Chapeau! Red Echelon Jacket

The Chapeau! Red Echelon Jacket brings together some really nice features combined with good performance and an excellent fit, even if it looks a little Star Trek-y.

One of the key points of judgement for the Red Echelon, as with any other jacket, is how well it performs in bad conditions. Luckily, testing in the UK in December means it's been put through its paces.

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In terms of windproofing it works really well, with Chapeau! choosing a fabric that kept even the fiercest wind off. I was really surprised by how effective it was, simply because it is so thin – it can't be thicker than a regular sheet of A4 paper, but managed to keep the wind off even in the freezing cold. It is genuinely impressive.

It is worth noting that the jacket is not an all-out waterproof, with Chapeau! describing it as showerproof. Despite this, the seams are taped throughout and the cuffs slightly elasticated to keep rain and draughts out. I used it in a variety of conditions and rain intensities, though not quite torrential, and despite the jacket not being claimed as a waterproof, it held up well with nothing getting through.

The fit isn't quite racing cut, but it's certainly closer to racing than casual. The diagonal YKK zip works well both at keeping things out (it's a taped zip) and keeping everything in place. It is worth noting that because of the thickness of the material I was wary of catching the material in the zip, especially when stowing it into its pack.

The jacket has one of the longest backs I've seen in a while, something I really like as it gives plenty of coverage but also allows you to stuff your jersey pockets underneath. There are also drawstrings around the hem at the back, which allows for a certain degree of adjustability, also a nice touch.

When not needed, the jacket packs into its own pocket, a nice idea. It makes packing it down to fit into a jersey pocket easy, although it ends up about the same size as most jersey pockets, so can require a little bit of reforming to fit properly.

I think it's a good looking jacket, although this shade of red, combined with the black cuffs, is a little reminiscent of Star Trek... It's available in blue too. At the rear there are some reflective elements that do their job well, and there are other nice little touches too, such as the patterned inside, which pulls everything together nicely; it's not necessary at all, but shows the attention to detail.

> Check out our guide to the best winter cycling jackets

At £149.99 it's not a cheap buy, but it's in line with other high quality, high performance jackets, and if you are looking in this price range, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. I was really impressed with it, from the material choice and performance to the pattern on the inside. And it's currently available at half price...

Verdict

A really well thought out, packable design that keeps out the elements