Rain coat recommendation
 

I know there have been many posts about rain gear, but many are about older, discontinued items. I just wanted to see if anyone could advise or recommend on the following 4 coats...all claim to be waterproof and breatheable:

Bellwether Aqua-No ($80)
J&G ($99)
Pearl Izumi Instinct ($119)
Cannondale Morphis ($100)

I know the Showers Pass Elite gets great reviews, but that's quite a bit more money...these 3 are more in my price range (and no...I'm not going to use a garbage bag, I need a proper coat for commuting). I'd appreciate any comments from people who might have these specific coats, or others as well...guess I just narrowed things down to these 4 as they all appeared to have the features I wanted at a reasonable price. *Also, if anyone has the J&G coat, is it a bright, hi-vis yellow?? It doesn't really look so from the pics on their site, and that's something that's important to me.

Thanks

The J&G gets applause from all who own it, as does the showers pass, and the burley. Of the 3 I think j&G is the least expensive. I have yet to see a negative review from anyone who uses one of the above 3.

Another that is made of the same material as the showerspass and so far has had positive reviews and no complaints is the Gill Adreneline jacket (and it looks sharp), which i think is on sale at performance, or nashbar for $119 or so. Not sure how that falls in your budget.

The other 2 ive not seen or heard about. (i know about PI, just not that partiular jacket)

aw, man, i was almost about to go for that gill adrenaline jacket but the whole back of it is BLACK!

I am using a Performance rain jacket (and pants) that my wife gave me 19 years ago. With a few minor repairs it(they) is(are) still serviceable. Nylon/goretex outer layer and a loose, thin synthetic inner layer which gives suprising extra warmth. Spilled battery acid on the sleeve once and the acid ate thru the nylon but stopped at the Goretex/Teflon/fluorocarbon vapor barrier, saving my skin. I do not know how they make them these days but if they are as good . . . and in your price range go for it.

I have the J&G Breathable, and it's more of a school bus yellow, but it's very visible. It also has reflective strips on the neck and wrists. I'm really happy with mine.

J&G breathable here. Had it for over a year, I wear it every day in the winter as a windbreaker and on cold rainy days, and it's everything I ever wanted in a rain jacket.
OK, I guess I would like a hood for when I wear it off the bike. But on the bike it's perfect, off the bike it's merely very good.

I highly recommend the Showers Pass Elite. Super waterproof, super breathable. I know it's expensive but it really is awesome.

Well, more like gray. At least it does have some 1/4" wide reflective strips on it. And you still have the yellow sleeves visibile from the back, plus the yellow sides to a small extent.

I've got one and like it pretty good, but still scratching my head at the gray back panel. You can always wear a hi-viz mesh vest!

I just bought the Gill Adrenaline jacket. With the 15% off the already huge discount, it seems like the best jacket for the money by far if you don't mind the visibility issue (I am one of the "Total Geeks" from the sticky, so I'm less concerned about the color). It seems that it is as good as the shower's pass elite jersey at near half the price. I will write a proper review once I get it and have a few chances to wear it in the rain. Thanks for the recommendation Jarery, without that I wouldn't have found it.

During this morning's commute to work in the rain, I wore my handy-dandy-A1-M1-Mighty Fine-Hefty Tall Kitchen Trash Can Liner with holes cut in it for my arms and neck. No one would even know unless you told them.

I'll probably use it for the wind this afternoon.

I bit the bullet and purchased this one too. It's worth it.

I know the high-priced jackets are worth the money for durability and comfort. But I have been continually pleased with my Rainshield O2 jacket. It's lightweight and might not last under daily use, but is a great occasional shell and is just as comfortable as any other jacket I've tried.

I've had my Showerpass Elite now for about 3 weeks and it FINALLY rained on my way home tonight!!

Truthfully, given that it was about 60 degrees, I usually wouldn't even wear a coat, but I wanted to give it a try. MUCH better than the nylon REI windbreaker I'd been using (truth in reviewing is that the Shower Pass is the first trully cycling-specific coat I've ever had). Cooler, but I did get a bit sweaty riding home hard. I found I could get better airflow through the coat by extending by elbows out and shrugging my shoulders. Kept me bone dry in a 30 minute downpour too. The fit, a M (I'm 5'11" and about 155), is fantastic.

I've done a few early morning rides with the coat and a fleece jersey when the starting temp was about 35. Other coats leave me too warm after a time, but this one is windblocking and more comfortable.

Living in Denver I think I would need a rain jacket maybe 5 to 10 times a year.
Summer storms do not count. I prefer to get soaked while in a downpour.
My vote would be for the j&g non breathable rain jacket due to the cost. :)