Showers Pass Atlas Jacket

The Showers Pass Atlas jacket is a striking and useful urban commuter piece, managing to match up good utility with a design that boosts safety.

The Atlas (which is based on the Refuge jacket, a fully waterproof hardy outer layer) is made using waterproof and breathable MapREflect fabric, which – as the name suggests – has a reflective map design imprinted on it (there are 11 map designs, all from bike-friendly cities around the world).

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During normal daytime, the jacket is navy with the grey map design lightly visible against it, but at night with light shone upon it, it really lights up, helping you stand out from the crowd. It's particularly useful in the city and on dark mornings and evenings, a real boon.

The jacket is truly waterproof and breathable too; in heavy showers it's unflummoxed, continuing to bead water away as well as keep transposing moisture outwards. I wouldn't say it's quite up to the standard of the Gore One Thermium jacket in this regard, but it's definitely no slouch.

Of course, this isn't a thermal jacket – it's an outer heavyweight shell, so worn on its own at this time of year it's very cool, and you'll generally need a thermal layer underneath to stay toasty. The extra benefit of adding a thermal layer is additional comfort, because the net panels on the inside of the jacket can be felt quite prominently. It's a side-effect of its hardiness, though, so isn't a huge problem.

The cut is slim but not figure hugging, so you can easily wear civvies underneath, and features a longer rear for protection against road spray. It's not too long, mind, so you can easily wear this jacket off the bike too. The sleeves are plenty long enough for a road bike-esque position too, with an adjustable hem around the waist for those of a waif-like classic cycling build.

Other features? There are two zipped hand pockets at the front plus a zipped chest pocket with an internal headphone cable port, Velcro cuff adjusters, plentiful ventilation zippers down the flanks and under the arms, and a removable hood. You won't find rear pockets like you'd get on a dedicated road cycling jacket, but that's hardly a serious issue given the Atlas's urban focus. All of this is topped off with waterproof zips and internally taped seams to ensure water ingress is kept at bay.

The textured shoulder pads are another useful feature, and mean that even when wet your bag straps stay securely stuck to your shoulders, so no more continually reaching to adjust its position. It's clever yet simple, and I wonder why more brands don't use something similar with their commuter or urban jackets.

> Buyer's Guide: The best casual cycling clothes for commuting

As a result, this is a nice piece from Showers Pass. Waterproof, breathable and eminently stylish with a unique reflective pattern in a jacket that doesn't look half bad during the day. Throw in the extra ventilation cavities, great waterproof zips and seam taping, pockets, routing for headphone cables and a slim-but-not-restrictive cut ideal for urban commuter use, and it goes a long way to justifying its premium asking price.

Verdict

A premium jacket for a premium price, but with a striking design and good features