For cyclists of a certain age, it’s a slightly sobering thought to realise that the Altura clothing brand has been around for 28 years this year.
For 20 of those years, arguably Altura’s most visible products, both figuratively and literally, have been found in its Nightvision range. From commuters, to leisure riders, and even roadies who are partial to late night training rides, Nightvision kit – especially the iconic Nightvision jackets – have been a staple of after-dark cyclists across the UK.
This year sees a refresh of the Nightvision range, with some price changes that are better for your wallet, and technical fabric changes that are better for the environment. So we sat down with Altura’s Head of Own Brand, Ian Young, to find out what’s new.
Built for the job
“With the 2025 Nightvision range, we’ve decided to really refocus on what Nightvision is best known for, which is the same as what Altura stands for – clothing that simply does the job it’s designed to do,” Ian says.
“We pride ourselves on making the kind of kit that people really need for cycling, rather than being affected by trends or fashion. So our focus is on value, comfort, and quality in terms of durability and longevity. We want to make stuff that works, whether that’s for leisure riding or using your bike as active transport in towns.
“And when it comes to active transport in towns – whatever type of bike you’re riding – you are going to be engaging with traffic. This is where Nightvision clothing really comes into its own.”
One aspect to the MY2025 update is a streamlining of choices, with the Nightvision range now featuring three main jackets in the line-up. We’ll look at each jacket in detail in a moment, but updating the range as a whole has allowed Altura to create an easier-to-follow ladder, meaning people can understand what each garment does and what it offers at each stage.
It also means Altura is now able to offer consistent colour options between all models and male and female versions.
“One thing that we think is important is that we don’t just offer traditional hi-viz yellow, we have other strong colours,” Ian says.
More than skin deep
While aesthetics are important – “People want a jacket they actually enjoy wearing,” Ian says – technical performance is paramount. To that end, being a UK-based brand, Altura has designed the Nightvision range to be able to cope with whatever the British weather can throw at us.
“All three jackets in our range are fully waterproof and, when we say waterproof, we mean we use both a waterproof fabric and we fully tape the seams as well,” Ian says.
“Also, all our jackets are breathable. We don’t talk about the rating too much because the figures mean little to most people – they are all 10K/10K ratings – but it means you can cycle normally whilst wearing them. And they also all use durable fabrics.”
With the global movement away from traditional PTFE-based waterproof material and longer-chain water-repellent treatments, the fabrics used by Altura have changed for 2025.
“The use of more eco-friendly fabrics is probably the biggest difference in the new Nightvision range,” Ian says.
“People are much more aware and understand the technical side of fabrics these days, so we now use a fabric with an outer made from recycled polyester laminated to a PU membrane. PU is more environmentally friendly than the PTFE membranes that were prevalent previously because it is not persistent like PTFE.”
“Then, on the outside, we use a C0 DWR water repellent,” Ian says.
“It’s still possible to use a C6 longer chain PFC DWR coating but most people are switching to C0 for environmental considerations. Its performance isn’t quite as durable as C6 but you can easily rejuvenate that performance by washing the garment with a proofing agent.”
So, with exciting tech and new designs ready to wear, which Nightvision jacket should you opt for? Let’s look at the options…
The Nightvision range
Altura Nightvision Storm Jacket men / women – £100
The Storm Jacket is Altura’s Nightvision bestseller and it’s obvious why.
“There is a lot of reflective detailing on it, most of which is in a print form along the sleeves, across the back and along the front of the shoulders – all the areas where cyclists need good reflectivity,” Ian says.
“That’s quite a big difference compared to other products on the market, which use reflective fabrics. The most reflective fabrics aren’t breathable and also don’t wash very well, so we believe our reflective print gives you good reflectivity across a large area but doesn’t stop the function of the fabric.
“The Storm Jacket has a rear pocket and a chest pocket, as well as vents under the sleeves for moisture control. These sit above where the traditional pit vents would be, which provides a little bit more air intake when you’re riding.
“It’s a really good looking jacket and, while it does have a drop tail, it doesn’t look like tighter fitting cycle clothing, meaning you could wear it off the bike for more multi-use purposes.”
Features:
- Fully waterproof construction with taped seams
- 10K/10K waterproof and breathability rating
- High-visibility reflective print
- Underarm and back vents for targeted airflow
- Zipped chest pocket and rear pocket
- Soft fleece-lined collar
- Relaxed fit for easy layering and freedom of movement
- Sizing: Men – S, M , L, XL, XXL, XXXL; Women – 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18
- Colours: Men – yellow, black or orange; Women – yellow or blue.
Altura Nightvision Typhoon Jacket men /women – £130
Second in the Nightvision line-up is the awesome Typhoon jacket.
“The Typhoon sits above the Storm but uses exactly the same fabrics. So the performance doesn’t change, but the Typhoon does come with some useful extra features,” Ian says.
“The main additions are hand pockets in the front, and a removable hood – both of which are quite handy features for a crossover jacket. There are also loads of reflective areas on the jacket.
“In fact, the Typhoon has full reflective panels at the rear, where you need visibility most and which are super effective on the road. Because they are placed on the tail area of the jacket, they don’t have any appreciable effect on the technical performance of the Typhoon’s fabric – you don’t really need to breather through that section!”
Features:
- Fully waterproof construction with taped seams
- 10K/10K waterproof and breathability rating
- High-visibility reflective print with reflective panels on tail
- Zipped sleeve vents for targeted airflow
- Zipped chest pocket, rear pocket and two side hand pockets
- Removable waterproof hood for added protection from the elements
- Relaxed fit for easy layering and freedom of movement
- Sizing: Men – S, M , L, XL, XXL, XXXL; Women – 8, 10, 12, 14, 16
- Colours: Men – yellow or blue; Women – yellow or blue.
COMING SOON! Altura Nightvision Typhoon Insulated Jacket – £150
Finally, topping out the range is Altura’s Typhoon Insulated jacket.
“The Typhoon Insulated jacket was previously called the Zephyr but we changed that as it’s essentially a very similar jacket to the Typhoon but features a very lightweight man-made insulation with a separate liner,” Ian explains.
“On cold mornings, when people might be on their e-bike or undertaking a shorter commute, it’s really great option because it means you are warm straight out of the door.
“The only significant difference in spec compared to the standard Typhoon is you get a non-removable hood. That makes it a little closer feeling and it does feel like a really nice jacket to wear – for easier commutes, it’s perfect.
“We’ve also brought the price down: it had previously retailed at £180 but we’ve brought that down to £150, which makes it a lot more accessible to more riders.”
Features:
- Fully waterproof construction with taped seams
- 10K/10K waterproof and breathability rating
- Lightweight insulated lining adds warmth without the bulk
- High-visibility reflective print with reflective panels on tail
- Zipped sleeve vents for targeted airflow
- Zipped chest pocket, rear pocket and two side hand pockets
- Fixed waterproof hood for added protection from the elements
- Relaxed fit for easy layering and freedom of movement
- Sizing: Men – S, M , L, XL, XXL, XXXL; Women – 8, 10, 12, 14, 16
- Colours: Men – yellow or blue; Women – yellow or blue.
For more details about Altura’s freshly revamped 2025 Nightvision range, visit: altura.co.uk
