Cleverhood Review: The Rain Cape Specialists

Everyone who's ridden in a normal rain jacket knows the problem: zip it up enough to stay dry and you're a sweaty mess in ten minutes. Cleverhood, out of Providence, Rhode Island, went back to an older idea — the cape — and worked out how to make it look deliberate rather than like you'd grabbed a bin bag.

Why a cape, not a jacket

Air moves freely underneath a cape, so you don't overheat. It covers your hands on the bars without needing separate gloves. And because it's not fitted, one size does a better job of actually staying dry than a snug jacket ever manages — there's no seam pulling tight across your shoulders as you reach for the bars, no gap opening up at the wrist. The trade-off is obvious — you won't wear it off the bike — but for the ride itself, it's hard to argue with.

Made in Providence, and it shows

Cleverhood is a proper American manufacturer, not a brand that slaps its name on a generic factory cape. It's designed and made in Providence, Rhode Island, and the detailing reflects that: the reflective patterning isn't a strip stuck on as an afterthought, it's worked into the print itself, so it reads as an ordinary pattern in daylight and lights up properly under headlights at night. That's the sort of thing you only get right if you've spent a long time riding in the product you're making, and it's the reason Cleverhood's stuff looks like clothing rather than hi-vis workwear.

Sizing and fit

Because the whole point of a cape is that it isn't fitted, sizing is more forgiving than most rainwear — go with your normal size and it'll work over a coat in winter or a shirt in summer. If you're right at the top of a size range, or you know you'll be layering up underneath in cold weather, it's worth sizing up one. The capes are cut long enough to cover most of your legs while pedalling, which is exactly where a fitted jacket usually gives up.

The honest cons

None of this is free of compromise. A cape flaps a bit in a strong crosswind, in a way a fitted jacket doesn't — not dangerously, just noticeably, and you notice it most on an exposed bridge or seafront. You also can't wear it anywhere except on the bike, so if your ride ends with a walk into a meeting, you're carrying a folded cape rather than wearing a jacket that still looks fine once you're off. And at the upper end of the range, the Rainger and the Urbanaut pieces aren't cheap — you're paying for fabric and construction that lasts, not the lowest price on the shelf. If you want something you can wear all day, on and off the bike, the Zipster jacket further down this page is the better answer.

The range

Rover 2.0 — the one to start with

The updated version of the cape that made Cleverhood's name, at £96. Refined cut, same clever logic, and the one I'd point a first-time buyer towards — it does the job properly without asking you to spend Rainger money before you know whether cape riding suits you. See it on Velorution · Shop →

Rainger — the premium pick

Better fabric, reflective detailing woven through the pattern, and a £200 price tag that puts it firmly in "buy it once" territory. If you ride through proper weather all year, this is the one that'll last — it's the cape I'd want if commuting in the rain was a daily fact of life rather than an occasional inconvenience. See it on Velorution · Shop →

Snow Cape — for the cold months

Warmer fabric, same shape, for riders who don't stop when the temperature drops, at £133. It layers over a proper winter coat rather than fighting it, which is the whole point of a cape in the first place. See it on Velorution · Shop →

If you want a jacket instead

Not everyone wants a cape, and that's fair. The Zipster, at £96, gets you the same weatherproofing and reflective detailing in a shape that reads as a normal jacket — you can wear it into a café afterwards without looking like you've just come off a bike. It's the one to buy if the "can't wear it off the bike" point above is a dealbreaker for you. Zipster Jacket · Rover Anorak · Shop →

The Urbanaut line — smarter than rainwear

A weatherproof backpack (made with Czech bag-makers Braasi, £126) and a full-length trench coat you can actually ride in (£215) — the most grown-up things Cleverhood makes, and arguably the most Velorution. Neither shouts about being cycling kit, which is exactly why they work: the trench does the job of a cape while looking, off the bike, like a coat you'd choose anyway. Urbanaut Backpack · Urbanaut Trench · Shop →

For the kids, and the small stuff

The CleverKid range brings the same cape logic down to child size for the school run — a Rain Cape and an Anorak, both £33 — and a couple of cheap, clever accessories, a clip-on backup light and spoke reflectors, round out the range for not much money at all. Worth doing if your kids already ride with you in the wet and hate feeling swamped in an adult-cut jacket. CleverKid Anorak · CleverKid Rain Cape · Spoke Reflectors

The verdict

If rain is the reason you don't cycle in winter, a cape solves more of the problem than a jacket ever will. Start with the Rover 2.0 at £96; upgrade to the Rainger at £200 if you ride through weather most of the year. Have a browse through the full Cleverhood range on Velorution before you decide — seeing the Urbanaut pieces next to the capes makes the "smarter than rainwear" point better than I can in text.

Shop the full Cleverhood range

---

Some links on this page are affiliate links: if you buy through them, Cleverhood may pay Velorution a small commission at no cost to you. It never affects what we recommend. More on how Velorution works here.