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review

Mavic Vision H2O Jacket

9
£120.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Superb jacket for anyone who regularly rides in bad weather or at night
Weight: 
330g
Contact: 
www.mavic.com

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This has to be a great idea. The Mavic H2O is a top-notch waterproof that also doubles as a reflective garment for bad weather or night time riding. Since having this on test I have to admit that I don't bother packing anything else for either commuting or training in either bad weather or at night. I've been delighted with its performance in every regard.

So what do you get for your £110? Well, this is clearly a well-made waterproof jacket with plenty of neat and well thought-out features. It's cut for performance, being fairly snug-fitting. It has adjustable cuffs and mesh inserts to help you vent heat and keep you comfortable, even in grim conditions.

Without being either tight or restrictive, it flapped about noticeably less than other similar jackets. Mavic have included a very large rear pocket that is easily opened and closed with a robust zip to stash those essentials and snacks. The Dura Lite Rain fabric is a light and reasonably breathable ripstop fabric that is noticeably more pleasant to wear than that used on some cheaper waterproofs. The Viz+ strips are cleverly positioned to provide you with maximum visibility to other road users from all directions. I particularly liked the long stripes down the arms and to the sides, which gave me more of a presence on dark roads when viewed from the sides and also when signalling.

The jacket actually exceeds the European and EN1150 standards for non-professional use safety equipment, which gives some indication of how effectively it performs. The EN1150 standard stipulates minimum areas for luminous background and retroreflective materials and should ensure that any garment meeting the criteria will be highly conspicuous either during the day or at night. Whilst the bright orange colour scheme is highly effective in fading light, the H2O still looks good and maybe not quite as obviously like a safety garment as some other jackets on the market.

As for its performance in the rain, well, it coped with everything that was thrown at it during the test, and hasn't noticeably deteriorated despite heavy use. As with all waterproofs, breathability is a factor to consider, and the H2O compared very well to other jackets. I frequently found myself riding in it on cold mornings with no rain forecast, mainly for its windproof properties and its high visibility. I didn't find it very sweaty at all. The fabric seems to be pretty durable and hasn't shown much signs of wear despite being repeatedly stuffed into a saddle pack and used when necessary. The build quality is excellent throughout, and the seams and finish of the jacket are faultless.

I realize these won't be everyone's cup of tea aesthetically, but I really like what Mavic have done here, putting high visibility to the forefront of the design of what is already an excellent rain jacket in its own right. It's so well done that I actually think it looks great.

Verdict

Superb jacket for anyone who regularly rides in bad weather or at night.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Mavic Vision H2O Jacket

Size tested: Fluro Orange - M

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?

Stay dry and visible in even the worst weather. The vision H20 Jacket provides maximum visibility thanks to the Viz + Technology, which excedes the strict European safety standards, and waterproofing for wet, overcast and low light rides.

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

Mesh Lined Collar

Mesh Inserts

Reflective Highlights

Adjustable Cuffs

Rear Zip Pocket

Dura Rain Fabric

Viz + Technology

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
10/10

Couldn't fault it

Rate the product for performance:
 
10/10

Great visibility and a very good waterproof in it's own right.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10

There are marginally lighter jackets out there, but not with features like this!

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

Difficult to put a price on being seen by drivers, but an altogether reasonable price for a quality garment.

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

Great for being seen and comfortable and effective as a waterproof.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Visibility. Performance in the wet.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

A superb jacket.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 1.78m  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Surly Long Haul Trucker  My best bike is: Litespeed Saber

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

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, touring, mtb, Triathlon

 

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5 comments

Avatar
joemmo | 10 years ago
0 likes

Brilliant jacket - literally. Just got one but be warned that they have been discontinued so buy now if you fancy one.

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dave atkinson | 12 years ago
0 likes

it's doing the mavic a disservice to describe it as merely 'orange', too, unless you've seen it. it's impossible to show in a photo just how orange it is

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Tony Farrelly | 12 years ago
0 likes

There may be other orange bike jackets for £50, but the Mavic is also waterproof and breathable. When it comes to techncial clothing for the performance end of riding especially you get what you pay for.

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5339 | 12 years ago
0 likes

Very nice jacket indeed but 9/10 is very generous regards value. There are other orange jackets for cycling which are everything above, and if one adds a high vis vest for additional visibility one can easily have change out of £50.

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Goatkarma | 12 years ago
0 likes

Just ordered one on the strength of this review...better be good! Been wearing a high vis vest over my usual semi-waterproof winter jacket and it's a PITA. Hopefully this will combine the two!I like the orange.. first bright jacket I've seen that doesn't look really terrible either  16

Cheapest place at the moment is Velo Ecosee (decent bike shop in edinburgh) @£99.http://www.veloecosse.com/productdetails.asp?productid=22074

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