Pro-Viz Cycling Jacket

Pro-viz cycling products are one of the best known brands in the cycleware industry. When the nights start to draw in many cyclists stop riding but with the right gear, there’s no reason not to ride. One of the most basic things that anyone cycling in the dark needs to do is to make themselves as visible as they can to other road users, whether they be motorists, other cyclists or even pedestrians.

There are many products on the market, such as reflective or high visibility sashes, or bands. However, one of the most effective is fully reflective clothing. This is where the Pro-viz jacket certainly comes in to it’s own.

Pro-viz have a wide range of products such as jackets, gilets, caps, gloves, backpack covers, and arm / wrist bands amongst other things but in this review we have specifically looked at the Mens Reflect 360 Cycling Jacket.

Sizing seems to be generous for cycling clothing which is notorious for being somewhat undersized. I ordered an XL size item as I usually wear XL for street clothing, and the Pro-viz sizing guide suggested this would suit me.

On first opening, the jacket feels heavy but very solidly made. The styling and cut suggests that it’s aimed more at the commuter market than the performance cyclist or enthusiast. Choosing an XL provided the perfect fit.  With plenty of room for an undershirt and cycling jersey the was ample movement during testing.

In daylight the jacket looks nothing more than a plain grey jacket, but once the sun goes down, the jacket really comes in to its own. The highly reflective layer in the jacket will reflect even the merest hint of light with an almost magnifying effect, making the wearer glow, and providing a large area of light for other road users to see. One of the advantages of the full jacket over a gilet is that any hand signals are far more visible.

The jacket has a solid construction and there is claimed waterproofing of 5000mm hydrostatic head. Consequently, the jacket should easily stave off all but the heaviest of showers. There is a storm flap on the main zip, velcro closures on the cuff, a high collar, and slightly dropped back all helping to keep the elements at bay.

I rode this out first time with all the ventilation options closed and quite predictably boiled. I finished the ride heavily sweating; however, I was moving at a rather brisk 14-15mph for most of the time. On the second ride, with the vents all open, the ride was much more palatable.

The Pro-viz jacket was generally quite impressive. Whilst it’s on the pricier side for a cycling jacket, the safety it provides makes it worth the outlay.

Overall Score: 9/10

Pros:

• Highly reflective.
• Some level of weather protection.
• Generous sizing options

Cons:

• For some people, the jacket may be too heavy.
• With the vents closed, it can get very hot.
• Quite pricey in comparison to standard high-viz.

To see the reflective effect in action check out our YouTube review here.

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