Vulpine Portixol waterproof jacket

The Vulpine Portixol is a rain jacket rather than a packable shell, and as such is aimed more at the commuter than the hardcore roadie. The more casual, urban styling underlines this, but it matches technical hardshells in its performance.

Under its new owners, British brand Vulpine has been working on new designs and reworking some old ones. The Portixol jacket was originally a stripped-back, race-orientated shell that has been given an urban makeover, re-emerging with side pockets, an extendable flap, a two-way zip and a contemporary style that successfully blends fashion with on-bike functionality. Crucially, it retains the foul-weather capability that we praised the old version for in 2016. 

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Vulpine uses a ripstop fabric that supplies that same level of waterproofing as the earlier version – 15,000mm, which is the height that a column of water can reach before it starts to seep through – and the seams are taped.

It has the crosshatched threads of a ripstop fabric, which makes it tough as well as fairly unyielding. It doesn't have the stretch of some modern waterproofs, but since it's designed to be looser fitting rather than figure-hugging, stretch is not necessary.

I mostly wore it for the tandem school run in March before the lockdown, as a top layer over ordinary clothing such as a T-shirt and shirt. The lining has a tackiness that feels slightly clammy on bare arms, but the collar has a fleecy band sewn into it, so no issues in that area.

As I mentioned, it doesn't really pack down small enough for carrying in a rear jersey pocket and at 300g is on the heavy side for that anyway, so it's the kind of jacket you put on and keep on – and its waterproofing and windproofness coupled with its breathability make doing that entirely comfortable.

I have to admit that I didn't get to test it in anything too biblical – by this point we were in that interim period between Chiara and Dennis and the lockdown – but in the rain I did catch, the fabric kept out every single drop.

> Buyer’s Guide: 20 of the best pieces of waterproof cycling clothing

Water beads off the surface of the fabric thanks to the DWR coating, and even a sustained under-the-tap test failed to wet it out. While bench-testing it in the bathroom, however, I did discover that if water is going to get in, it will come through the front zip. The previous Portixol had an AquaGuard-style genuinely waterproof zip, swapped out in this version for a two-way zip that still has a polyurethane coating but normal non-watertight teeth. However, in standard UK rain I found it was enough.

Like the other garments in Vulpine's latest range, the Portixol jacket is packed with thoughtful details.

The earlier version had no pockets at all, making it impractical as a commuter jacket. Now it has two well-placed zipped pockets on the front for keys, travelcard, phone and so on.

There's an extendable rear flap held up inside the jacket with magnets that can be easily deployed on the fly.

It has printed reflective details and, although you can't spot this in the pictures, the back of the flap is in Vulpine's signature green colour – a quirky designer touch that adds character.

There are ventilation flaps at the back of the neck and under the arms, and you can let in more air via with the two-way zip, which works very smoothly.

The medium size was perfect for me at 1.85m and 68kg (it's not me in the pictures). The sleeves have enough length for reaching forward to drop handlebars, and the cuffs are elasticated and are comfortably close-fitting to stop rain getting in.

Like the earlier version, it's still on the long side, meaning extra bunching at the front when you're on the drops, but Vulpine has clearly wanted to keep it looking 'normal' so that it can easily be worn off the bike without it looking like a cycling-specific garment.

The same approach seems to have dictated the colour schemes on offer. As well as this burnt orange – which is as close to brown as it is to orange in real life – it is available in 'charcoal'. I am not a high-vis evangelist by any means but I would like to see some stronger colours that make it stand out on the road a bit more.

DWR coatings will wash off and eventually need reapplying; I've washed the Portixol once, with no effect on its performance. 

Value

For a jacket that performs this well and looks this stylish, £100 is great value. Rapha's Commuter jacket is the same price, but Matt found it didn't perform well in terms of breathability. 

> Buyer’s Guide: The best casual cycling kit for commuting

The last commuter jacket I reviewed, the Showers Pass Transit CC, has an rrp of £160, while Vulpine's own Softshell Harrington is twice the price.

Conclusion

The Vulpine Portixol combines technical performance with urban style: it is not only waterproof, breathable and durable but also works as a casual jacket. The lining feels a little clammy next to bare skin from the off, so it wouldn't be my first choice for summer rainy riding, but as a rain jacket for the other three seasons over long-sleeved clothing, on and off the bike, Vulpine has done a great job. I would also like to see the Portixol available in some stronger colours than just burnt orange and charcoal. Overall, a very good jacket for the price.

Verdict

Stylish commuter jacket with the performance of a technical shell at a competitive price