Oxford Rainseal Bright review | Waterproof over-jacket tested

Date reviewed: November 2024 | Tested by: Steve Rose | Price: £69.99 | www.oxfordproducts.com

5.30am on a busy M25 is not the place to worry about looking cool. If you want to play in the traffic at this time you need to be visible. Some riders fit a Christmas tree of spotlights, others do hazards flashing and full beam. Some do all the above and more.

That’s fine if it’s your bike and you can fit the accessories you favour but spare a tiny violin for the professional road tester jumping from one bike to another every couple of weeks. We have to wear our visibility. And the only thing more visible than the Oxford Rainseal Bright jacket on review here would be if you added the matching Rainseal Bright trousers too and then set fire to your head. Thankfully, so far, the jacket has done me fine. Not only does the Rainseal add visibility, but it acts as a second waterproof and windproof layer too.

Pros & Cons

A jacket big enough to fit over an XL drop liner textile jacket also folds (scrunches) up small enough to fit at the bottom of a rucksack. It’s not quite small enough to fit under the seat of a Honda CBR500R and get the pillion seat in place.

Construction and fit

The Rainseal Bright is a lightweight PVC/polyester material with taped seams and a full mesh lining that makes it easy to slip over another jacket. Oxford use what it calls ‘intelligent sizing,’ which means if your main suit is an extra-large, then an extra-large Rainseal will fit perfectly over it.

The jacket fits me well, going easily over all my textile suits including skinny laminates and bulkier drop-liner textiles. I did see a comment from someone online saying the trousers can be more problematic so, as with any kit, try before you buy.

Sorting the cuffs before riding is a bit fiddly. If you put the Rainseal on before your gloves, it’s fiddly to get gloves under your main jacket cuffs and pull the Rainseal’s elasticated cuffs over them.

As an alternative I tried putting my helmet on and then my gloves under my main jacket first, then putting the Rainseal on last. This was okay and I can fasten the Rainseal zip even in winter gloves, but of course as soon as you stop for fuel and remove a glove, it’s back to the original problem.

I know this sounds like a very first-world issue but 90 minutes into a three-hour ride, it’s annoying. Hopefully, you still have that tiny violin to hand.

When not in use the Rainseal packs down into a separate pouch that is small enough to sit in the bottom of a rucksack or top box without taking up any significant space.

Protection & Certification

As an over-jacket, the Oxford Rainseal does not need to be certified as abrasion resistant, or have any armour installed. You might argue that there’s a passive safety benefit to being so visible and I’d agree with that. You might also argue that any extra layer might provide a tiny amount of slip as it impacts in a crash and that takes the initial moment of abrasion away from what you are wearing underneath. It’s possible but the benefits would be tiny.

From April 21 2018, all new motorcycle clothing is deemed to be Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). To meet this legislation, it must be tested to a recognised standard. For more information on the new laws, click here.

Pockets

The Oxford Rainseal has one Napoleon pocket that’s big enough for a smartphone and small wallet. It’s proved waterproof so far but to be honest, I usually keep my phone in my main jacket underneath and my wallet in my trouser pocket. The elastic around the hem is easy enough to lift to get at my phone when needed and also to fit back in place afterwards, but to be honest, this is the kind of jacket I wear when I’m slogging out the miles. In those circumstances there’s little-to-no-chance I’ll be looking at a phone, which is why it’s in the main pocket.

Fastening

The main zip is covered by a Velcro-fastened storm flap. The collar has a large area of Velcro that can interfere with a neck-warmer when fastening, so always double check it’s sealed properly. The cuffs are elasticated with a Velcro adjuster.

Given the lightweight material it’s not surprising that the fastening can be a bit fiddly and ‘flappy’ as one bit of storm flap Velcro gets caught on the wrong partner. It takes a few seconds extra when putting it on and taking it off, but not enough to be a bother. I tend to think of it as a tiny Velcro orgy that makes me chuckle. Such is the mindset of the 5.30am commuter.

Adjustment

The Oxford Rainseal’s collar and cuffs are different every time depending on how much effort you can be bothered to put in getting them perfect. Velcro straps at the waist and elasticated loops at the hem are done once and forgotten and do a very good job of keeping water from sneaking up inside. There’s plenty of adjustment available within the scope of this extra-large fitment but equally, when fastened tight, there’s very little billowing either.

By day it’s a mild-mannered, anonymous grey over jacket, but by night Oxford’s Rainseal Bright turns ordinary men into reflective superheroes.

Visibility

If you’re going to embrace Hi-Viz for night riding you might as well go for broke. The performance of this ‘Bright’ version of the Oxford Rainseal is indisputably impressive. Front and rear coverage is superb and even with a rucksack on, where most of the reflective rear panel is covered, drivers will still see large panels of brightness on my arms.

What this ‘Bright’ version doesn’t do so well is act as Hi-Viz in daylight. Without the illuminating effect of headlights, it’s just a grey jacket, which is better than black, I guess, but nowhere near as effective as orange or yellow.

I’m ok with that because I have an irrational and foolish sense of invincibility that somehow applies to daytime riding but not for riding at night. Don’t judge me, we all have our eccentricities, otherwise we’d be driving a nice little car.

Warmth

Adding a second windproof layer on top of a textile suit should make a significant difference to reducing windchill on a very cold day. Global warming and a move to the south of England means I haven’t ridden in sub-zero conditions since long before I got this jacket.

So, all I can say is that I haven’t been cold at all in temperatures down to 10°C when worn over a drop liner jacket with all the liners in, even when riding for three hours.  

Liner

A Simple mesh liner makes the Oxford Rainseal easy to get on and off, which is why it’s there. It is still intact and undamaged after three months use at the beginning of 2024 and six weeks so far at the end (I only wear it when riding in the dark).

Looking at the overall construction of the jacket, which is excellent, I wouldn’t expect that to change.

Waterproofing

I’ve ridden in a lot of really heavy rain in this jacket. Two-to-three hours of non-stop deluge at some points, heavy enough to have traffic around me aquaplaning worryingly. I wouldn’t have expected it to get through this and another textile jacket, so the measure of protection is how damp is the jacket underneath? And the answer so far has been mostly dry with just a small amount of damp getting through on the worst occasions.

The collar can be fastened tightly, even over a bulky, drop-liner jacket with all winter liners in place. And though the cuffs sometimes end up an inch or so back and not covering the ends of the jacket’s arms, they don’t pull at the sleeves of the jacket and allow water to sneak in.

Cleaning

I haven’t cleaned it because it hasn’t come anywhere needing it yet. I would imagine that in time the layer of dirt and diesel goo will impact the reflective performance, but right now, as you can see from the pictures, there’s no need.

The label suggests it can be machine washed at 30 degrees. Of course, if there’s any sign of wear or degradation when I do clean it, I’ll update this review.

Three alternatives to the Oxford Rainseal Bright

There are lots of waterproof over-jackets on the market, including army-surplus kit and cheaper versions from walking shops, but here are some other options to consider that should also get you seen…

• Richa Rain Flare Jacket, £109.99 | The Richa Flare over-jacket has a slightly higher spec (two outer pockets and two inner ones) and is made from a stretchy 3M material (the Oxford’s shell doesn’t stretch), but it is a little more sturdy in construction than the Rainseal and more expensive too at £109. We haven’t yet reviewed the Richa Flare jacket.

• Scott Ergo Pro DP Hi Vis, £90.00 | Traditional bright yellow, which isn’t as bright as the Rainseal in headlights but is a lot more visible in dull daylight or busy traffic conditions where regular hi-vis is needed. The £90 Scott jacket is made from a stretch material so should fit over your regular suit without billowing. There is also a crotch strap to keep it tight and matching Ergo trousers that apparently come up to somewhere around your chest. Like the Rainseal, it folds up small enough to get lost in a top box. We haven’t yet reviewed the Scott Ergo jacket.

• Weise Vision 2 jacket, £70.00 | The Weise Vision is made of waterproof polyester fabric with a mesh liner, soft collar and elasticated adjustment at the hem and cuffs to make it snug. There are two external pockets and two internal ones also. We haven’t yet reviewed the Weise Vision 2 jacket.

These are just three of many alternatives – you can find all the over-jackets we’ve tested here  and be sure to regularly check for the discounts available through Bikesocial membership

Oxford Rainseal Bright review - Verdict

The reason I wanted this jacket was to be more for visible in rush hour winter traffic at night. And you can’t deny it works. Anything coming up behind me or approaching from in front will see a very odd-shaped white and silver flare, and hopefully stop to consider what it might be before running over it anyway.

The only circumstance where the visibility is missing would be a driver in front looking in their mirrors, who will see nothing because there is no direct white light on the jacket (unless they are reversing).

The additional waterproofing and wind protection the Rainseal adds is very welcome and helps justify the £70 price for a jacket offering zero crash protection. It’s a valuable addition to the wardrobe of this year-round high-miles rider.

Do you own these textiles? Tell us what they’re like, or ask us questions about them at bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.