Endura MT500 Women’s Waterproof Jacket review

The latest version of the Endura MT500 Women’s Waterproof Jacket is huge improvement on the previous one. Better thought out, lighter, more comfortable.

Pros

• More breathable than the previous edition
• Effective hood adjustment
• More functional pockets

Cons

• Zips are still not perfect, and pit zips are still tricky to use
• No stowage/self-packing feature
• Needs careful shopping to get right model if buying online

• Brand: Endura
• Product: MT500 Women’s Waterproof Jacket
• Price: £249.99
• From: Endura
• Tested by: Hannah
• SQUIRREL_TEXT_13176236

Having given the previous MT500 waterproof jacket a good durability test, Endura then released a brand new MT500 waterproof jacket for Autumn/Winter 2024. It’s so different that it might have been better to give it a new name, although its intentions remain the same.

All in all, it looks like it might answer many of the criticisms I had of the previous model.

Being the big-gun in Endura’s waterproof jacket stable, this is no lightweight packable thing. This is a heavy duty beast designed to be worn from the moment you leave the house until you stagger back in and drip all over the hall.

Gone is the elastic from the cuffs, and the internal Lycra inner cuff has also gone. The front main zip is now a double/two way zip (hurrah!). The pockets are no longer mesh lined, meaning you can put wet hands in them without soaking your inner layers. The inner phone pocket is now much easier to get a larger phone into.

The hood tensioning arrangement has changed, and there are new poppers at the front for extra security. As well as all these design features, the fabric is now ExoShell30DR, which is a fair bit lighter and more packable, and has less of a woven fabric finish to the inside.

Indeed, it feels a lot lighter and less sweaty to wear, and less stiff too. Perhaps some will miss the bomb-proof feeling of the older model, but for me the ExoShell30DR is a big improvement.

I prefer the sleeves without the inner cuff. I haven’t figured out exactly why the Velcro is better on the bottom than on the top, but it is! Just a little easier to adjust maybe?

I don’t miss the cuff pocket, though perhaps some uplift folks will. The whole sleeve structure is a lot simpler – fewer stitches means fewer holes in the waterproof membrane and fewer taped seams… perhaps this translates into even better longevity? I reckon it saves a few grams too.

The new external pocket arrangement seems better to me – you can put wet hands in there without getting all of you wet. Except, the zip on one keeps catching the fabric, which is a little annoying. I don’t see the point in the internal pocket with stretch top – it’s too small for an OS map, not secure enough for keys or wallet… I’m yet to think of what to put in there. The phone pocket is better though – easier to get your phone in and out of than the previous side entry pocket, though still not giant – my iPhone 12 in its case is about as big as you’d want to be putting in there.

The main front zip is better with the new two-way arrangement, but it seems odd to me that the top one – which I use most – is operated by a teeny tiny tab, while the lesser-used bottom one has a bigger tab and fabric pull on it. The other way round would be easier to use, especially with gloves on. I don’t really understand the point of the poppers, although I suppose it’s a bit of a failsafe should your zip bust in some life or death type remote situation.

I think the new hood arrangement is better – whether that’s down to the slightly different adjustment mechanism, or the different fabric, I’m not sure. But it scrunches up really well for a secure fit without a helmet – making it a viable walking jacket as well as a bike one – but still sits well over a helmet. There’s no hood stowage on the women’s option (though apparently there is on the men’s) but this doesn’t really bother me.

The pit zips remain tricky to use. They’re slightly different in design to before, but still not something I’ve managed to adjust easily on the go.

I don’t want to comment too much on the waterproofing in search an early take, but it seems broadly similar to the previous iteration. I’ll be interested to see how much it wets out and how it feels then, once it’s been around the block a bit more. It does feel a fair bit less sweaty than the previous fabric.

The whole jacket is lighter – the scales don’t lie – and it packs down a bit smaller than the previous edition.

Overall

All in all, I think it’s a huge improvement on the previous version. It feels like it’s been better thought out, and the lighter fabric makes it more comfortable to wear. It’s still a lot of money, but it feels more like the multi-functional and nicely detailed thing that you’d be looking for at this price.

NB: the new version of the Men’s jacket has a number of different features – the jackets have different designers and (as you’d hope) testers. Check your product specification (and model year) carefully if you’re buying online, so you get what you expect.

Review Info