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review

Madison Prima Womens waterproof jacket

8
£69.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Great value, super-waterproof and fairly stylish winter commuter jacket
Weight: 
455g

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You certainly get a whole lotta product for your money with the Madison Prima Women's Waterproof Jacket – it's packed with features, the fabric shrugs off rain fantastically, it's comfy to ride in plus it fares okay in the looks department for a commuter jacket.

The yellow version is currently on sale at Madison's website with £20 off (here), making it a proper bargain. With its reflective details, it's a great jacket to keep you warm, dry and visible on the roads from autumn through to spring.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The Prima is constructed from Madison's durable-feeling M:TEC shell, which is waterproof and windproof with an attractive matt finish that wipes clean easily if you get muddy splashes on it. The jacket is lined with polyester mesh, presumably to reduce clamminess. All the seams are taped too.

Madison Prima Womens waterproof jacket - inside.jpg

It has proved totally waterproof (and windproof), with rain beading very well on the outer at first, then when it subsequently got wet the water didn't soak in to the fabric. I even tested it in the shower, with a tissue in the hand pocket to see if the inside of the pocket remained dry, and to my surprise it did – the waterproof zip really is waterproof! After the soaking I hung the jacket up on a hanger indoors and it dried off quickly, being bone dry in well under an hour.

Madison Prima Womens waterproof jacket - front pocket.jpg

I wasn't quite so impressed by its breathability, but I've yet to find any jacket that matches its manufacturer's claims on this front. For most urban riders negotiating their way through traffic, though, it should be adequately breathable. When pushing it a bit, I definitely got more sweaty in it than I did wearing Gore's Element Lady Gore-Tex Active Jacket, which I was testing concurrently (review to come), but it is aimed at city cyclists who are unlikely to be able to ride fast for a sustained time. It's markedly heavier than the Gore Element, too, but again being a commuter jacket the emphasis is not on light weight. The Prima does feature pit zips, plus two small vents at the rear of the shoulders to aid ventilation.

Madison Prima Womens waterproof jacket - vent.jpg

So, it gets a big fat tick for performance, but what about fit? Madison has clearly thought this through: the Prima has a decent-length drop tail to protect your derriere from rear wheel spray, the sleeves are nice and long – and, crucially, not too baggy – and I really like the clever design of the cuffs. These are elasticated on the underside only, with the scalloped top being a good inch longer to come down over the back of your hands. They'll easily fit over thick gloves, or you can cinch them in with the Velcro tab, which is chunky enough to adjust when wearing gloves.

Madison Prima Womens waterproof jacket - riding.jpg

I needed a size 12 for the sleeve length and room through the shoulders (it's being worn by a smaller model in the photos) but consequently found the fit a bit loose around the torso, despite it being slightly tailored at the waist. Still, plenty of room to layer up when the big freeze arrives! You can easily pull in both the hem and collar with the toggled drawcords. If I were being niggly – okay, I am – I'd prefer a slimmer cut throughout, an even longer drop tail plus a taller collar for extra snugness. Mind you, the collar is lined with cosy microfleece that also extends about 5in down the zip underflap, and there's a zip garage to prevent a cold zip pull touching your skin.

Madison Prima Womens waterproof jacket - back.jpg

All the zips (bar the hand pocket) have usefully long and chunky toggles so you can use them with winter gloves, or frozen fingers, while you're riding. The main and front pocket zips are both waterproof, and have reflective detail along their length. I'd love the main zip to be two-way so you can open up the front if you're overheating, yet not have the jacket billowing around and obscuring the reflectives. All the zips are a contrasting bright fluoro pink for added daytime visibility, as is the mesh lining, in both my 'bluefish' colour jacket and the 'electric purple' option. The other available colour is 'hi-viz yellow'.

Madison Prima Womens waterproof jacket - hem and zip.jpg

Being a commuter jacket, night-time visibility is an important consideration. The Prima sports a fair amount of reflective, with piping, logos and bars, but I'd prefer the latter to be bigger and more obvious, like Altura's Night Vision clothing. Riders who wear a backpack like I do will find that the shoulder straps obscure some of the reflective detail.

Madison Prima Womens waterproof jacket - tail.jpg

The rear pocket is pretty generous, with a storm flap protecting the zip. Rack and pannier types will be fine here, but because I wear a backpack for commuting I can't access it. The hand pocket is fairly deep but clearly not large enough to fit in a pair of winter gloves – it's a shame there aren't two hand pockets so you can quickly shove a glove in each while you deal with locking your bike at the end of your commute. Ideally there'd be space for stashing other commuter gubbins too, such as lights and keys. A chest pocket wouldn't go amiss either.

> Read our guide to the best commuting bikes and kit

Finally, Madison has included a fabric tab for attaching a rear light – better than an incorporated LED in my opinion because you invariably forget to switch them on or off, plus they are uncomfy (and pointless) if your pack sits on top of them. This tab is sensibly positioned low down on the tail so you can still use it if you wear a backpack.

At a penny under £70 (or cheaper if you go for high-vis yellow) it's pretty good value for the performance on offer. Some little improvements would give it more appeal for me, but then again that could raise the price. As with all its clothing, remember to keep hold of your receipt in case of defect because Madison offers a limited lifetime warranty.

Verdict

Great value, super-waterproof and fairly stylish winter commuter jacket

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Madison Prima Womens waterproof jacket

Size tested: Bluefish, Size 12

Tell us what the jacket 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?

Madison says: "The Prima jacket ticks all of the boxes when cycling in a busy urban environment. The mesh lined waterproof fabric keeps you dry and comfortable in the wettest conditions."

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

100% polyester shell – Madison's M:TEC fabric

Fully waterproof and windproof

Taped seams

Highly breathable

Mesh lining (100% polyester)

Drop tail

Reflective piping and details

Underarm zippered vents

Large zipped rear pocket

Zipped hip pocket

Main and pocket zips are waterproof

Main zip has underflap and zip garage

Rear light mount tab

Rear venting at shoulders

Drawcord adjusters at collar and hem

Elasticated cuffs with Velcro cuffs

Softly lined inner collar

Internal hanging loop

Limited lifetime warranty

Rate the jacket for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the jacket for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the jacket for durability:
 
8/10

Fabric seems very durable, not so sure about the main zip. It's been fine so far but isn't particularly chunky and I've had an issue with my Madison Keirin jersey's zip pulling open since submitting my review.

Rate the jacket for waterproofing, based on the manufacturer's rating:
 
9/10
Rate the jacket for breathability, based on the manufacturer's rating:
 
5/10

Madison says it's "highly breathable" – I found it moderately breathable.

Rate the jacket for fit:
 
6/10

I'd prefer it slightly less baggy and more tailored through the body.

Rate the jacket for sizing:
 
7/10

If you have long arms and/or broad shoulders, size up. I take a 12 in Madison tops, a size 10 in Madison shorts.

Rate the jacket for weight:
 
5/10

Not that light but then it's a commuter jacket so weight isn't the focus.

Rate the jacket for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the jacket for value:
 
8/10

How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Machine wash 30.

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

Very well – kept me dry and well illuminated at night.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket

It's very waterproof! And looks all right for a commuter jacket.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket

Not much, but could use more front pockets and be more breathable.

Did you enjoy using the jacket? Yes

Would you consider buying the jacket? Yes

Would you recommend the jacket to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

A very good commuter jacket and a clear 8; to warrant a higher score it could do with more pockets and be more breathable. Bigger reflective prints would be good too.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 170cm  Weight: 63kg

I usually ride: Marin Point Reyes 29er  My best bike is: Giant Anthem X1

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, mountain biking, audax

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