The Endura MT500 Adv jacket is the latest in a long line of their flagship waterproofs with the latest iteration sporting a new Pertex Shield fabric.
Launched with their AW25 collection at the end of the summer, the MT500 Adv jacket is the leading light of Endura’s latest offerings that whilst touted for colder days, can easily be rolled out 365.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- Pertex Shield 3-layer waterproof fabric
- Waterproof Rating: 20,000mm
- Breathability Rating: 20,000 g/m²/24hr
- Helmet compatible hood with SlideLock™ hood adjuster
- Hood stowage uses low-profile snaps
- Internal zipped pocket
- Large mesh lined hand pockets
- Hidden laser-cut perforations
- 2-way water-repellent front zip and popper system
- 90 Day satisfaction guarantee
- £300.00 RRP
- EnduraSport.com
After going on a serious diet a few years ago, thanks to the dropping of the ripstop element, the Endura MT500 jackets felt like they might not stand up to the elements quite as well. How wrong we were. Despite the low weight and thinner, comfier feel, they were every bit the jackets that we’d become used to.
The downside that went along with this slimmer physique was the change to PFC-free DWR coatings that work wonders for not ruining the environment but just don’t last as long and require re-proofing more often. I for one have no issue proofing a jacket as you can simply put the tech wash in after you’ve washed the jacket. Simples.
In the MT500 Adv jacket there is a move away from the ExoShell30™DR used on the previous MT500 jacket and a Pertex Shield is used. Fit and finish feels much the same. A solid barrier against the elements, all the usual well thought out pockets and fastenings you would come to expect. The main difference is that you lose 10,000m of waterproofing compared to the outgoing jacket. 20,000 instead of 30,000, with the breathability remaining an unchanged 20,000g/m²/24hr.
Pertex’s Shield is aimed at providing low weight and breathability for “intense pursuits in challenging conditions”. One of the things that really stands out about the Pertex Shield though is that is a) full recyclable, and b) is entirely sourced from pre and post consumer nylon and polyester as well as bio-based nylon. Much of this former is produced from discarded fishing nets in collaboration with fishing communities.
A large hood with adjuster and poppers is exactly what should be on a jacket like this, and the poppers on the main zip also stop the jacket from flapping about in the breeze, adding to the jacket’s underarm vents to allow you to fine tune the amount of wind your body gets. Hand pockets, internal and external zip pockets and a mesh pocket mean the carrying capacity is high. One thing we wished had caried over was the wind cuffs inside the sleeves. They were a treat.
Much like its predecessor, the MT500 Adv feels thin and perhaps undergunned for a big, soggy day in the hills. Despite losing a bit more waterproofing, it takes a fair old while to start wetting out, and then only does so in patches, and never has that feeling of a wet plaster. It far outlasts other jackets of the same weight, and you can button it up or down to suit your ride.
I lamented the dropping of the lined cuffs in the last jacket but it, once again, matters not. An elastic cuff does much of the same job. Both this and its predecessor are my go-to waterproof jackets. Light enough and vent-adjustable enough to be a light outer layer, or be the top of many layers, it’ll go anywhere and do anything. The packable nature means it’s great as an emergency layer too.
Beyond my fathoming is the zips on Endura jackets, however. Yes, they are two-way, yes you can popper them open to stay dry and increase the air flow, but… and it’s a fairly sizeable but… This isn’t unique to this Endura jacket, it’s almost anything made by Endura with a main, full body zip. The flap underneath the left hand side of the zip always, and I mean without fail, gets jammed in the zip. Please Endura, I love your kit. It works in the UK, you make a size that fits me and the colours are ace. Please stiffen the under zip flap and the World will be a much better place for it.
Once the quiet, mumbles under-breath cursing is out the way and the jacket is on me, though, the MT500 jacket is a delight. I can look beyond the drop in waterproofing because I don’t think many folk actually encounter 30,000mm rain events. The recycled and recyclable materials is a worthy trade-off, especially if it gets ghost nets out of the seas and oceans.
You can check out the Endura MT500 Adv waterproof jacket on their website here.
