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review

Rapha Men’s Explore Down Jacket

7
£280.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Excellent warm and light jacket for being around bikes, but too warm for anything beyond short or gentle bimbles
Warm and very windproof
Very comfortable
Great fit
Cosy collar and hood
Stylish
Expensive
Only suited to gentle riding
Can't handle real rain
Weight: 
328g
Contact: 

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The Rapha Men's Explore Down Jacket feels and looks fantastic, but your perception of how good it is for cycling will depend on your intentions. If you want it for extra warmth at campsites, cafe stops and car parks, for gentle spins to the pub, or simply for posing about impressing other cyclists, it's brilliant. If you want it for actually riding in, however – or you're looking for value – you're going to feel differently.

Check out our guide to the best winter cycling jackets for more options.

> Buy now: Rapha Men’s Explore Down Jacket

As you might expect, both for the price and from a high-end name such as Rapha, this is put together extremely well from top-flight materials. For down jackets, that means 100 per cent goose down; here you'll find 750 fill power down responsibly sourced (from a company called Allied Feathers) and fully traceable via trackmydown.com. Actually, it's 90% down, and 10% goose feathers.

2023 Rapha Men's Explore Down Jacket - back.jpg

Or that's what you might think if you only read the 'description' section online. Go find the 'details and materials' part, though, and you discover that less than 100% of this jacket is 100% goose. It actually has 'strategic goose down and synthetic insulation mapping', and the strategically synthetic bits are polyester and nylon. There's no word on the thinking behind the strategy or the mapping.

I've actually got no issue with this, as it works very well, but the goose down does feel a bit like the Sex Panther cologne from Anchorman – '60% of the time it works every time'.

The ripstop outer shell gets a water-repellent treatment to at least keep brief showers from soaking in, and it works pretty well to make rain bead and roll off. You don't want to get the Explore drenched, but it's resistant enough to stop you worrying while you get out a waterproof.

2023 Rapha Men's Explore Down Jacket - chest.jpg

Pleasingly, it also helps keep the jacket clean; I got this pretty well spattered with gritty mud on one gravel ride, but once dry there was barely any sign of it. A couple of wipes with my hands and the remaining haze of dust was gone; only the fabric of the zip still bore the marks.

Though the Explore has some cycling-specific aspects (a dropped tail and what Rapha calls an 'articulated fit for improved mobility in an on-bike position') it's only as good for riding in as you might expect. Which is to say, not very. It's certainly comfortable and unrestrictive both in a riding position and while standing, and it's extremely windproof, but it really doesn't breathe well enough for exertion.

2023 Rapha Men's Explore Down Jacket - tail.jpg

Cruising along on the flat or spinning downhill into a chilly wind it's lovely, but start climbing anything meaningful and the heat very rapidly builds up to excessive levels. It's only what most people would expect from a down jacket like this, but then most jackets like this don't have cycling intentions. The 'on-bike functionality' Rapha has in mind is, presumably, the brief and/or gentle commute or pleasure-ride kind.

2023 Rapha Men's Explore Down Jacket - side zip pocket.jpg

Off the bike it's lovely, and it's light (328g) and packable in the backpack/frame bag sense. Though it does crumple down pretty well into its own stuff sack (which you'll find tethered to the bottom of one usefully large inside pocket), it's not the sort of thing you want in a jersey. It's pretty bulky.

2023 Rapha Men's Explore Down Jacket - inside pocket.jpg

Whatever you're doing, the cut works very well. The sleeves are a perfect length and kept pretty snug by simple elastic cuffs, while the collar comes right up to your chin for a very cosy feel. The padded hood does tend to sit pretty high behind your head when down, which can look a little odd, but it only contributes to the scarf-like feel of the collar when the Explore is fully zipped up.

2023 Rapha Men's Explore Down Jacket - hood side.jpg

It's not a helmet-friendly hood in any way, but that seems the right choice. The thickness means the hood holds its shape well and gives a good, protective overhang around your face without totally obscuring your vision, and there's a toggle on the back for snugging in its neck.

Down at the waist – a good length for regular wear at the front, dropped enough behind to be useful but not weird – there's another toggle-tightened elastic cord for snugging it in. There's also a big printed slogan on the inside, 'Go until you're lost', which quite honestly seems like the worst advice ever. Don't do that. Learn to map read. Pleasingly, there are map-sized inside pockets on both sides, which is a very nice touch.

2023 Rapha Men's Explore Down Jacket - drawstring.jpg

On the tail externally, as on the chest, you'll find a big printed Rapha logo to let everyone know what fantastic taste (and quite literally what deep pockets) you have. They don't seem reflective at all, however, which again reminds us this is really more aimed at pedestrian use than anything else.

Value

The £280 ticket seems quite high. For £100 less you can get a Stolen Goat Men's Black Adventure Down Jacket featuring the same 90% down/10% feathers goose insulation, and in our review of the women's version, Anna discovered it was very good.

For less still there's the £120 Altura Twister Men's Insulated Cycling Jacket, and although that uses plastic insulation instead of goose, it does cope better with getting soaked. Also, the men's version is waist length, which solves one of the issues Caroline had with the much longer ladies' one.

Neither are particularly better suited to actually riding in than the Rapha, though, and in truth a 'civilian' down jacket would do much the same job. You can get those for under £200 – the Rab Men's Cirrus Flex Pro Hoody, for instance, is £175, though it features synthetic insulation. The also-ethically-sourced-goose down Rab Electron Pro is the same price, £280.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a lovely jacket that's easy to carry – assuming you have a bag of some kind – for extra warmth and wind protection when you stop. While you can also ride in it, it gets hot quickly if you do anything strenuous, and it's only lightly showerproof, so it's really best kept for walking about in. It's probably even better for being seen in, but you're paying quite a premium to wear those big, elegant and non-reflective logos.

Verdict

Excellent warm and light jacket for being around bikes, but too warm for anything beyond short or gentle bimbles

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Rapha Men's Explore Down Jacket

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the jacket is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Rapha says: "A fully-featured, insulated and highly compressible hooded down jacket."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?

Rapha lists these features:

Versatility - Designed for on-bike functionality and suitable for a wide range of outdoor activities, while also stylish for everyday wear in cold weather

Warmth-to-Weight Ratio - Down insulation offers high warmth in a compact package, effectively conserving space while keeping you comfortably warm

Lightweight - Weighing just 328g (Medium size), it minimizes bulk and won't burden you with unnecessary weight

Layering Compatibility - An essential and adaptable component of a layering system, providing comfort in variable weather conditions

ALLIED 750 fill power goose down is responsibly sourced and fully traceable

Materials:

Main: 100% Polyester, Lining: 100% Nylon, Insulation: 100% Polyester, Filling: 90% Goose Down, 10% Goose Feathers

Rate the jacket for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the jacket for performance:
 
8/10

For gentle/occasional bike use and general wear this is really good.

Rate the jacket for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the jacket for breathability based on the manufacturer's rating:
 
5/10

Rapha says it's 'designed for on-bike functionality,' but it's strictly limited to low-effort riding.

Rate the jacket for fit:
 
9/10
Rate the jacket for sizing:
 
9/10
Rate the jacket for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the jacket for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the jacket for value:
 
4/10

You can get similar jackets for considerably less.

How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Can be machine washed if necessary, but it's better to avoid that and tackle any stains by hand.

Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well – assuming it was only designed for gentle riding alongside the off-bike wear.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket

The high collar, slim but relaxed fit and casual looks.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket

Inevitably, the price.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's over £100 more than similar down jackets we've tested from Stolen Goat and Altura.

Did you enjoy using the jacket? Yes

Would you consider buying the jacket? Maybe

Would you recommend the jacket to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This is a lovely, comfortable and smart-looking jacket for adding extra warmth when you stop, and if you're travelling with bags it's easily packable. Yes you can ride in it too – the cut works well, as does the windproofing – but it's really only for short and/or gentle rides. The sticking point is the price, as it doesn't offer much benefit over plenty of other jackets that cost considerably less money. Overall it's good, though feel free to add points according to how much you (financially) value that stylish Rapha branding.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 48  Height: 183cm  Weight: 78kg

I usually ride: Vitus Zenium SL VR Disc  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding, mtb,

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4 comments

Avatar
Dadams7378 | 1 month ago
0 likes

The price isn't actually too mad IMO.  You can always compare against outlets like Decathlon and bemoan the difference, but generally speaking you do get what you pay for if you go really cheap (lower fill power down, less durable fabric, worse fit etc.).  I'd be very surprised if you could pick up a 750 fill down jacket for £50.  If you compare against other premium brands like Arc'teryx, Rab, Shackleton, Montane etc. it is in the ballpark given the specs.  As for criticising it for on-bike performance, surely Rapha isn't suggesting this is anything other than a casual piece that you could use on a gentle spin to the pub if you had to?  A down jacket is never going to be any use for a training ride or in any sort of inclement weather.

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 1 month ago
1 like

Can we have a photo of the pack size?  Next to a can of coke or something?

This strikes me as more of a post-bikepacking jacket than anything else.  Unless it packs down mega small there have to to be better/more compact jackets for less.

Also too bulky to fit under a Shakedry - even if you size up.

Feels like at least a £100 uplift for the Rapha logo.

Lots of serious competiors here :

https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/mens-down-jackets/

Or something like this

https://alpkit.com/products/filoment-smock-mens?variant=40268098666601

Avatar
LookAhead replied to Secret_squirrel | 1 month ago
0 likes
Secret_squirrel wrote:

Can we have a photo of the pack size?  Next to a can of coke or something?

This strikes me as more of a post-bikepacking jacket than anything else.  Unless it packs down mega small there have to to be better/more compact jackets for less.

From Rapha's website:

Avatar
EraserBike | 1 month ago
2 likes

The price is pretty insane considering you can get a down jacket with very similar specs from decathlon for 50-70 quid (depending on how warm you want). 

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