Madison Stellar Shine Reflective Women’s Gilet

The Madison Stellar Shine Reflective Women's Gilet is impressive on the reflectives front, and has some great design features, but sadly it's let down by a noticeable lack of breathability that can leave your under layers soggy.

Our guide to the best reflective cycling clothing and accessories will help you choose some great kit for being seen out on the road.

From the off I was really impressed by how reflective this gilet is. For some time I've been trying to consciously wear brighter and more reflective clothing when riding on the road and this did the job very well in terms of making me more visible – even when the rest of my kit was black. Just the addition of this gilet noticeably improves visibility.

I also really like that it has three pockets: one zip one on the chest, which is the ideal size for a phone…

…and two mesh pockets on each side of the garment. Having these on the side rather than the back is great for accessibility and popping things in there you may need to reach mid-ride.

Another feature I liked is the microfibre-feel lining of the collar. It's really soft against the skin and I really appreciated that small yet important detail.

The fit and sizing are also good. I tried a UK10 and it allowed room for putting items such as my pump and rain cape underneath, although if my pockets were not full (which they always are!), I could have opted for a UK8.

The gilet is also water resistant. When out riding in light rain, no water or road spray got through the outer material.

However, the first time I used it in dry weather, when I got home and took it off I noticed the jersey I was wearing directly under the gilet was wet and the inside of the gilet was very damp (and items in my jacket pocket also got wet; not too good for electronics or paper). 

This occurred every time I wore this gilet, despite the perforations and vents in the rear, and I'm not a particularly sweaty rider, especially not when riding in Zone 1, a steady endurance pace, so I was surprised. It wouldn't be one I'd want to wear regularly, especially in the colder months when being wet won't help me to keep heat in.

Value

While the price, on paper, looks pretty good – especially against the likes of the Pedla RideFlash Gilet, which is £168 for both its women's and men's versions (and Vecchiojo wasn't overly impressed with it either) – that poor breathability does make it hard to say it's good value.

It's the same price as the Proviz Women's Fully Reflective Cycling Gilet, which we haven't reviewed on road.cc, but Shaun did try the men's, and though he wasn't hugely impressed with the breathability, it sounds slightly better than the Madison. The women's version is available in a wider range of sizes than the Madison, too, UK6-22.

> Read more road.cc reviews of women’s cycling clothing

There are cheaper options: BTR makes some women-specific high-vis gilets, and they're around £35 at full price (currently reduced), but when Stu reviewed one of the men's versions he also criticised its lack of breathability.

It's also twice the price of the highly rated and very well-priced Van Rysel Hi-Viz gilet, but sadly there's no women-specific version.

Conclusion

I really wanted to like this gilet because of its impressive visibility and cracking features like the mesh side pockets, but in the end the breathability issue lets it down – not that it's alone on that front.

Verdict

Impressively reflective gilet with three useful pockets, but let down by a lack of breathability