If you’re looking for a lightweight, packable, and reliable waterproof jacket for your outdoor adventures, the Revolutionrace Arcade 3L deserves a closer look. This jacket is designed for those who’s key considerations are weight, packability, and performance in unpredictable weather. But, you may not have heard of RevolutionRace, so let us bring you up to speed on them and this fantastic jacket.
Who Is RevolutionRace?
RevolutionRace is an outdoor brand founded in 2014 by Pernilla and Niclas Nyrensten. The idea for the company was born during a hike to Everest Base Camp, out of a need for fun, high-quality outdoor clothes at reasonable prices. Initially, the business was run from Pernilla’s father’s garage, with the founders handling all aspects from product development to distribution. Despite facing challenges with initial product quality, they persevered and eventually established a strong relationship with their manufacturer in Vietnam. RevolutionRace gained popularity great products and great marketing and by actively involving customers in product design. Today, RevolutionRace has expanded to over 30 countries and has sold over one million pairs of trousers worldwide.
RevolutionRace employs a direct-to-consumer (D2C) business model, selling its products online directly to customers, bypassing traditional retailers and wholesalers to offer high-quality, affordable apparel. More bank for your buck, which love!
The Brand is from Sweden and ships (with fast delivery) the UK. OK, now we are up to speed. Let’s take a closer look at their kit!
Product: RevolutionRace Arcade 3L Lightweight Jacket
Price: £169
Verdict: 9/10
Short Description: A solid 3 layer waterproof shell jacket
Pros:
- Exceptional breathability.
- Excellent waterproofing.
- Fully Windproof.
- 3-Layer construction.
- Lightweight and highly packable.
- Adjustable and functional design.
- Inclusive sizing.
- Retro Reflective details.
- PFC-free DWR.
- 4 Colour options (Black, Golden Yellow, Orange, Blue)
Cons:
- Durability is good, but this is a lightweight jacket, so heavy abrasion should be avoided.
- Would benefit from additional adjustability at the rear of the hood to adjust volume better.
To Buy: https://www.revolutionrace.co.uk/men/jackets/shell-jackets/arcade-3l-lightweight-jacket-men
Arcade 3L Lightweight Jacket Key Features and Specifications:
For all you kit geeks out there, here are the specs
- Waterproof Rating: 15,000 mm
- Breathability Rating: 20,000 g/m²/24h
- DWR: PFC-free
- Taped Seams: Fully taped
- Materials: 100% Recycled Polyamide (Hypershell® Pro Membrane – In-house Gor-Tex equivalent)
- Weight: 255g (size Medium)
- Fit/Cut: Regular
- Pockets: 2 zippered hand pockets
- Zippers: One-way front zipper
- Hood: Adjustable with front draw cord and reinforced visor. No other adjustments.
- Ventilation: Achieved through the highly breathable Hypershell® Pro membrane and front zip. No pit zips!
- Adjustability: Adjustable hood, elastic bottom hem, and elastic cuffs.
- Packable: Packs down into the left-hand pocket that has both an external and internal zip.
Performance Breakdown:
This is perfect for most weather conditions you’re going to find on the hills. Let’s bread it down.
- Waterproofing (4/5): The 15,000 mm water column rating indicates excellent protection against heavy rain. Water beads off effectively. This jacket will keep you dry in almost every situation.
- Breathability (5/5): The 20,000 g/m²/24h breathability rating is outstanding, minimising sweat buildup even during high-intensity activities. Perfect for hiking, trail running, etc. The RevolutionRace propriety Hypershell® Pro membrane performs exceptionally well here.
- Windproofing (5/5): This jacket stands up to strong winds and storms, providing reliable protection. Could use it for a sail!!
- Durability (4/5): Designed for lightweight performance, it offers normal wear resistance.
- Insulation (1/5): This is a shell jacket, meaning it provides minimal insulation. It’s designed to be layered over other garments for warmth.
Design and Functionality of the Arcade 3-Layer Lightweight Jacket:
- Lightweight and Packable: One of the jacket’s standout features is it’s incredibly lightweight and packable. It conveniently stows into its own pocket, making it easy to carry on any adventure.
- Hood: The adjustable hood with a reinforced visor offers poor protection against rain and wind. The hood swamps your head and with little to no adjustment in the volume (NO Rear volume adjuster (Crown/Back): Pulls the hood back and up off your eyes, sizing the internal circumference to your head.), it is near useless. This hood is very large, easily accommodate a climbing helmet, cycling helmet, baseball cap etc.
- Zippers and Adjustments: The one-way front zipper, elastic cuffs, and adjustable hem are all designed for an easy, one-handed operation.
- Reflective Details: Retro Reflective prints on the front and back enhance visibility in low-light conditions.
- Inclusive Sizing: Revolutionrace delivers, with good inclusive sizing, offering up to 3XL in this jacket, moving the outdoor clothing market as a whole in the right direction.
- Taped Seams: Fully taped seams with nice wide 18mm tape ensure complete waterproof protection in all stitched areas.
- DWR Finish: The PFC-free, fluorine-free Bionic Finish Eco DWR from Rudolf produces some of the finest water beading we have ever seen!! Like water off a ducks back!
Our Experience Revolution Race Arcade 3-Layer Waterproof Jacket
Tester – Robbie: 6ft, 300lbs, Square Body, 61.
Testing the 3XL version of this jacket, we found the fit to be excellent with ample adjustability for what it is. The waterproofing is truly impressive, with water beading is next level!! The breathability of the Hypershell® membrane is a highlight, keeping sweat buildup to a minimum and being a heavier hiker, trust me, I put the breathability to the test. The zippers, toggles, and adjustments are all user-friendly and functional, even with one hand, however, the hood adjustment is easier with two hands. I would have liked to have seen some adjustment for the volume of the hood. The lightweight and packable nature of the jacket makes it a perfect companion for any outdoor activity, providing reliable protection when the weather turns.
So a waterproof shell review is not a review without walking around in the rain, so, at any opportunity (this is Scotland I’ve had many) I fired on the Arcade and got out in it. Filming day, I walked around the local park in the rain. The forecast was for heavy rain, clouds were dark, everything looked promising, perfect. Unfortunately, it was not as heavy as predicted but wet none the less. I threw on all of my RevolutionRace gear and headed down to the park. As the rain began, I zipped up. Underneath I wore a lightweight Revoltionrace fleece (Review coming soon) and before long I was getting warm. It was wet out, but I was dry and snug in the Arcade shell. The only thing I would want, as mentioned above is a little more control over the volume of the hood. I have a rather sizable head, now I have not tested it with a helmet but I think the hood may be suitable, therefore this could be a good option for climbers, canoeists, dare I say roller bladers and cyclists.
Two more outings saw me walk the dog around our unusual root, hills, fields and a few dramatic vistas. The rain came and went and the jacket was ace. Easy to transition in and out of, easy to pack into my bag and easy to retrieve once the rains started again.
Finally, I had a day out with the family and the weather forecast was for glorious sunshine; I thought I will take the waterproof shell, wear it over my t-shirt, why? Three fold, it was sunny, but it was windy, so this acted as a lightweight wind stopper, two moisture management and an opportunity to see if the breathability was as good as advertised, it was and three; I burn and keeping everything covered is an art I have mastered.
So there you have it, in a nutshell it is a brilliant lightweight waterproof jacket for all occasions.
NOTE: the retro reflective detailing, toggles on hood, brand logos (Chest and sleeve), and lower back chevron thing are excellent, it shines back any source of light right back at it and as you can see from some of the photos with flash it is super high vis. Excellent for being seen at night, even though this was the black option.
Revolution Race Arcade 3L Waterproof Jacket Verdict:
The Revolutionrace Arcade 3L Lightweight Waterproof Jacket is an excellent choice for anyone seeking a high-performance, lightweight, and packable waterproof jacket. The Swedish know about bad weather, and this jacket is testament to that. Its exceptional breathability, reliable waterproofing, and thoughtful design make it a valuable addition to any UK outdoor enthusiast’s gear. It stood up to the Scottish rain for hours at a time, it works as advertised. If you prioritise weight and packability without sacrificing weather protection, this Swedish jacket is worth considering.
