Vulpine Cotton Visibility Gilet

The Vulpine Cotton Visibility Gilet is a hi viz top for people who don't do hi viz. It'll help you get seen on the road without making you look like a lollipop man/lady.

Now, I've got nothing against lollipop people – they do a lot of good work for the community – but they wouldn't necessarily be who I'd look towards for my style cues, which is one reason why this gilet has a lot going for it.

The gilet is made from Epic Cotton, which sounds a bit grandiose. What it actually means is that the cotton is given a silicone coating before it's woven. That makes it surprisingly water resistant. If it rains hard you're going to want a long-sleeved waterproof anyway, but for misty air and road spray this copes absolutely fine.

That Epic Cotton extends right across the front, covers the shoulders, and it's used for the deep rear pockets too. It's wind resistant so it keeps quite a lot of your body warmth inside. I've been using it on morning and evening rides now that autumn has arrived, having found it too warm for much use over the summer.

The main fabric is breathable while the centre section of the rear is made from a mesh so moisture can escape easily back there. If you do get too warm you can, of course, just open up the front or take the gilet off. It doesn't pack down as small as some but it'll fit in a jersey pocket without a problem.

The full-length front zip is a metal one from YKK that looks like it's going to last while the piping that runs alongside it, like the binding around the armholes, is Scotchlite reflective. There's a lot more reflective fabric around the back, including a light loop, plus an red splash guard – a cover for your butt – which is magnetically held inside the gilet when you don't need it. On top of the vivid green main fabric, that adds up to a lot of visibility.

The neck closure is magnetic too. What's the advantage? It means the zip doesn't sit right up against your neck so there's no chance of scratching. It works well; it's easy to open or close and it didn't come undone of its own volition.

The Epic Cotton (I can't wait for Dangerous Polyester and Heroic Polypropylene) is fairly stain resistant, and it goes through the washing machine and tumble dryer fine.

When choosing your size, bear in mind that Vulpine clothing is cut, as they put it, 'sufficiently loose to be casual off the bike.' It's not a skinny sports fit. Use the size chart on their website to make sure you get it right. There's actually a little width-ways give in this gilet so you can afford to err on the smaller side if you're in doubt.

Verdict

Water resistant hi viz gilet for people who don't do hi viz