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review

dhb Flashlight Compact-XT Waterproof Jacket

5
£69.99

VERDICT:

5
10
Well-made and waterproof but lack of breathability is a real issue
Weight: 
315g

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The clocks have gone back and the rainy season has arrived so if you're after a waterproof hi-viz jacket then dhb's Flashlight Compact XT fits the bill. dhb is online store Wiggle's in house brand and over the years it's focused on value for money, quality garments for racers and recreational riders alike. The Flashlight range itself is designed for winter training rides and year round commuting. That's pretty much where my season is right now so let's see what it has to deliver.

For its £69.99 asking price there are a fair amount of technical details going on with this jacket. It's a 2.5 layer waterproof, which means it has an outer layer coated with some form of water repellencey followed by a breathable membrane. The membrane has thousands of tiny holes which are too small for water droplets to get through but allow sweat to escape as vapour.

The two main questions, then, are is it waterproof and is it breathable.

Is it waterproof?

Yes is the short answer. The Flashlight is rated at 10,000mm, the height of a water column needed to force water through the fabric. That means it should keep out moderate rain and road spray before getting overwhelmed and this is exactly how the Flashlight performed. On wet days where it is just that constant rain or drizzle it'll keep the water at bay for a good couple of hours. If things turn heavier, like a thunderstorm with torrential rain for instance, it will start to let the wet in after twenty minutes or so which is to be expected for this rating level. The seams are all taped and the YKK zips have covers behind them termed Aquaguard, all these little things help.

What about the breathability?

This is where the Flashlight XT lets itself down; it doesn't have any form of venting at the front. The majority of waterproof jackets have pit zips or holes under the arms to allow a through flow of cooling air from the front to remove warm air via the back. Without this the heat just builds up causing you to sweat more and you end up wetter on the inside than you do on the outside.

To put this in perspective, I did a 12°C, hour long ride at a decent but not flat out pace wearing the jacket and only a mesh summer baselayer. It was absolutely soaked. Wear anything thicker, like a merino base, and it gets overwhelmed in minutes leaving you cold once you stop moving.

It's described as a commuter cut so it's roomier than a full on tailored race jacket. The shape is good though, with decent length arms even when stretched out on the hoods. The tail is dropped a little too, though a little shorter than most.

The XT gets a few upgrades from the standard Flashlight with Velcro cuffs and an adjustable hem which let you tweak the fit a bit. You get two pockets on the chest which are ideal for keys and a mobile plus an extra deeper one at the rear.

The two main highlights of the Flashlight XT are the amount of reflective on display and how small it packs away.

Starting with the reflectives you'll find loads on the arms and the side of your torso. The majority of cycling accidents occur at junctions so plenty of distinctive patterns here are welcome. You also get some on the front and rear of the jacket. We've got the fluoro yellow here which is ideal if you ride in light and dark conditions. If you don't want to go down the day-glo route, Wiggle do blue and charcoal versions with the same amount of reflectives.

The Flashlight will easily fold down to fit in a jersey pocket which makes it a very good option for changeable weather especially considering its breathability issues.

Overall the Compact Flashlight XT is a decent waterproof that is really let down by poor breathability; it is just going to be too hot in pretty much all conditions unless you ride at a very sedate pace.

As far as the price goes I think it's asking too much especially when you take a look at the B'Twin jacket we reviewed recently for less than a third of the cost.

It is good quality, though, as we've come to expect from dhb and it should last plenty of seasons so you would get your money back in the long run.

Verdict

Well-made and waterproof but lack of breathability is a real issue

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road.cc test report

Make and model: dhb Flashlight Compact-XT Waterproof Jacket

Size tested: Medium - Fluo

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Wiggle claim htat the Flashlight Compact XT is for year round commuting and winter training rides. I think it makes a good jacket for sedate commuting but is nowhere near breathable enough for fast paced training rides. It's best used as an emergency wet weather jacket.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

*2.5 layer Jacket that provides full rain protection

*3M™ Scotchlite™ reflective prints and logos

*Fully seam taped

*Two storage pockets at the chest and lower back with YKK Aquaguard® zippers

*Velcro adjustable cuffs

*Adjustable hem with dropped tail

*Fleece lined collar for comfortable, abrasion free neck coverage

*Packable, will pack into a jersey back pocket or rucksack pocket.

*Full length YKK zip with chin guard

*Teflon™ water repellent finish on outer fabric face

*Waterproof rating of 10,000mm

*XS-XXL

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well put together with a good finish.

Rate the product for performance:
 
5/10

Good waterproofing with regards to its rating but seriously struggles with breathability

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Material feels hardwearing.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

315g is pretty good for a waterproof.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
6/10

Comfortable to wear unless you've riding hard, sweat turns cold quickly inside.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

The price seems expensive for the overall quality, technicality and performance of the jacket.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Good in the wet but poor breathability is a big problem. I'd rather get wet from the rain than my own sweat.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The high visibility patterns stand out well.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Poor breathability.

Did you enjoy using the product? Not really.

Would you consider buying the product? No.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? No.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

As an emergency rainproof to fit in your jersey pocket the Flashlight does a good job although I needed to keep it undone to keep cool. The majority of waterproofs struggle with breathability by the nature of their design but it is really poor here and makes the jacket unpleasant to wear if you ride at a hard pace. It doesn't really excel in anything enough to justify the price tag.

Overall rating: 5/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Kinesis T2  My best bike is: Kinesis Aithien

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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3 comments

Avatar
Izaak30 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Please can it be made mandatory Road.CC that when reviewing items that have reflectives on, especially if that is a main feature, that there are some photos taken at night at a distance? Thanks

Avatar
flathunt | 9 years ago
0 likes

I also have one and ride a 30 minute commute at a good clip (well, 24km/h average including light stops), and, like Aezreth, have not noticed any breathability problem, albeit only wearing a cotton t-shirt underneath. Maybe the reviewer has a dud? It fits really well and is visible from space/through walls.

Avatar
Aezreth | 9 years ago
0 likes

I own this jacket and I think the breathability issue mentioned is way overblown. I've been using it for the last couple of weeks with a merino baselayer AND a long sleeve winter jersey under without overheating. The quality and fit is really nice too, I'd give it 4/5.

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