Vermarc Prima PPR Technical Jacket

I've tested a lot of Vermarc kit over the last few months and in every instance so far it has impressed me. The Prima PPR Technical Jacket is no exception, offering great performance and styling, albeit with a top-end price-tag to match.

Made from a wind-stopping thermal fabric (a Roubaix-like Windtex) and offering a decent level of water resistance the jacket holds off more than just minor showers, withstanding decent downpours to keep you dry underneath. There are panels under the arms and to the rear which don't feature this material to allow for a level of ventilation. They work nicely in tandem, although obviously they don't provide protection from rain.

It has quite a racy cut to its jib, making it ideal for high tempo riding when you are looking to minimise your frontal area. The pre-shaped arms play nicely, with not too much fabric to flap in the wind. This more sporting cut does come at a price, and that being a lack of room for layering up underneath. However, the thermal properties are good, and I have found myself coping nicely with a long sleeved base layer underneath down into single digits more than comfortably.

Cuffs are tight, with a nice snug feel to them – there are going to be no windy drafts sneaking their way up there.

The zip at the front has a fleecy backing to hold off the wind, but no zip garage so there is a risk of snagging a beard in there.

The usual suspects are present, so expect to find the three normal pockets and a zipped pocket (though it's not waterproof) to the rear, complete with headphone hole in the middle pocket. There's a tip of the hat towards visibility with a single strip of reflective material on the rear, and none elsewhere. An elasticated bottom with a silicone gripper round out the feature list of what is essentially a very simple, but well executed jacket.

I've been wearing this since October and have found myself in wind, rain, and snow - and the occasional nice day - and have found it to be an excellent winter companion. I really like the red and black styling; simple and timeless.

The only criticism I could have about the jacket came in the first three wears. The zip seemed to have had slightly lacklustre production qualities about it, with excess material around the teeth, this meant that it was quite problematic to pull up or down. However that soon sorted itself out and the teeth were free-running within a week.

This really is a jacket that I've enjoyed using. It's coped with a wide range of temperatures and different weather conditions admirably, making it a great jacket for training rides in colder weather and a good outer layer for longer days out in gloomy days as well. At £179 it's by no means cheap, but after a few seasons of use the I think it will still be looking pristine and the value will be shining through.

Verdict

Good value performance jacket, suitable for three seasons, it looks like it will last many, many more