Altura Nightvision Typhoon Jacket review

As the name would suggest, the Typhoon waterproof cycling jacket from Altura is very well suited to commuting in stormy conditions where waterproofing and visibility are paramount. 

Altura Nightvision Typhoon Jacket: construction and the ride

The jacket fully delivers on its promise of keeping the rain out. The use of taped seams, velcro wrist straps and a high collar mean it remains impenetrable to the wet if you’re caught in a downpour. A neat feature here is the easily detachable hood, which can be stowed away and forgotten about in the generous pocket space until you need it.

Just as effective as the waterproofing is the visibility, with the Typhoon serving as a more stylish alternative to your standard high vis jacket.

There are three bold colours to choose from (red, silver and fluorescent yellow) and the jacket features a large, highly reflective panel on the rear as well as reflective strips down the arms which I found to be confidence inspiring when indicating in traffic.

Where the Typhoon falls short is in its breathability. Despite vents on the back and under the arms, I found that I got very hot and clammy when riding at a faster pace. Despite the waterproof construction keeping me dry from the outside, condensation and sweat meant that I still finished my ride wet on several occasions.

This is a jacket more suited to keeping the rain and wind out during lower intensity rides, such as daily commutes. 

In terms of windproofing, the Typhoon does an excellent job of keeping the draught out. When riding in cold weather I found it was effective in protecting me from wind chill and, as aforementioned, keeping my body heat inside. 

However, I found that in extremely windy conditions, the ‘relaxed fit’ of the jacket caused an unpleasant amount of wind resistance. This was something I found improved on the higher end Altura Nightvision Hurricane Jacket, which comes with a closer fit.

Unfortunately, the range goes no lower than a size Small, so the baggy fit might be inevitable for smaller riders, however, if you’re usually a size Medium or above it might be worth trying the lower size. Alternatively, the Altura Hurricane jacket is far more fitted and suitable for riding in high winds, it also has the same degree of waterproofing, it is however £40 more expensive.

Altura Nightvision Typhoon Jacket: value

At £99.99, the Altura Typhoon jacket is good value for money, undercutting much of the competition on the more performance end of the scale. It isn't as breathable as more expensive jackets, but will meet the needs of those riding at a lower intensity, with the goal of getting from A to B.