Mavic Vision H2O Jacket

This has to be a great idea. The Mavic H2O is a top-notch waterproof that also doubles as a reflective garment for bad weather or night time riding. Since having this on test I have to admit that I don't bother packing anything else for either commuting or training in either bad weather or at night. I've been delighted with its performance in every regard.

So what do you get for your £110? Well, this is clearly a well-made waterproof jacket with plenty of neat and well thought-out features. It's cut for performance, being fairly snug-fitting. It has adjustable cuffs and mesh inserts to help you vent heat and keep you comfortable, even in grim conditions.

Without being either tight or restrictive, it flapped about noticeably less than other similar jackets. Mavic have included a very large rear pocket that is easily opened and closed with a robust zip to stash those essentials and snacks. The Dura Lite Rain fabric is a light and reasonably breathable ripstop fabric that is noticeably more pleasant to wear than that used on some cheaper waterproofs. The Viz+ strips are cleverly positioned to provide you with maximum visibility to other road users from all directions. I particularly liked the long stripes down the arms and to the sides, which gave me more of a presence on dark roads when viewed from the sides and also when signalling.

The jacket actually exceeds the European and EN1150 standards for non-professional use safety equipment, which gives some indication of how effectively it performs. The EN1150 standard stipulates minimum areas for luminous background and retroreflective materials and should ensure that any garment meeting the criteria will be highly conspicuous either during the day or at night. Whilst the bright orange colour scheme is highly effective in fading light, the H2O still looks good and maybe not quite as obviously like a safety garment as some other jackets on the market.

As for its performance in the rain, well, it coped with everything that was thrown at it during the test, and hasn't noticeably deteriorated despite heavy use. As with all waterproofs, breathability is a factor to consider, and the H2O compared very well to other jackets. I frequently found myself riding in it on cold mornings with no rain forecast, mainly for its windproof properties and its high visibility. I didn't find it very sweaty at all. The fabric seems to be pretty durable and hasn't shown much signs of wear despite being repeatedly stuffed into a saddle pack and used when necessary. The build quality is excellent throughout, and the seams and finish of the jacket are faultless.

I realize these won't be everyone's cup of tea aesthetically, but I really like what Mavic have done here, putting high visibility to the forefront of the design of what is already an excellent rain jacket in its own right. It's so well done that I actually think it looks great.

Verdict

Superb jacket for anyone who regularly rides in bad weather or at night.