Oxford Rainseal over trousers

[Doctor T]

Here is my short review of the titled trousers. These are marketed as 100% waterproof.
On my trip back from Devon where it rained on and off for 5 hours, returning home and stripping down i found my Jeans were not dry at all. My bum and crunch were soaked through, my knees were the same. On examination a couple of days later with a hose, i found the problem was not with the seams but the waterproof material. Within 10 minutes i could see tiny sized water droplets getting through the legs. One other problem is the long zips on the legs. However, i tried the zip would get jammed with the bellow part of the seam. Amazingly this is the only area that stayed dry. For me, these trousers are not waterproof but maybe showerproof. Did i have a faulty pair i don't know? They when straight in the rubbish bin.

After this, i purchased a pair of Richa over trousers, again stated to be 100% waterproof. They cost about the same as the Oxford trousers. The leg opening is simpler, closed by 3 velcro tabs. The overall fit is better and they come with an elastic waist and drawstring, unlike the Oxford ones that just have elastic.
The 10 minute test with the hose pipe proved these to be waterproof. On a trip to Oxford and back in nonstop rain again proved this to be 100% waterproof.

[yorkie]

Strangely enough I have been through the same process.
I bought the Oxfords first for my Eastern European trip earlier this year. I had exactly the same issues, particularly with the zip, what a pain in the arse. They pissed me off so much that I eventually took a knife to them to remove them whilst on the dock in Rotterdam before placing them in a skip.
I then bought the Richa, so much simpler to get on and off, and the added bonus of doing the job that they were bought for.

[MikeS]

I bought the yellow rainseal jacket for a recent trip where the forecast was pretty poor. Wasn't particularly interested in the waterproof element but wanted something that was fairly high viz for the motorway in the rain.
When I took it off after a riding through a monsoon my jacket was completely dry underneath. Can't complain for 25 quid. Perhaps at the lower end of the market quality control leaves a bit to be desired.

[simbo]

I'm on my second set of these now (over about 3 years) I think for the money they're absolutely great! I've been in some biblical downpours and they've never let any water through, touch wood. For about £45 a set from Sportsbike shop I can't fault them :-) The only downside is, if it's warm weather and raing you tend to be like a boil in the bag cod fillet.

[David and Sally]

So far waterproof, but those zips are frustrating. By the time I’ve unjammed them it’s stopped raining