Proviz PixElite Softshell Cycling Jacket

Reflective cycle clothing has improved a lot in recent years – and become a lot more acceptable – and the Proviz PixElite Softshell is among the new generation of jackets that discreetly feature large panels of reflective material without looking like a shiny beacon during the daytime when you don't need it.

It's a very good jacket, this. During the day it's just a black and grey jacket. Very understated, though not perhaps what you might describe as stylish. But at night it comes alive: the large panels of pixel fabric do their thing and light you up like a lantern when the beam of a car's headlight falls upon you.

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The Italian made jacket employs the clever PixElite fabric in large swathes over the arms, sides, shoulders and lower back. It owes its appearance to a reflective yarn weaved into the fabric, giving a dotted appearance. You can see just how reflective it is by watching this video.

If you do a lot of riding in the dark, whether it's daily commuting or early morning training rides or chain gangs in the evening, then making sure you're visible to other road users is clearly a good thing to do. Many cycling jackets offer token gestures to reflectively, small tabs here and there. Wearing a jacket that offers 360-degree reflectivity provides a great confidence boost when heading out into the dark, particularly the unlit country lanes that make up most of my riding.

The rest of the jacket is made from a tri-layered back-brushed thermal micro fibre, it says here, which means in reality that it keeps you toasty warm in single-digit temperatures. Worn over just a baselayer, it provides ample insulation for chilly early morning rides, and the breathability is sufficient that overheating is kept to a minimum.

The fit is very good, but – and the company does warn of this – it's proper Italian sizing. The medium I tested fits more like a size small from other brands. You might want to go up a size if you don't have the build of a racing snake. That aside, the shape is good with no restriction around the shoulders and a generous length to the torso, arms and collar. The long elastic cuffs provide good comfort and stop cold air sneaking up the arms.

It's great in brisk wind – the material is completely windproof – but you'll need a waterproof shell if heading out in heavy rain or you get caught in a storm.

> Check out our guide to the best winter cycling jackets here

You get plenty of pockets for carrying stuff: as well as the three around the back, there are two zipped pockets, one at the back and one on the chest, handy places to put house keys and money.

Traditionally, cycling jacket choices, if reflectivity is high on your list, have mainly been garish commuting jackets (horrible – in my opinion – bright yellow things), but here's a jacket aimed at the sport cyclist who values the sense in being highly visible, but wants a normal looking jacket, one that needs to provide a good fit and work well when training at high tempos. This is one of the few jackets that really succeeds in bridging the divide.

Verdict

A very good performance jacket that offers startling reflectivity