The first thing you notice about this jacket at night is... the whole jacket. A vast proportion of the surface area is devoted to a highly efficient reflective fabric, making this one of the most visible poor-light jackets we have ever worn or tested. No one, but no one, with their lights on could deny they had seen you from any direction, front or back.
So with safety more than covered, how did the jacket perform on the bike? With a basic 2 layer fabric with drop mesh liner it wasn't the lightest or smallest jacket on test - this isn't one for shoving in your pack 'just in case.' Instead it excelled at being put on at the start of a genuinely foul weather ride and left on until we reappeared at the door. It wasn't as breathable as some of the high performance jackets to test, but that is very much reflected in the bargain price of £99 and Altura have added some measures to help mitigate it.
We regularly used the 6 inch long pit zips to add a bit of air flow and, combined with the adjustable hem and cuffs, with cracking the collar open we were able to keep the worst boil-in-the-bag feelings at bay.
This really would be a solid commuting jacket and if you have plans to be on the road after dark, at £99 this jacket could not only save your life but keep you dry and comfortable while it is doing it.
