MAAP Draft Team Jacket

The MAAP Draft Team Jacket is a stylish, stretchy and comfortable barrier against chilling winds that breathes well enough for use on pretty mild days. Unfortunately, only the construction seriously impresses – the rest is good but not exceptional, unless you count the water resistance, which is poor. If you're looking for one of the best winter cycling jackets you can get for your money, you can do better.

This is aimed at 'crisp temperatures' and those famous Alpine descents we're all doing all the time, and so long as it's dry it works very well. The windproofing is usefully good, while the laser-cut ventilation in the shoulders and sides keeps you from just melting inside it.

The weather was pretty changeable but fairly mild during this autumnal test – rarely less than 10°C – but even up around 15°C I could wear this happily up long climbs (with a single layer beneath) just by cracking the top few inches of zip. Even the zip baffle is perforated at the top to help cooling when you do this; a nice touch. The inside rear of the collar is, too, to stop the doubled fabric overheating.

That said, the collar is neither the tightest fitting nor the tallest I've come across, and while the sleeves are perfectly adequate they're not quite long enough on me to tuck reliably into gloves, and the tail has very little drop. As a result, overall coverage is merely fine rather than cosseting or all-encompassing.

Despite the minimalist shaping around the periphery, I found this had a bit too much fabric across the chest, even though I have fairly broad shoulders. The folds were more unsightly than anything, but the slack here is probably what allows the top of the shoulders to flap at high speeds or under severe wind blasts. It takes a bit to provoke flappage, but it can occur.

MAAP says this has a DWR coating, and unfortunately in this case it stands for Doesn't Withstand Rain. Despite water visibly beading, as it should on a Durable Water Repellent coating, even light rain almost immediately soaks through it, leading to inevitable chilling once your skin or jersey is wet. It just doesn't work the way it should, and as with the women's version Emma tested, even that performance seems to degrade very rapidly. Keep this for dry days.

You might want to keep it for bright days too; as attractive as this 'Otter' option is, dressing as an autumn leaf while riding through autumn leaves has an obvious downside for visibility, and only one of the six total colours (Cyan) is actually bright. Still, at least there is a brighter one, which is more than you get from some brands (and yes there's a black version, though if that's still too noticeable then you'll love the version the colour of fog).

The small rear pocket is good for keys or cash, if not big enough for a phone – really, it's only there as an integrated stuff sack. I found it easier to use my jersey pockets, personally, especially as the stretchy fabric and not-that-deep tail is so easy to get a hand past.

The zip is a nice metal YKK one that opens in both directions and feels smooth and easy. The little coloured plastic tab on the top one is a nice touch visually, but it could be larger for practicality. The zip garage keeps it off your neck for comfort.

Value

At £130, this sits firmly at the premium end of the market, and while that seems fitting for its quality and style, it's not so competitive on performance. The Assos Mille GT Wind Jacket is just as good for wind protection going by Jamie's review last year, but far superior in rain, plus it's lighter (90g) and cheaper too at £110.

If you're not bothered about rain and just want a wind layer, the dhb Aeron Packable Jacket that Jo tested last year is very good and only £60. It's also available in brighter colours. We have a guide to the best windproof cycling jackets, if you want to see more.

Meanwhile, if you want wind protection and DWR that works as it should, the Altura Icon Rocket Men's Packable Jacket is extremely good according to Stu's review, plus it's usefully longer at the collar and cuffs. It's £80.

Overall

If MAAP hadn't bothered at all with the DWR and charged a bit less instead, this could score higher – it's well made, comfortable and a pretty solid performer in the dry. However, the rain resistance is seriously disappointing, and it doesn't excel at anything when really, given the price, it should.

Verdict

Quality construction and very stylish, but the water-resistant treatment is a fail