Polaris Ladies Aqualite Extreme Jacket

At first glance the Aqualite Extreme looks like a very promising cycling specific waterproof jacket, especially for commuter duties. It's extremely light, packs down small and comes in a fairly violent shade of hi-viz pink that'll certainly get you noticed. It has a good collection of features and it's not expensive.

The shape is contoured, with a nicely scooped tail and the sizing is pretty generous, but not overly so. I could happily go down a size to the 10, but for extra layers underneath, I'd probably want the 12. Features include the fact that it packs into its own pocket (ideal for a back pocket), it has plenty of reflective bits and bobs, there's an MP3 player pocket with headphone grommet, it has hem and neck drawcords and there's a detachable hood for sale separately if you want one.

But, and it's a pretty big but, the fabric really let this jacket down. After a pretty standard commuting ride (which is what the jacket is presumably designed for), in really quite cool conditions and not breaking any records for speed, the jacket was wetter on the inside than it was on the outside. This was entirely due to sweat and not the jacket leaking, as the rain actually slackened off to a drizzle towards the middle of the ride. I have never encountered quite the level of moisture as I did inside the Aqualite Extreme; it was literally running out of the sleeves when I took the jacket off.

Aside from the fabric, the fit was good, sleeve length was ideal (the thumb loops at the wrists were too long to be very useful), torso length was spot on and the features were well considered.

Taking into account the price, yes you wouldn't expect absolute breathability and high end performance for £49.99, but considering the Altura I tested recently was only £10 more, the difference in performance was staggeringly unexpected.

Verdict

Nicely designed jacket, with some good features but let down by the poor breathability of the waterproof fabric.