The Madison Stellar Shine Reflective Women's Gilet is impressive on the reflectives front, and has some great design features, but sadly it's let down by a noticeable lack of breathability that can leave your under layers soggy.
Our guide to the best reflective cycling clothing and accessories will help you choose some great kit for being seen out on the road.
From the off I was really impressed by how reflective this gilet is. For some time I've been trying to consciously wear brighter and more reflective clothing when riding on the road and this did the job very well in terms of making me more visible – even when the rest of my kit was black. Just the addition of this gilet noticeably improves visibility.
I also really like that it has three pockets: one zip one on the chest, which is the ideal size for a phone…
…and two mesh pockets on each side of the garment. Having these on the side rather than the back is great for accessibility and popping things in there you may need to reach mid-ride.
Another feature I liked is the microfibre-feel lining of the collar. It's really soft against the skin and I really appreciated that small yet important detail.
The fit and sizing are also good. I tried a UK10 and it allowed room for putting items such as my pump and rain cape underneath, although if my pockets were not full (which they always are!), I could have opted for a UK8.
The gilet is also water resistant. When out riding in light rain, no water or road spray got through the outer material.
However, the first time I used it in dry weather, when I got home and took it off I noticed the jersey I was wearing directly under the gilet was wet and the inside of the gilet was very damp (and items in my jacket pocket also got wet; not too good for electronics or paper).
This occurred every time I wore this gilet, despite the perforations and vents in the rear, and I'm not a particularly sweaty rider, especially not when riding in Zone 1, a steady endurance pace, so I was surprised. It wouldn't be one I'd want to wear regularly, especially in the colder months when being wet won't help me to keep heat in.
Value
While the price, on paper, looks pretty good – especially against the likes of the Pedla RideFlash Gilet, which is £168 for both its women's and men's versions (and Vecchiojo wasn't overly impressed with it either) – that poor breathability does make it hard to say it's good value.
It's the same price as the Proviz Women's Fully Reflective Cycling Gilet, which we haven't reviewed on road.cc, but Shaun did try the men's, and though he wasn't hugely impressed with the breathability, it sounds slightly better than the Madison. The women's version is available in a wider range of sizes than the Madison, too, UK6-22.
> Read more road.cc reviews of women’s cycling clothing
There are cheaper options: BTR makes some women-specific high-vis gilets, and they're around £35 at full price (currently reduced), but when Stu reviewed one of the men's versions he also criticised its lack of breathability.
It's also twice the price of the highly rated and very well-priced Van Rysel Hi-Viz gilet, but sadly there's no women-specific version.
Conclusion
I really wanted to like this gilet because of its impressive visibility and cracking features like the mesh side pockets, but in the end the breathability issue lets it down – not that it's alone on that front.
Verdict
Impressively reflective gilet with three useful pockets, but let down by a lack of breathability
Make and model: Madison Stellar Shine Reflective Women's Gilet
Tell us what the product is for
Madison says: "Water resistant cycling gilet with explosive reflectivity, this jacket glows bright when caught in vehicle headlights for high visibility in low light. Perforated and vented back panel for added breathability, water resistant zip and elasticated hem for superior fit."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Madison lists these details:
A fully reflective water-resistant gilet that maximises low light visibility to all other road users
Constructed from a mesh lined fabric rated at 10k/6k, it really keeps the elements off your core
Reflective perforated rear panels have been added to improve breathability but are still resist water ingress
Full length water resistant zipper
Zippered chest pocket keeps valuables secure
Packs down to the size of an apple for easy storage
Subtly dropped hem keeps the spray off your back
Elasticated hem ensures a flexible fit
Main Fabric; 100% Polyester
Limited lifetime warranty
Rate the product for quality of construction:
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
6/10
It's impressively reflective, but lacking breathability.
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
Rate the product for fit:
7/10
Rate the product for sizing:
6/10
I felt the sizing was good, but with only UK 8-16 sizes it's not very inclusive either side, and especially bigger sizes.
Rate the product for weight:
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
5/10
Thanks to the microfibre feel inner of the collar, I found the gilet itself very comfortable, but the lack of breathability meant the layers underneath became wet, which was not very comfortable.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Easy to wash.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
In terms of making me visible, it did a brilliant job, but it didn't perform amazingly in terms of being water resistant yet breathable, as Madison claims. It's not breathable, so the layers underneath got drenched, which made me chilly.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
I really liked how reflective the gilet is and the side mesh pockets, which were great to store snacks in or put my gloves in if my hands got a little warm.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The lack of breathability.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's a lot cheaper than some: the Pedla RideFlash Gilet, for example, is £168 for both its women's and men's versions, and Vecchiojo wasn't impressed with its breathability either.
It's the same price as the Proviz Women's Fully Reflective Cycling Gilet, which we haven't reviewed on road.cc, but Shaun did try the men's, and though he wasn't hugely impressed with the breathability, it sounds slightly better than the Madison. The women's version is available in a wider range of sizes than the Madison, too.
There are cheaper gilets – the Van Rysel Men's Hi-Viz Cycling Jacket (it's a gilet) costs just £29.99, but sadly there's no women's version.
Did you enjoy using the product? Not really.
Would you consider buying the product? No
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Only if they didn't care about breathability.
Use this box to explain your overall score
Although I loved the visibility element – ensuring I can be seen as a vulnerable road user is so important to me – I just couldn't deal with having a wet body every time I wore this gilet. That's even for a short ride in my zone 1 (steady endurance) pace. It has some very good aspects, but overall I feel it's no more than average.
Age: 25 Height: 173cm Weight: 65kg
I usually ride: Road bike My best bike is: Road bike
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Semi pro
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
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It's not often I buy the product before I get to the end of the review, but this was a no-brainer.