Oneten Alpha Winter Jacket

The Alpha is a new jacket in Oneten's line up. It's water resistant and windproof thanks to a metallic membrane, which may sound a bit space age but it delivers on warmth and breathability. It should too for £129.99.

The front of the Alpha is all about keeping the elements out with a layering system of various materials. Thanks to the polyurethane membrane the jacket has quite a rigid feel to the material so it's not quite as free moving as some and you can feel the extra weight.

It's in its element taking on the bad weather. A rating of 2,000mm puts it in the 'light to average rain' category for waterproofness. That's pretty much how it performs out on the road as it does a good job of keeping drizzle and light showers at bay. Anything heavier permeates through and the rear panel is just made from a lycra fabric so water gets through this way anyway if you are in a dropped position.

It's warm even when wet and the wind doesn't get through at all, so should you get a soaking on a winter day it's not going to ruin your ride.

Riding into an icy headwind or descending at speed makes little difference as your arms and core remain warn even with just a merino baselayer underneath for sub-zero days. The high neck and long cuffs fit close thanks to the Winter Fit fabric which is highly elastic and keeps the drafts out.

Breathability can be an issue with this type of jacket but the Alpha does an okay job of removing excess body heat. As I mentioned the back panel doesn't have the same insulating properties as the front, being lycra based. Push the pace on a climb though and you quickly become a bit boil in the bag and dropping the front zip is the only way to rectify it.

At the back you get four pockets, two of them with zips. It's a bit of a weird layout. The two outer pockets are being practically on your hips and they aren't very deep so you have to be careful what you put in there. I'd use them for gels or like that but I wouldn't trust them with anyothing of value or importance. The zipped ones are more central and much deeper and the material is tight enough to not sag when loaded with pumps and multitools.

The fit is a little on the relaxed side for my liking leaving it to bunch around the midriff though the body and arms are spot on for length.

The price is a bit steep but I'd say worth it. The performance is great for the majority of winter weather especially if it's at the colder end of the scale. The fit could be a bit closer but it's not exactly baggy and gives room for layering underneath.

The overall quality is high too from the material itself to the stitching and finishing details. The only real issue is the breathability but that's quite common with this type of jacket and the Alpha is in no way the worst I've come across.

Verdict

Great winter jacket for battling the elements, a better all round choice than a waterproof