POC AVIP Rain Jacket Review
The fit is really nice, wide at the shoulders and trim at the hips with the hem line slightly up at the front and low slung at the back, perfect for your comfort on the bike. On a hanger the jacket looks unshapely, ugly even, but once on and over the shoulders with the zip done up it is a very flattering piece of clothing to wear, almost futuristic and ahead of its time in appearance. The sleeves are cut slightly longer too, with a chevron v-shape cut over the back of the hand and cut neatly at the wrist underneath. The velcro closures are simple and effective.
A high collar keeps the cold out and has a felt edge at front and back to stop any rubbing
The neck is high up under the chin with a felt lining over the zipper and on the back of the neck for additional comfort – the high neckline keeps the wind and any precipitation out and does a really good job of it too. The zips are fully waterproof and there’s also two really simple micro-adjuster toggles on the inside of the jacket so that it can be pulled in at the bottom and adjusted to your body shape if necessary.
The sleeves are long and shaped for a riding position, with velcro closures
The windproofing and breathable qualities of the fabric are excellent too. The temperatures have been fairly consistent just above or below 10 degrees centigrade which means that layering underneath the jacket has been fairly simple; a standard short sleeved baselayer and jersey with arm warmers or a winter baselayer with a medium weight long sleeved jersey as the temperature dropped a bit has been all that is necessary – anything colder than that then out comes the soft shell. With the additional laser cut ventilation holes strategically placed under the armpit area this garment is very breathable and I have found completely windproof to keep the cold windchill at bay, however if you are out in an extreme downpour for more than 3 or 4 hours, the wet combined with any cold wind will begin to make its presence felt – it won’t be the wet that gets you in the winter, it will be the cold and wet. Hopefully such conditions are few and far between.
After one of the wettest winters on record, the POC AVIP Rain Jacket continues to impress
The ‘My Info’ pocket is spacious, zipped and has the additional flap over the the zip which offers extra protection and the benefit of being waterproof too, so you can have confidence that your phone will remain protected from the elements. This jacket is great, and I have absolutely no complaints about paying £250 – it’s a lot of money to shell out but it is well worth it. It is difficult to find fault with the jacket at all, other than the few minor concerns that I have already listed, the only thing I would ask POC to consider is for those who live in countries that drive on the left hand side, the reflective POC logo could possibly be moved to the right arm, but you know that’s just a suggestion.
POC AVIP Rain Jacket – £250
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