Universal Colours Mono Men's Rain Jacket review

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If you’re not fussed about having a big-brand fabric in your waterproof jacket, the Universal Colours Mono Men’s Rain Jacket is a great option.

The fabric might fall slightly short on paper, in terms of its claimed breathability rating, but in the real world it’s practically as good as its competitors.

While the cut is short and it lacks pockets, there's a lot to like about the Mono Men's Rain Jacket, priced reasonably at £170 / $220 / €205.

Universal Colours Mono Men's Rain Jacket details and specifications

The Universal Colours Mono Men’s Rain Jacket has a relatively plain aesthetic, but this is deliberate and there are important details present.

The neckline is fleece-backed for comfort, which is a nice touch when the weather is bad. It has a hang loop, while there’s a zip garage under the neck. The double YKK zip is backed by a draught guard, too.

There’s some subtle, reflective Universal Colours branding, and fully elasticated wrists and waistbands – the waist is underlaid by a branded silicone gripper design.

That said, there are no pockets, nor an access port for jersey pockets underneath – although you could make use of the double zip to open the jacket from the bottom to access them.

Notably, in a world where branded fabrics from the likes of Gore, Pertex and Polartec tend to carry some weight, Universal Colours has opted to use a fabric made by Japanese firm Tech One Co Ltd instead.

This is PFC/PFAS-free, and carries a 20,000mm water column, and 10,000g/m²/24hr moisture transfer rating.

In comparison, Pertex Shield, as used on the Albion Men’s All Road Pertex Shield Rain Jacket, offers 20,000mm and 20,000g/m²/24hr. Gore-Tex ePE, used on Gore’s Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket, has a 28,000mm hydrostatic head rating, although no specific breathability stat.

The jacket employs a carbon-free Zelan R3 DWR (durable water-repellent) treatment, and the seams are taped on the inside. This was developed by American company Chemours.

The cut is slim and tailored for a comfortable riding position, with a dropped tail, although the body is noticeably shorter than many waterproof jackets. This is intended to prevent excess bunching at the front.

Universal Colours offers the Mono Men’s Rain jacket in seven colours (all in pastel shades) and seven sizes (XS-3XL).

As the gender-specific name hints, there is also a women’s version.

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

Universal Colours Mono Men's Rain Jacket performance

The Universal Colours Mono Men’s Rain Jacket is a good-quality waterproof jacket, which can hold its own against jackets with fabrics from more well-known brands.

While the Mono jacket’s fabric is less well-known, it feels remarkably similar to the three-layer Pertex Shield fabric seen on the Albion Men’s All Road Pertex Shield Rain Jacket – it has very similar face fabrics, right down to the micro-square texture of the outer textile.

Waterproofing is as good as the 20,000mm water column rating would suggest and it’s decently breathable too. I didn’t notice any degradation in the DWR’s beading performance after washing.

On paper, it can only allow half as much moisture through as Pertex Shield, but it’s incredibly difficult to tell the difference in the real world – if you’re working hard, or riding in especially humid conditions, you’ll be getting damp with sweat in either fabric anyway.

As a result, the Mono jacket represents good value in terms of sheer performance – you’re getting the vast majority of fabric effectiveness you could ask for, for a good chunk less than the Albion (£210 / $295 / €310), Men’s Rapha Gore-Tex Rain Jacket (£300 / $380 / €345) or Gore Spinshift Gore-Tex Jacket (£249.99 / $270 / €249.95).

The fit is road-rider slim with tailored arms, but the waist cuts up higher than most – the branded silicone grippers can only do so much to keep it pulled down, revealing a little bib-short-jersey gap at the front when stood up.

It’s worth noting that I’m quite tall, but this is the shortest-cut jacket I’ve tested in recent memory.

That said, when leant over in a riding position, this high cut helps keep bunching to a minimum. I opted to test a size-large garment, which offers 106cm of chest space according to Universal Colours’ size guide.

Given I fitted my 99-100cm chest in with a small amount of space left over, this would seem true to size.

I missed having pockets – just one would be nice to be able to keep some readily available keys in, for example. However, the lack of bulk means you can just about roll it down into a decent-sized jersey pocket with a little protruding over the top.

This is slightly more annoying because the two-way zip isn’t that easy to pull up with a single hand – the sealed design creates enough resistance that I needed to work to cinch it up, given there’s no natural leverage. Pulling it back closed again is a little easier.

Universal Colours Mono Men's Rain Jacket bottom line

Universal Colours Mono Men's Rain Jacket doesn’t feature a headlining fabric brand, but that shouldn’t put you off.

What might dissuade you is the cut – it’s very short in the body, and some (myself included) will prefer something longer. I’d sacrifice a tiny bit of packability for a pocket too.

That said, these weaknesses largely boil down to preferences – the bottom line is, it’s a very good jacket at a reasonable price versus the big players.