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review

Tenn Outdoors Crystalline Pro Cycling Jacket Clear

5
£49.99

VERDICT:

5
10
Lightweight, very packable, transparent race cape, sadly not that good though
Weight: 
111g

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One of the great things about cycling is that there are different iterations of the same product at different price levels, and generally the old adage of getting what you pay for is true. The clear Tenn Outdoors Crystalline Pro Cycling Jacket comes relatively low down on the cost side, and whilst it's by no means a great jacket, it does a reasonable job of keeping you protected from the worst of the weather outside.

At a penny under £50 you are getting a clear, wet weather jacket that packs down small, weighs very little, and does a reasonable job at keeping you dry.

I've just realised I've written 'reasonable job' twice in 30 words, and that kind of sums up the jacket in a nutshell. It's no way near the best, but it's also not the worst I've ever worn, it's... reasonable.

Visually it's actually pretty good, a clear race-cape style, with very little adorning it to add to its weight, and the clear material allowing logoes and reflectivity to be visible through it. It has one small pocket on the side, ideal for a set of keys or a credit card, but too small for a modern smartphone. Reflective tabs are to the rear, so that box has been ticked off.

In use its flaws do start to become apparent quite quickly. Pausing in the middle of a mid-tempo ride it's clearly evident that you have steam escaping from the cuffs. The wearing experience is akin to a boil in the bag packet with the jacket being unable to cope with sweat and heat generated during mild rides.

This is a bad thing but on days when you know it's cold out the extra heat retention can be of use. If you know you are going to be getting moist then you can layer accordingly, but it's by no means ideal.

So what about keeping water out? Well, that side of things the jacket does a reasonable job (dammit, there's that word again). In light rain and drizzle and you are fine, when the heavens open you will be getting wet. Give it 15 minutes of proper rain (the Northern stuff) and you will be wet inside.

The whole jacket is made of a woven fibre combined with a clear plastic membrane. It's 50% polyester and 50% TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) and packs down into its own pocket, small enough that it won't bother a jersey on those days you take it out, and it's light enough that you won't feel encumbered by it being in the pocket either. The material itself is a bit, well, naff to touch, feeling akin to plastic bag. It's not a great feeling against the skin - clamminess abounds quickly.

This review is a bit of a mixed bag. The jacket doesn't perform as well as it could or should, and it clearly does have some flaws, but it's not as bad as it may sound. Its light weight and packability do certainly help in bringing its rating up, and despite its shortcomings I find it being put into my jersey pocket frequently when the weather looks like it might change because its size and weight prove no burden.

On properly wet days it stays at home as performance-wise it doesn't cut it, but on the days when you are not quite sure (and we have a lot of those in the UK) then it comes out with me. At full RRP I don't think it's necessarily worth the money, but there are plenty of places to pick it up at a discount and when you've taken those prices into consideration it becomes a reasonable option for a lightweight race-cape.

Verdict

Lightweight, very packable, transparent race cape, sadly not that good though

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Tenn Outdoors Crystalline Pro Cycling Jacket Clear

Size tested: Medium

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?

For those looking of a lightweight transparent cape/rain jacket it will tick a few boxes - but leave some glaringly unchecked.

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

It's made from a woven fibre combined with a clear plastic membrane. It's 50% polyester and 50% TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). reflective seams etc

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
7/10

Just not that great.

Rate the product for performance:
 
4/10

It lets water in on rainy days and doesn't let water out on any days.

Rate the product for durability:
 
6/10

Seems ok, but will spend a lot of time packed up small.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

Barely noticeable.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
4/10

Doesn't let out heat, or steam, and lets water in. Not good.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Good for an emergency, not good for daily use.

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

it doesn't live up to its own spiel, in that it's not waterproof or breathable. But it is lightweight and packable - swings and roundabouts and all that.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Lightweight and packable.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Lack of performance.

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?

Just not a particularly good jacket, works well as an emergency stash jacket though

Overall rating: 5/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 176cm  Weight:

I usually ride: WyndyMilla Massive Attack, Raleigh SP Race, Hoffman BMX  My best bike is: WyndyMilla Massive Attack

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding, Adventure-packing, crossing-countries

 

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3 comments

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BrokenBootneck | 9 years ago
0 likes

it's not that bad, I have one and use it often on short rides, pocket is useless and and it would benefit from a rear pocket, bought it at a low price, similar to the Decathalon hi viz at 20 quid, its less boil in the bag than the Decathalon one.

Avatar
Freddy56 | 9 years ago
0 likes

Plastic bag

Avatar
youngoldbloke | 9 years ago
0 likes

THese were recently available for around £15 online - very acceptable at that price, a matching gilet was also available for even less. The pocket is ridiculous. Only just big enough for a tissue.

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