Reviews

7Mesh Re:Gen jacket – review

Can the 7Mesh Re:Gen compete with the big guns in the waterproof jacket market?

The 7Mesh Re:Gen jacket has industry-leading technology throughout, made from the superb Gore-Tex Active fabric, and has a number of nice features, so should be a winner. However, with no storm flap borne from a questionable cut, it’s not perfect.

Since 1969, when active wear brand Gore launched the first-generation Gore-Tex, they’ve been an industry-leader in breathable and waterproof textiles. Even now, the reputation Gore-Tex has stands up against anything other premium cycling brands have to offer: just check out our recent review of Gore Bike Wear’s Oxygen jacket to see what we’re on about.

There’s lots to like about the 7Mesh Re:Gen jacket but it’s not perfect

However, that technology is available for other brands to buy in and use on their own products – a case in point here with 7Mesh’s Re:Gen jacket. Used throughout, the Gore-Tex Active fabric is a dream to ride in, come rain or shine. It’s completely waterproof, and rain beads off the fabric superbly, keeping you completely dry in even the worst deluges, and is incredibly breathable, too – in fact, it’s Gore’s most breathable fabric. Teamed with taped seams and a fully waterproof zip, it’s a fabulous piece of kit.

Very much like the Strategy jacket we’ve already reviewed, the Re:Gen has angled zipped pockets, which in this instance are also waterproofed. When reviewing the Strategy jacket, I criticised those for how tricky they could be to get in and out of on the move, and unfortunately it’s much the same story here – slightly more so, actually, due to the fact they’re waterproof.

Gore-Tex Active is the firm’s most breathable waterproof fabric

Specification
Price: £220
Sizes: XS-XL
Size tested: Medium
Colours: Black, blue
Website: 7Mesh

However, the jacket does provide flaps for easy access to jersey pockets too. This is always a useful feature, but as they’re so close to the zipped pocked on the jacket themselves, and run in line with them, you can accidentally and repeatedly reach for one and get the other.

Elsewhere, the Re:Gen jacket is finished with a real stamp of quality, which you’d expect for the £220 price tag. A decent elasticated hem around the waist prevents the jacket from riding up, with the same style hem used in part on the sleeve cuffs. The cuffs are cut particularly narrowly to avoid draughts sneaking up, but also have a zipper to help get your hand through when putting the jacket on, and boost airflow for when the temperatures rise and you need extra venting at the arms.

The zipped cuffs ensure a close fit while also offering additional ventilation if required

There’s also a fleece-lined collar for added comfort, and a flap under the main zip to help keep the elements out. That also doubles as a chin guard – a welcome thought considering the central location of the zip at the neck. Throw in the fact that the jacket can be packed down and just about squeezed into a large jersey pocket if things really get too hot, and it looks a good all-rounder.

However, as with the Strategy jacket, the cut seems to be a compromise so the jacket will appeal for trail riders as well as roadies. That means the back is shorter than it should be at the rear, and with no storm flap on the jacket, means protection is only guaranteed from the hip-line upwards.

That’s a real shame in a jacket designed to protect you from the elements over a long period of time. On any rainy rides, it didn’t keep me dry on my backside simply because it didn’t reach that far, which misses the point on a jacket which otherwise does so well in the waterproof stakes. Factoring in the cost of £220, it’s something which should have been covered by 7Mesh, who apart from this, clearly know what they’re doing.