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Altura Night Vision windproof

8
£64.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Great windproof jacket for year round use with bonus of exceptional visibility
Weight: 
0g
Contact: 
www.zyro.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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Altura might not have the heritage or the racer-chic desirability of some Euro brands but – and here’s the important bit – most of their stuff works incredibly well. In fact, we can’t think of any Altura clothing that we’ve tried that hasn’t been there or thereabouts in terms of function.

The newly redesigned Night Vision Windproof Jacket is another solid offering and you’ll get your money’s worth out of it with plenty of year-round use. We’ve been wearing it on top of a base layer on spring evenings, but we can see it coming in handy on summer’s mornings and on top of a couple of other layers in the winter too.

It’s made mostly from a fleecy polyester/spandex fabric that’s mid-weight and stretchy with the front of both the body and the arms being windproof polyester. These panels aren’t as breathable as the rest but they really do stop cold air in its tracks. A baffle behind the full-length front zip prevents anything getting through there, while a high, close-fitting neck, elasticated waistband and stretchy cuffs provide more defences.

The cut isn’t the skinniest ever but it’s certainly towards the sportier end of the scale and three deep pockets around the back – plus a fourth bonus zipped one – provide enough stowage space for all your ride gubbins.

The biggest difference between this jacket and most others, though, is in the level of reflective material you get to keep you safe on the roads. There’s loads basically, so you’re visible from all angles and you even get a loop on the tail for attaching an LED or Altura’s own Night Vision Lightstick (£12.99).

Available in red, blue, yellow and black.

Verdict

Very good windproof-fronted jacket for year-round use with the added bonus of exceptional visibility at night

road.cc test report

Make and model: Altura Night Vision windproof

Size tested: L

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

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, a very good, versatile top

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly - it does a sound job

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 184cm  Weight: 74kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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