Giant has been increasing its range of riding gear steadily for the past few seasons and we’ve worn the Giant Proshield MTB jacket on warm, wet days in spring and to the colder days of recent months. There are lots of clever features enhancing a sound fit for casual cruising on showery days. Start working harder or heading into serious rain though and the fabric can’t cope.
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Fit is generous without being too billowy, and while the shock cored tightened hem has no extra drop, the arms are really long with a basic but effective velcro tab closure for a snug glove connection. The collar is tall, with a soft liner for comfort and there’s a zip on/off peaked hood that’s big enough to pull over a helmet. It has a really neat tab in a hidden velcro pocket to anchor the bottom corners too. You get two big hand pockets with zip closure and the main zip has a baffle on the back and a big over flap on the front, secured with five magnetic studs top to bottom.
The ProTextura Plus fabric is stretchy and relatively quiet so while the shoulder cut is basic, mobility is fine. It’s fully taped inside and the 10k WVT breathability is helped by short armpit zips and a pyramid of laser-cut vent holes under an open-bottom yoke flap.
The result is a jacket that cruises nicely at low intensity, with little of the rustle or bagginess that can make some waterproof jackets intrusive. As soon as you start working remotely hard though the fact that the 10k WVT rating isn’t actually very good becomes very clear. Even with the pit zips open, base layers get wet very quickly and they stay that way too. The rubbery inner feel of the three-ply fabric contributes to the cold and clammy vibe, especially if you’re in short sleeves. While the outer sheds water pretty well at first (even after washing without re-proofing) and it dries relatively fast, it doesn’t take long to wet out in heavier rain which impacts breathability further. Again the 10k proofing rating is low, especially for a jacket that costs more than £100, so sustained rain soon contributes to the wetness inside. The various features also add bulk when it comes to packing down, so it won’t fit into a back pocket and it’s likely to overfill most waist packs too.
Verdict
It's a comfortable jacket for casual rides which is reasonably quiet and features a removable hood, however the Proshield starts to struggle to deal with moisture if you are working hard or the heavens open. While the jacket does have plenty of thought-out features, if you are looking for protection from the elements there are better options at this price range.
Tech Specs: Giant Proshield MTB jacket
- Price: $137 / £124.99
- Sizes: S-XXL
- Weight: 420g (M, with hood)
- Color: Blue
