[Closed] Endura Mt500 Waterproof. Any good?

I like mine.

Only criticism is its a little short on the body.

Nice features like the helmet compatible hood, which really helps when its properly miserable, lycra cuffs with thumb loops, plenty of vents and silicone grippers on the shoulder so your backpack doesn't slide around shows its been well though out.

Durablity is excellent, mine basically looks new after a wash and I've had it 18 months

I also find goretex kind of materials limited. OK if you don't hugely exert yourself but the human body's ability to pump out moisture can easily exceed any breathable materials breathing capacity once you're grunting up a big hill, so you end up just as wet due to sweat than the rain, which is more unpleasant really. So by that analysis Endura is as effective - or ineffective, as anything else. Despite that seems like good gear, got a few items myself and just bought a jacket/Gillet thing which is packed with nice features and build quality seem pretty good, especially at the discounted price. Just don't expect to remain dry at the top of a big hill.

Fit seems to be OK with me and I do struggle with fit as I have broad shoulders so often end up having to size up which makes things a bit loose and flappy around my torso whilst still being a bit tight around the shoulders, but Endura seems to be better than most other brands at sizing.

It works by keeping water out, but also keeps as much sweat in...no matter how many vents or zips I open, I'm drenched after a half hour.

It works bit not worth the full price. Likewise that boil-in-the-bag onesie for 400 quid will be even worse!

I like mine, great cut for cycling, tad short at the front for walking annoyingly.

Its warm (which is great as no need to have a warm top and a waterproof top and all the faffing that brings) but can be too warm in the nice part of the year. It must keep your heat in, as it isn't hugely warm if you are stood about doing nothing, but actually ride your bike or engage in a brisk walk and I'm often reaching for the ventilation zips. This is massively exaggerated if wearing a backpack, as there is no airflow on your back.

As others have said, it’s a bit short off the bike. Works well, good venting, durable. With a decent base layer I find it good to mid single digits, or with a base and jersey its perfect for proper foul wet windy rides.

Got the mt500 II shorts and jacket. Shorts good fit while jacket is a bit shorter than I’m used to but still long enough to keep you dry.

I wore mine at last weekend's BB200. The weather was 18C with heavy rain and hoolie (tech term) winds, let's just say I now know what my clothes go through in the washing machine 🙂

Basically it kept me dry. My jersey and arm warmers were damp from sweat which given the high temperatures was to be expected. The material's heavy enough that strong winds don't push it against your inner layers and lets them "wet out" as happens with lightweight jackets. The label claims a hydrostatic head of 12,000mm, I've nothing to support or disprove that. It's pretty tough but having taken a fall on a rocky track there's now a small hole just below one elbow.

I'd get another, which is probably as good a recommendation as any I suppose.

I’ve been really pleased with mine. I think of it as a comfort blanket protecting me from whatever Mother Nature throws at me. Great coat and I don’t find it too sweaty either.

Waterproof my arse! I bought one and it was rubbish! I don’t know if I bought a faulty one or you lot haven’t tried it on long rides yet but I was soaked to the skin and frozen after 3 hours riding in the rain. It was bloody expensive and I bought it for a 3-day ride. Got my money back.

Waterproof my arse! I bought one and it was rubbish! I don’t know if I bought a faulty one or you lot haven’t tried it on long rides yet but I was soaked to the skin and frozen after 3 hours riding in the rain. It was bloody expensive and I bought it for a 3-day ride. Got my money back.

Expectation misalignment more likely than product fault (though it is possible).  If the conditions are 'wrong' (and they usually are in the UK for membrane waterproofs), that could easily be condensation build up, rather than a fault with the jacket.  I don't usually notice it while riding, but if the conditions are wet but mild, and I wear a membrane waterproof, my base layers can be saturated by the time I get home.  Don't notice until I stop though, which is when you might get cold.  Paramo is an option, but not for everyone.

Regarding the mt500, the romper version is what all the cool kids are after.

angeldust- “expectation misalignment”? I was riding the trans Cambrian MTB route in April in a very cold and wet Spring and I needed something that would keep me reasonably dry. I wasn’t expecting perfection but if a MTB jacket is described as “waterproof” it’s not an unreasonable expectation that it might not soak through completely by lunch time. No one else was soaked through! And by the way, it was a leisurely pace, and cold weather so I wasn’t sweating like a pig either.

If you can realign my expectations and recommend what I should have worn, I’m all ears.

@vickypea - on Saturday I was out in storm Callum in my MT500 Jacket for a good ten hours and stayed dry apart from dampness from sweat. So definitely a "long" ride.

Love mine, can feel a little sweaty if worn with a short sleeve top, but I can't see that being a problem in the coming months. Plenty of venting and adjustment, and the hood is better than I thought it would be, and folds up neatly to form the collar

Bikester currently have them for £150 (£4 cheaper than when I bought mine in early September) and delivered it from Germany in under 2 days - Thursday afternoon --- Saturday 10:00AM

There was a place in the Lake District that had them for £120-odd, but not in the size/colour combo I wanted

I wasn’t expecting perfection but if a MTB jacket is described as “waterproof” it’s not an unreasonable expectation that it might not soak through completely by lunch time.

Assuming it isn't actually faulty (letting water through the seams when it shouldn't), membrane waterproofs will leave your baselayers damp from sweat/condensation in most UK conditions when doing any sort of high output activity (including pretty much any sort of riding for 3 hours).  It would be nice if they worked better than this, but they don't.  It's a limitation of the materials, not a fault.  People misunderstand this all the time, think the item is faulty, and return them in a rage.  It's usually not worth shops/manufacturers time to try and explain this to people who don't want to hear it.

If you can realign my expectations and recommend what I should have worn, I’m all ears.

Polartec Neoshell is the most breathable membrane imo, if you want to try an alternative.  Or try Paramo, which is non membrane, but has other disadvantages.  You are welcome.

As Vicky Pea’s hubby, I can confirm, that on that particular ride, she was p155 wet through in her first time on MT500 jacket and I was dry in my 2 year old Goretex.

Its far less likely expectation and far more likely a duff jacket. It was a similar price to a Goretex, so given the choice I’d go Goretex every time.

Its far less likely expectation and far more likely a duff jacket. It was a similar price to a Goretex, so given the choice I’d go Goretex every time.

Necessary to call for reinforcements I see :-).

Was it beading off the DWR properly at the start of the ride?

How cold was it, and how easy were you going to not have any build up of sweat in a Goretex jacket over a 3 hour ride?  Not impossible, but fairly unusual.

Well.... Mine arrived this morning from Cycle Store. Pretty impressive as I only ordered it at the tail end of yesterday and by 9.30 the postman was rattling the letterbox!

Feels like a decent bit of kit. I'll give it a whirl over the weekend.

Waterproof my arse! I bought one and it was rubbish!

Sounds like there was issues with that item of clothing. Mine have been nothing short of perfect wet weather.

Had both shorts and jacket, shorts good short term, not durable enough at the arse, lasted about 12 rides before backside was constantly wet, jacket was good, I probably ruined that myself by washing it too often, usual endura faults was the zip went on it and double seams came away.

I have opted for Showers Pass IMBA jacket which haS been excellent and actually cheaper than the the Endura MT500.

Angeldust, I wasn’t asking my hubby to “reinforce” me, but you don’t seem to believe that out of 9 people in a variety of different “waterproof” MTB jackets, I was the only one who was soaked through. Plus I was one of the fitter ones in the group and there’s no way I was sweating to that degree on a cold day in April at a leisurely pace. I’ve been riding MTBs for over 10 years, week in week out and I think I know better than a stranger on the internet how much I sweat 😆

Well... I have managed to test the jacket on Sunday. Relatively windy and chilly affair, but the expected rain held off for the duration of the ride. I did start to sweat up a little on a big climb, but I was in full winter clobber and the venting did make a big difference once I opened them up. From an overheating perspective, I think it should be fine.

Strange thing to say, but am looking forward to riding in a downpour now!

Angeldust, I wasn’t asking my hubby to “reinforce” me, but you don’t seem to believe that out of 9 people in a variety of different “waterproof” MTB jackets, I was the only one who was soaked through. Plus I was one of the fitter ones in the group and there’s no way I was sweating to that degree on a cold day in April at a leisurely pace. I’ve been riding MTBs for over 10 years, week in week out and I think I know better than a stranger on the internet how much I sweat

While it’s by no means impossible, there are so many more likely reasons you were wet than the jacket was leaking.  Did you examine the jacket to see where it was failing? Was there a problem with the taped seams, for example?  Did the retailer or manufacturer have any comments?  I’m guessing, as per my previous post, you had made you mind up by then, and that you weren’t interested anyway, so the retailer probably knew they were wasting their time?  Correct me if I’m wrong.  That exact scenario is very common.  If it was a failure I’d be interested to know what it was.  A few on this thread seem to have ones that are not leaking....

I’ve never seen a membrane waterproof without some evidence of condensation on a mtb ride of any length or effort.  Was the rain coming in from the vents, pockets, neck or sleeves?  Were you wearing lots of warm layers underneath?  Condemning a product the way you did, on the basis of n=1, as per your first post (‘waterproof my arse’), just shows a lack of understanding of the variables involved, hence my doubts.  How long you have been riding has little correlation with understanding how waterproofs work, or what your expectations should be.  See the active ‘reproofing’ thread if you want evidence.

angledust.

personally if im spending 200 quid on a jacket i dont care about the variables but i want it to work. if im wet after a ride in a waterproof jacket then its a failure imo (when compared to another jacket). Im not bothered about the reasons why.

Not just you Andy, my MT5OO (2017-18) is good, but unless reproofed regularly it leaks like a sieve through the lower arms and the back where there is a different fabric. If I hold it up to the light it seems that the membraned fabric only covers exposed areas and a lighter, non membrane fabric is used in other places to increase breathability.

I am not the only one to have this issue, hence the 2019 version being changed back to full membrane like the mk1, which was great.

Must say, I was a bit disappointed as the mk1 lasted me for years, whereas I rarely use the mk2 now.

personally if im spending 200 quid on a jacket i dont care about the variables but i want it to work. if im wet after a ride in a waterproof jacket then its a failure imo (when compared to another jacket). Im not bothered about the reasons why.

Of course.  Unless it is user error, or unreasonable expectations.  Which it usually is.

If I hold it up to the light it seems that the membraned fabric only covers exposed areas and a lighter, non membrane fabric is used in other places to increase breathability.

Hmm, this puts a different spin on it.  If sections are water resistant, not water proof, prolonged rain will come through.  Was this version described as a 'waterproof' jacket, because it sounds like 'softshell' would be more suitable, and manage expectations better?

Was this version described as a ‘waterproof’ jacket

Yes. As Endura's top of the line, 200 quid waterproof hardshell.

Wonder if it was user error or unrealistic expectation then?

Have since moved to a Columbia outdry trail running jacket that breathes rather well and really is waterproof. Also half the cost, but more suited to my requirements.

Yes. As Endura’s top of the line, 200 quid waterproof hardshell.

But is has non-waterproof sections?  In that case it's Endura's description that is potentially misleading.  User-error would be to expect rain not to get through the water resistance sections in certain conditions!

I think that Endura made a bit of a balls up with the mk2 jacket, tbh. I would say that they compromised the protection aspect in favour of a higher breathability rating, so that they could market it as great at both., when in reality it leaked as soon as the dwr wore off the unsealed sections.

The mk3 version looks to have gone back to the 'full shell' style of the mk1, but with the massive ventilation options of the mk2, which I would say is the better choice: a good quality well sealed membrane which favours weather protection over supposed 'breathability', which is what the all the vents are for.

Has anybody got their hands on and tested the new mk3 version of the jacket? Looking to kit up ready for the weekend and the MT500 seems to be the best of the bunch?

I think the price is very off putting for a similar style jacket from Decathlon which is £60 and has large hood,great pit vents and extremely waterproof,10,000 or so

I’ve wore mine last two winters up here in Scotland in some biblical downpours and been dry as a bone

very well made jacket and for the price I can get two or three for the price of the Endura

Vickypea

I believe you.

Angeldust

You are a truly amazing person.

Thanks Bud