Endura Luminite II Women's Jacket

The Endura Luminite II ticks all the usual commuter jacket boxes; hi viz colours (available in both pink and yellow, plus a more neutral black), and swathes of reflective accents in all the right places, but under its bright exterior there are some nifty features.

We've previously reviewed the men's Luminite II, and the women's version is practically identical, with Endura adapting the cut for a feminine figure, so it sits nicely on the hips. There's a lot of room for adjustability too; the jacket is a fairly loose fit so works well over layering, but can be brought in with an elasticated drawcord in the hem. The toggles are neatly tucked away in the pockets too.

A slightly dipped hem at the back offers some rear protection, and is held in place nicely with a short rucked section. Although there's no elastic in the cuffs, a generous section of Velcro provides plenty of adjustability, and it's the kind of Velcro that doesn't trash everything it touches, which is nice. There's another hidden toggle at the back of the neck to draw in the collar and keep out the wind and wet which compliments the high neck to make a really welcome feature for bad weather.

Despite being wind and waterproof, the material is pretty thin, which makes the jacket a good choice for a wider range of temperatures. You can layer up heavily on colder days while not being hampered with an overly heavy jacket in warmer weather. It's quite a light and compact jacket for so many features, packing down to the size of a small Thermos.

All the seams are taped inside, and it really does a good job of keeping out pouring rain. Mesh lined zipped vents under the pits go a long way to help regulate temperature, which is good as the material isn't hugely breathable in itself. Endura quote waterproofness at 10,000mm, and breathability at 10,000g/m2/24h; they give a breathability rating of 28,000g/m2/24h for some of their more expensive jackets.

The jacket is riddled with pockets. They're all easily accessible with reflective zip toggles-on-strings, making them to grab with gloves. Aside from the standard two on the front of the body, there's a spacious breast pocket which has a silicone audio port for any internal wiring needs. On the back, there's a huge rear pocket covered with a storm flap, and the Luminite LED Light unit, which is accessed from the inner of the jacket.

The light is a key feature to the jacket, and although it's a nifty feature, it's not life changing in itself. It has three flash modes: periodic double flash; high frequency flash; and steady. With a single CR2032 button cell lithium battery, it isn't bright enough that you'll be blinded looking straight in the eye. Endura say you'll need a new battery after 50 hours.

The light mounts in the rear pocket and to attach it you click and twist it into place so it peeps through its transparent window. Unfortunately it really doesn't like staying put and wanders around, disappearing from view in the same way we found with the men's jacket.

Verdict

I think the LED is a bit of a gimmick — and one that probably pushes the price up slightly — but the jacket itself has some features and attention to detail that make it a very good all round commuting jacket, especially with the low bulk factor. The cut and thinness of the fabric makes it ideal for layering across a wider range of temperatures, and zipped vents really help with heat management.