Specialized Deflect Jacket with SWAT

Specialized's Deflect Jacket with SWAT is a lightweight windproof that's surprisingly good in the rain. It wouldn't be your first choice for proper wet conditions but if there's a shower or two in the offing, or you're starting or finishing when it's chilly, it's a useful extra layer.

The Deflect is a packable windproof, and the SWAT in the name tells you that it's designed to be used with Specialized's range of bikes with integrated SWAT storage. You probably don't have one of those, but no matter: there isn't masses of space in them, and so this jacket packs up pretty small. It's not the smallest I've seen, but it'll easily slip into a jersey pocket or frame bag.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The jacket has just one pocket, which doubles as the stuff sack. It's on the chest, and it's big enough for a smartphone.

The Deflect is mostly constructed from Pertex Quantum Air fabric, which is a lightweight ripstop nylon. The styling is pretty neutral; the reference to 'shredding singletrack' in the blurb on the Specialized website suggests it's aimed at mountain bikers but you could happily wear it for a commute, or for touring/bikepacking.

The cut isn't the best for more aggressive road riding, but you'd expect that given its remit. The L size was more or less spot on for me (1.89m, 93kg) and there's plenty of length in the arms.

There's a reinforced panel on each arm, some subtle reflective details front and back, and a hood designed to work under a helmet. And that's your lot.

The fabric has a bit of stretch to it, and it's comfy enough next to the skin. Pertex is generally pretty windproof, and that's the case here: it's not an absolute barrier but it's plenty good enough to take the sting out of the first chilly descent of a morning ride, or give you some shelter on an exposed mid-ride stop.

I don't normally set my expectations too high with jackets like this, and that way I'm not disappointed, but actually the DWR coating on the Deflect is pretty good. It survived a couple of rainy runs to the office with no leakage at all, and after that I gave it the hose treatment in the back garden. There was the odd bit of damp sneaking in along the seams and the front zip, but the wet-weather performance was quite a lot better than I'd anticipated. The hood works okay under a helmet (although I never feel particularly comfortable like that) and it's fine on its own too.

I found the breathability to be pretty good too. I'd be more likely to use this in a commuter setting, or maybe as a spare layer on an audax, so I wouldn't expect to be busting a gut while riding in it. If you were hoiking your bikepacking rig up a long off-road climb or something you might start to test its limits but for the most part I found myself comfortable enough; it could maybe do with a simple rear vent so you could crack the zip and get a bit of airflow going through.

Is this a useful jacket? Yes, it's a good option for dry days that start or finish cold, where you need an extra layer but don't want to carry anything bulky. It's also good on changeable days where you might need to throw on something to shrug off the rain for a bit. It's light, easy to carry, and effective.

Although £100 is a fair whack for a jacket that's not really a waterproof (even though it does a decent enough job of being one most of the time), you can certainly spend more: Ashmei's Emergency Jacket is £128, and Rapha's more road-specific Pro Team Shadow Jacket is better in the rain but costs twice as much. On the other hand, Decathlon's Van Rysel 900 Ultralight jacket is only £35; it's not as breathable but it covers a lot of the same ground the Deflect is covering here.

> Buyer’s Guide: 13 of the best packable windproof jackets

Overall, I've enjoyed using the Deflect jacket for the more upright cycling I do. It's a genuinely useful emergency layer that's more waterproof than I expected. It's not one for the proper wet days but in changeable UK conditions you're likely to get plenty of mileage out of it.

Verdict

Good lightweight, packable outer layer for more upright riding