’s Rapha Gore-tex Rain Jacket, at £300 / $380 / €345), although the Pertex Shield-equipped Scott RC Weather WP Men's Jacket (£164.99 / €179.90) is notably cheaper.

The Albion Men’s All Road Pertex Shield Rain Jacket (£210 / $295 / €310) offers better value in the UK.

Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket bottom line

The Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket is a great performer – it offers as much protection from the rain as you should ever need and feels very breathable in the right conditions, thanks to the ePE fabric’s thinner construction.

The fit is also well thought-out, bearing in mind that it sizes slightly smaller than average.

There’s a premium to pay for Gore-Tex – there are cheaper products with similar fabrics that do ostensibly the same job – but there’s no doubt Gore remains one of the industry benchmark brands.

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