Sugoi’s brand new Zap jacket uses an innovative new fabric with thousands of embedded glass beads that reflect light. Under normal daylight conditions it looks like any normal jacket, but shine a light on it and the entire jacket is reflective. We can’t think of any jacket that comes even remotely close to offering such a high level of reflectivity. Take a look at the video, you'll be amazed.
Being visible when riding at night, or even just in dim low light conditions, is a concern for most cyclists. Whether you’re commuting daily, or heading out after work for a training ride, being seen by other road users is something to take seriously.
The wonder of the material is that you have an otherwise regular looking jacket during the daytime, devoid of multiple reflective stripes and logos, so it looks smart and understated. Head out into the dark however and the entire surface reflects light. Even a jacket with a generous amount reflective details and stripes is going to struggle to match the Zap for outright visibility.
It’s claimed to be fully waterproof too, so should be ideal for year-round commuting and winter training duties. It has the sort of features you’d typically expect from a jacket, a dropped tail, tall collar, rear pocket and full-length front zipper. Expected availability is September, and it will cost £99.99.
There are studies that show it is reflective cycle clothing rather than fluoro hi-viz that is the answer to being seen in the hours of darkness. A lot more manufacturers are starting to incorporate reflective details into their clothing, so there is a lot more choice these days.
We'll be getting a closer look at this jacket soon.
David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds.