The Altura Ridge Pertex Women’s Waterproof jacket is sold as a relaxed fit MTB jacket, featuring a 2.5 layer Pertex waterproof, windproof and breathable fabric.
- Brand: Altura
- Product: Ridge Pertext Women’s Waterproof Jacket
- From: altura.co.uk
- Price: £150
- Tested: by Amanda for Four Seasons
This product was selected for our Editors’ Choice Awards 2022, as published in Singletrack Magazine Issue 146
Amanda: “From the moment I put my hands in the pockets of this jacket, I knew it could end up being a favourite. The zips are smooth and never snag on the fabric when opening, and once you’ve got your hands in these vast front pockets, you are greeted with something you just didn’t know you needed. The pockets are lined with elasticated mesh pouches that fit big modern phones, snacks, keys, whatever you like. So, a huge capacity pocket that doesn’t flob around under the weight of the contents. Arguably more important, the waterproofing is reliable. The extensive seam taping on the Pertex fabric hasn’t yet failed. It’s not a sweaty jacket that leaves you full of condensation, and the gilled vents work as a heat exhaust to support the breathable fabric. The hood fits over helmets and also toggles up tight for days off the bike. The zip-pulls are grabbable. I honestly can’t find a single fault with the waterproofing – the price is competitive for how highly functioning it is.”
Original Review:
Three things I loved
- Pockets lined with elasticated mesh organisers
- The fit is great on my long torso and long arms
- Fabric feels (and sounds) nicer than many high performing waterproofs
Three things I’d change
- Brighter colours would be welcomed for visibility in poor conditions, or at least some reflective logos
- A tab to pin the hood down when not in use
- A soft or fleecy panel on the inside of the top zip would feel nice
If there’s one item of clothing that you really need to live up to expectations on the bike, it’s your waterproof outer layer. To find the perfect balance of high performing fabric, comfortable fit and all the features you want and need can be a pricey game, but I think Altura have hit the sweet spot with the Altura Ridge Pertex Waterproof Jacket.
The back panel is less weighty, soft feeling fabric designed to be more breathable than the front panels. It’s soft to the touch and goes a long way toward preventing the boil-in-the-bag feeling often found in waterproof clothing.
The hood is adjustable to fit over a helmet securely, and has a slightly rigid peak to aid the fit. Wrist cuffs have easy-to-use velcro tabs to adjust the fit, that are notably user-friendly even with thick winter gloves on, thanks to the rubber tabs. All the zippers also have very grabbable pulls.
Fabric can only do so much to prevent a sweatfest when pedalling uphill or exerting too hard, so the jacket has gill-like vents at the side to aid breathability. I prefer this to underarm vents that are opened up with a zip, because you don’t have to sacrifice the weatherproofing in favour of ventilation. I can’t imagine the gill vents perform brilliantly when the jacket is soaked, but maybe that’s the point.
Now to my favourite feature on the Altura Ridge Pertex Waterproof Jacket – the pockets! The two front pockets are huge, which is great for stuffing a beanie in or a couple of cans of pop and a sandwich in the shop. But big pockets are really uncomfortable on the bike when you’ve filled them. A mobile phone swinging around on a descent, or your keys jangling, is irritating.
Well, these pockets are lined with elasticated mesh pouches to keep your items in place, and actually keep you organised. I know where my phone, keys, multitool, snack and Vaseline are without using my eyes. Bigger items can still sit in the pockets without interfering with this organisation. It might not seem like an essential feature for a jacket, but it is so useful that I tend to wear this jacket more than any other – regardless of the weather forecast.
- Height: 173cm
- Weight: ~70kg depending on time of the month
- Arm Length: 57cm
- Back Length: 50cm
- Shoulder width: 57cm
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Review Info
| Brand: | Altura |
| Product: | Ridge Pertext Women's Waterproof Jacke |
| From: | altura.co.uk |
| Price: | £150 |
| Tested: | by Amanda for Four seasons |
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