Peeling back the layers of our Mono Rain Jacket
Time to read 3 min
In this blogpost, we peel back the layers of our waterproof cycling jacket, the Mono Rain Jacket, by exploring its considerations and design principles. Created to make it the one jacket you reach for, the Mono Rain Jacket is suitable for all-weather rides being fully waterproof, packable and perfect for everyday use.
From the offset, we established the key criteria that our rain jacket had to meet.
- Environmental credentials: no use of PFAS toxic chemicals and offering durability.
- Comfort: balance waterproofing and breathability.
- Packability: no bulky zips and pockets so it can be taken anywhere and is very lightweight.
- Fit: modern and slightly more cropped.
- Aesthetics: needs to be stylish and come in carefully selected colourways.
“This jacket is born out of the material choices we made and what they offer. Firstly, we had some strong criteria for what we wanted to get out of the fabric. Breathability was very high up there, alongside a high level of water resistance, durability and the need to be lightweight. Moreover, an overriding factor for all of the criteria was our stance on sustainability of the fabric and avoiding PFAS, toxic forever chemicals - a founding commitment of the brand since our launch in 2020.” William Hurd, Creative Lead
Across our collection, we ensure that the performance of a garment is not compromised in the quest to handpick premium, durable fabrics that are less harmful than current popular performance fabrics. That principle is nowhere more important than in a rain jacket, where PFAS or ‘forever chemicals’ have long been the gold standard in rainwear performance and where the true environmental and human cost is high.
Our design team worked hard to create a fabric without a PTFE membrane that still had all of the right performance credentials. What we have ended up with is a very breathable, waterproof jacket that will stand the test of time without adding forever chemicals into our environment.
Designer William says: “We worked with a valued Taiwanese partner to create a three-layer fabric which offers the durability, weight and comfort against the skin that we were looking for. In addition, the face material is created from recycled nylon so it ticked our boxes on multiple levels to reduce the raw material impact.”
Sophie, Universal Colours product developer, adds: “The challenge was to develop the membrane and we analysed various options with lots of testing involved. Our search started by looking at bio-based membranes, which we hoped could achieve the performance we needed for a reliable, breathable jacket. However, the prototypes and variations felt cold and clammy and they were not letting enough of your own body heat out; they were unfit for our intended purpose.”
William explains how he selected the fabric, and how it informed fit and function: “We had some strong criteria for what we wanted to get out of the fabric. Breathability was very high up there, alongside a high level of water resistance, durability and the need to be lightweight. Once we decided on one of the most premium PU membranes from Japan, after lots of real-world testing, the design process flowed seamlessly. Looking at the drape and stretch of the fabric played an important role in this process too, and its thickness, and we wanted to make sure that the membrane was not noisy and did not flap in the wind when riding. The fit of the jacket is, as I would describe it, modern and slightly more cropped. Although slim fit, we accounted for various layers to be worn underneath so it is suited to be worn in all-weather conditions.”
The question asked of a rain jacket is: does it keep you dry? We should also ask: does it keep you comfortable? Keeping the wet out is important, but so is venting moisture that builds up inside from sweating. Finding the sweet spot between breathability and waterproofing comes from fabric selection, functionality and fit.
Sophie adds: “We wanted something very lightweight and easy to store when riding too, so we have made it packable enough so that you can stow it into your pockets. You can regulate your temperature and the fit of the jacket with the two-way zip, whilst the elasticated silicone hem gripper ensures the jacket positions itself around your waist.”
The final design criteria was that the jacket had to look great and be visible with large reflectives. The design aesthetic is clean and the colour palette designed to work well with any combination of kit. As with all our garments, there is gender parity in the variety of colours available for men and women.
We will further delve into the fabric selection, PFAS regulation and rain jacket aftercare in our next blog entries. In the meantime, do send us any feedback on your rain jacket and/or ask any questions you may have.