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review

Vulpine Men’s Waterproof Utility Jacket

7
£229.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Good quality do-anything jacket that's best-in-class waterproof
Weight: 
437g
Contact: 

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I'm a little bit conflicted about the Vulpine Waterproof Utility Jacket. On the one hand, it's probably the most waterproof outer layer I've ever used: there's nothing getting through. And the hood and cut mean it's more versatile than just a riding shell. On the other, the cut doesn't quite work in a road bike position and the decision not to give the jacket a water-repellent coating is an odd one, albeit easily fixed. Overall, it's plenty good enough that it gets a lot of use, both on and off the bike.

The Utility jacket is very smartly made from a soft-touch fabric that Vulpine rates as 15,000mm waterproof. That's high, and it's borne out in testing. I've deliberately gone out on my bike in the heaviest rain I could find – and I live in the South West, so that's pretty heavy – and come back bone dry. Well, my torso anyway. My feet and legs, not so much. The full length front zip has a storm flap behind to keep drips off your inner layers and nothing got in through the pockets or the seams either.

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The hood is a good shape, and adjustable if you want to wear it and removable if you don't.

On the bike you can let down the rear flap to keep spray off your rear, and it has the added advantage of making you a bit more visible, since it's bright and reflective. Four magnets keep it stowed away if you don't need it. For generally being waterproof, the Vulpine gets top marks. It couldn't really be any more waterproof. Full marks for that.

The fabric is also rated as highly breathable, and for the most part that's true. If it's cold and dry then the moisture transfer works well, and it's aided by the fact that the jacket features three vents on each side, under the arms, to allow even more moisture to escape. If you're wondering whether these let in water when it's chucking it down: they don't. They're expertly positioned.

When the weather's foul and the jacket is wet, breathability suffers, but that's not a problem confined to this jacket, it's true of all outer layers. The Utility jacket doesn't have a water-repellent coating from new, though, and this means the fabric wets quite quickly. That doesn't affect its water resistance but it does impact on breathability, and also makes the fabric feel a bit clammy next to the skin if you're not wearing a long-sleeved top.

>> Check out our guide to the best waterproof cycling jackets here

I treated the jacket to a helping of Nikwax TX-Direct and left it to dry over the radiator, and the next time I wore it in the rain it was markedly improved, with the water beading well on the surface and the jacket feeling a lot nicer for a lot longer. It didn't affect the breathability or the luxuriant feel of the fabric. So if you get one, do that.

Mostly, the jacket is very nicely designed and proportioned. I was wearing a large, which the Vulpine chart suggests should be just right for me. In the body it certainly was, but I found the arms just a bit too short, and I'm not sure the cuff design is the best for a foul weather jacket. I've got an ape index (ratio of span to height) of 1.01, so I'm a pretty normal shape. On a road bike I found that the sleeves rode up a bit: a few extra centimetres of fabric would have been good.

The sleeves have a soft internal cuff that's very comfortable, but on the bike it sticks out a bit and acts like a sponge, soaking up water and transferring it to your long-sleeved top, so your arms can end up a bit wet even though the sleeves are completely waterproof. That could do with a rethink: just setting the soft cuff a bit further up the sleeve and making the sleeve a bit longer would probably do it.

The Utility jacket's main plus point is its, erm, utility. It's a really versatile jacket. Sleeve issues aside, it's really comfortable to ride in, especially in a touring position when you're not reaching so far. It's great for commuting, and the reinforced shoulder panels mean it works well with a rucksack. 

Off the bike it's just the ticket for walking, be that into town or over some kind of mountain. It's sufficiently neutral in style that it doesn't look too bikey, and there's plenty of pocket space for phones and wallets and such.

It's a front-of-the-coat-rack coat, for sure. It's well made, the fabric performs well, it looks good. You'll get a lot of use out of it.

Verdict

Good quality do-anything jacket that's best-in-class waterproof

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Vulpine Men’s Waterproof Utility Jacket

Size tested: Large, Aqua

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?

Vulpine says: "Fully waterproof, with a removeable hood and splash guard, the Utility Jacket is designed as your every-season shell, with exceptional ventilation and breathability for hours of comfort in all situations.

"A cycling-specific waterproof that you can wear anywhere in a persistent heavy rain. The waterproof fabric is highly breathable, but without the crinkly plastic feel that makes them so off-putting. The texture is soft, comfortable and low key. A trio of large side vents down the torso help warm, moist air escape backwards out the jacket, preventing the excessive sweating that plagues waterproofs. A removeable hood and rear storm guard finish off this highly versatile jacket."

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

WATERPROOF

Fully waterproof fabric, rated 15,000mm waterproof

VENTILATION

3 large vents each side of torso, angled to allow warm moist air to leave but no rain to enter

BREATHABLE

Extremely breathable, rated 15,000mp breathability

SPLASH GUARD

Zip-removable reflective splash guard with retainer magnets to stow it away when not used

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

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

Pretty well. It's very, very, very waterproof. I'm not so convinced by some of the details, nor of the decision to not add a water-repellent coating.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Very nicely made, very waterproof.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Sleeves a bit short for an aggressive position, cuffs transmit water to long-sleeved tops, and the feel of the fabric when wet.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, especially once I'd Nikwaxed it.

Would you consider buying the product? Maybe

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, depending on what they wanted to use it for.

Use this box to explain your score

Overall, given that it's fairly expensive, I'd say the Utility jacket is a good investment. It's good for more than just cycling and is wearing well. The issues are relatively minor but they do niggle when you're paying over £200.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 189cm  Weight: 92kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Kinesis Aithein

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

 

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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10 comments

Avatar
Twowheelsaregreat | 8 years ago
0 likes

This particular jacket coordinates particularly well with the new Road.cc menu bar.

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Curly | 8 years ago
0 likes

nice colour! But it looks like a hiking jacket with that hood!

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fustuarium | 8 years ago
0 likes

I've the same jacket in the same colour  11

Agree with all the review says, although adding a water repellent coating isn't something I'd thought of much less done. I have toyed with the idea of somehow taping the gills down on one side to see if I could really tell the difference (but I always forget to do so). I love the jacket and the only thing that doesn't seem spot on to me are the cuffs as mentioned above. Or put another way; I lost a front lamp battery pack to hideous driving rain in Brittany and my torso remained dry.

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sneakerfrfeak | 8 years ago
0 likes

It's best in it's class but still only gets 3.5 stars, doesn't say very much for the others.

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dave atkinson replied to sneakerfrfeak | 8 years ago
0 likes
sneakerfrfeak wrote:

It's best in it's class but still only gets 3.5 stars, doesn't say very much for the others.

it's best in class for being waterproof, not overall for being a jacket. It's definitely a good jacket but for the money you want it to be spot on which it isn't. quite.

Avatar
Prosper0 | 8 years ago
2 likes

I think you're being generous. £230 for a jacket - it has to be utterly perfect. It doesn't matter that it can be fixed with some water repellent spray.

Avatar
Username replied to Prosper0 | 8 years ago
0 likes
Prosper0 wrote:

I think you're being generous. £230 for a jacket - it has to be utterly perfect. It doesn't matter that it can be fixed with some water repellent spray.

The fabric needs water repellent and the author says the cuffs don't work but still gives it best-in-class?

Vulpine have a blind spot with cuffs. I have three Vulpine jackets now, I'm a big fan of the brand: small producer, passionate, UK made, but they have a blind spot with cuffs: the fleecy elasticated cuff is not draught proof (for my skinny bones) on cold mornings, I get a blast of cold air up the arms, and when the weather heats up the cuffs are too bulky and sweaty.

Every other manufacturer solves this with a simple Velcro flap which can be strapped down in the cold and opened up in the heat. But Vulpine seem dogmatically opposed to Velcro.

Avatar
Goldfever4 replied to Username | 8 years ago
0 likes
Username wrote:
Prosper0 wrote:

I think you're being generous. £230 for a jacket - it has to be utterly perfect. It doesn't matter that it can be fixed with some water repellent spray.

The fabric needs water repellent and the author says the cuffs don't work but still gives it best-in-class? Vulpine have a blind spot with cuffs. I have three Vulpine jackets now, I'm a big fan of the brand: small producer, passionate, UK made, but they have a blind spot with cuffs: the fleecy elasticated cuff is not draught proof (for my skinny bones) on cold mornings, I get a blast of cold air up the arms, and when the weather heats up the cuffs are too bulky and sweaty. Every other manufacturer solves this with a simple Velcro flap which can be strapped down in the cold and opened up in the heat. But Vulpine seem dogmatically opposed to Velcro.

 

My Vulpine Harrington is just fine in the cuffs department

Avatar
JudahLow | 8 years ago
0 likes

Christ, that's almost as expensive as my bike

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Yorky-M | 8 years ago
1 like

I love the Shark gills on the side

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