A wet day in winter is inevitable and an excellent high quality waterproof goes to make or break the trip. As a no-frills, no-fuss, easy-on-the-budget waterproof jacket, the Pearl Izumi Girls’s Assault WXB stacks up properly towards different jackets in our information to the finest winter biking jackets. Type becoming, and comprised of recycled polyester that also manages to show spectacular waterproof capabilities, it’s a marmite jacket – you’ll both love its minimalism, or hate the distinct lack of options.
I examined this jacket in among the worst rain I’ve skilled this winter. I am not a rider who relishes the rain, like most, and it’s a testomony to this jacket that I used to be capable of carry on using. All too typically waterproof jackets are typically weaker on both breathability, windproofing or waterproofing. Not the case with the Girls’s Assault WXB Jacket, which provided itself as a powerful all-rounder.
Design and Aesthetics
Pearl Izumi has created a extremely flattering reduce on this jacket, or at the least a reduce that matches my physique sort – an extended torso with a small waist however barely larger chest. They name this reduce ‘type match’, which isn’t as tightly ‘second pores and skin’ as a race reduce, however nonetheless provides a pleasing tailor-made reduce. I appreciated the form of it, discovering that it gave me a proportionally curvaceous form: uncommon in most biking attire that’s thought of ‘type becoming’ which frequently places my waist just below my chest to provide me the look of a half-used sack of potatoes.
I additionally actually appreciated Pearl Izumi’s sizing. Quite than simply including an extra 5 cm to each measurement as they sized up as many biking manufacturers are inclined to do in girls’s clothes (living proof, the Rapha Discover Down Jacket), Pearl Izumi has thought of that physique form look otherwise in every girl, and have various measurements throughout bust/waist/hip at every dimension. Because of this they provide a jacket that ranges from XS all the way in which as much as XXXL, catering to a 116 cm waist, one of many broadest vary of dimension choices I’ve seen in winter jackets.
I went for the small, and whereas it appeared nice on, I did discover the jacket difficult to layer underneath. The arm holes are very small and material appeared to drag over my chest barely which prevented too many cumbersome gadgets beneath. I managed to work out a easy system although: a cropped bra, merino wool baselayer, looser match prime layer, all skinny sufficient to slide beneath the jacket and nonetheless preserve me heat within the rain chill, however that was about as a lot layering as I might match with out critically impinging my motion. Realistically, this meant the jacket was solely actually usable right down to about 7 levels celsius, which, over the winter within the UK, nonetheless offers you an honest utilization window.
As with many manufacturers, Pearl Izumi has gone for a darker colourway choosing ‘city sage’ (which is one in every of my favorite shades of inexperienced). It does, nonetheless, render you nearly invisible as quickly as mild begins to fade, so I used to be glad that they’ve added further reflective detailing in a really aesthetic rose gold. The reflective panels on the arms, breast and droptail are tremendous vivid, I used to be happy to seek out.
Nevertheless, this isn’t a jacket filled with options. It doesn’t have a hood or notably fancy cuffs, or any pull toggles for additional type becoming, or perhaps a fleecy collar, all of which I can forgive. What I discovered troublesome to abdomen although was the dearth of pockets. No pockets on the entrance, no pockets on the again – Pearl Izumi hasn’t given us as a lot as even a tiny little zippered key pocket. This was disappointing, and moderately akin to the treachery I really feel upon shopping for a pair of denims with these pretend pockets. I do know I might in all probability unzip from the underside and attain across the again to some jersey pockets beneath, it’s not a complete travesty, however it’s a faffy inconvenience I simply don’t need when it’s pouring with rain and I’ve acquired sodden gloves on. Come on Pearl Izumi, simply give us one teensy little pocket.
Efficiency
The Pearl Izumi Girls’s Assault WXB is a tough shell jacket, extra akin to these in our information to the finest waterproof biking jackets, with no insulation to talk of, fashioned of three layers of recycled polyester and totally taped seams. Pearl Izumi states that it’s ‘totally waterproof’, though doesn’t supply any metrics to help that, so I made a decision to put on this jacket solely within the worst climate our British autumn and winter might supply and hope for the perfect. Contemplating the worst of it ended up being a 6 hour trip in torrential rain, I’d say I examined it fairly completely.
It held up for essentially the most half. I observed some leakage in the previous few hours of my 6 hour trip, however I wasn’t soaked to the pores and skin and I used to be impressed that it had resisted such an intensive downpour for therefore lengthy. It actually fared much better than I had anticipated, and far a lot better than my psychological well being did in that torrent. It dried out exceptionally rapidly too; on different rides that have been much less brutal than a 6 hour dalliance with hypothermia, I discovered {that a} quick break within the rain allowed the jacket to rapidly air out earlier than the subsequent onslaught. The 2 layers of polyester have been extremely spectacular towards wind, and took a lot of the chilly out of the climate as I rode, that means that the dearth of layering I wanted for the reduce wasn’t fairly as noticeable over shorter distances.
Breathability is among the most important elements of an excellent waterproof jacket, and I had anticipated that recycled polyester wouldn’t be the simplest in conserving me sweat free on the within. Even on a hotter winter day at 11 levels celsius although I didn’t discover myself getting overly scorching, and located the twin zip was sufficient to dump out the warmth. I can think about the jacket being an excellent addition all the way in which into spring, responding properly to hotter temperatures.
The breathability was so efficient that I adopted the Girls’s Assault WXB jacket into my operating wardrobe too, managing a number of lengthy runs within the rain and remaining comfy contained in the jacket and out. The actual fact it isn’t made in any respect for operating however works much better than a few of my devoted operating jackets was a severe bonus for me. I like clothes with versatility; if I can use them in as many areas of my life as doable the funding in them turns into much more interesting.
I’m choosy about my zips, particularly in waterproofs, and of the jackets I’ve examined this winter I discovered the zipper on the Assault WXB Jacket the simplest. It blocked nearly all of the windchill, feeling reassuringly sturdy and providing a strengthened storm drain to take away any of the surplus water. The zip strikes properly and holds completely, and is large enough to seize rapidly with gloves.
On the bike, the match labored properly. Pearl Izumi has created a reasonably nifty woven elastic design on the underside of the drop tail to maintain it in place which was efficient at stopping street spray, and I didn’t discover the jacket moved about a lot. I maybe ought to have sized it up, as I did really feel some restriction in my shoulders after I added layers beneath it, however it wasn’t sufficient for the jacket to really feel uncomfortable. The sleeves aren’t so long as in different jackets I’ve tried such because the Endura Girls’s Professional SL Primaloft jacket and if I’m being choosy, I’d say that the cuffs weren’t fairly tight sufficient on my wrists, although I do know with among the finest winter biking gloves this is not prone to be an issue. Equally, although it’s a light-weight jacket, it has little packability to it. You possibly can stuff it down and tie it up with a hair band, however aside from that it isn’t the simplest to retailer in baggage or pockets. Once more this isn’t the tip of the world, however it does make it much less usable as an emergency layer.
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Worth
Regardless of the relative lack of options, what there’s on this jacket is great. It is a versatile, properly made, and very protecting shell that works properly for runners too and has recycled credentials. For the worth I believe it is fairly spot on.
Verdict
I mentioned firstly of this assessment that the Pearl Izumi Girls’s Assault WXB jacket is a ‘marmite jacket’, that you just’ll adore it otherwise you’ll hate it. I’m going to pledge my allegiance on the aspect of ‘liking it greater than I hate it’. I believe ‘love’ is probably a robust phrase; I’ve undoubtedly worn higher jackets, with extra options to go well with my using (the dearth of pockets has nonetheless left a bitter style in my mouth), however for the worth, the efficiency is outstanding. A rain jacket boasting comparable water repelling capabilities can simply set you again at the least 3 times the quantity this jacket prices, and for only a few different options.
Pearl Izumi moreover wants some recognition for creating a reasonably dimension inclusive jacket from 100% recycled materials that performs simply in addition to every other jacket. The environmental impression of clothes is a giant curiosity of mine, and I’m all the time happy to seek out gadgets which can be flying the flag for a extra round economic system of supplies and doing it properly.
| Attributes | Notes | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Match | I completely beloved the match. Relaxed but barely tailor-made, good for layering. | 10 /10 |
| Safety | Saved me dry in among the worst climate I’ve ever been out in. | 10 /10 |
| Options | No options to talk of! Not even pockets. | 5 /10 |
| Breathability | Does an honest job contemplating it’s a quite simple construction. | 8 /10 |
| Worth | Very pretty priced. I loved this jacket and nonetheless attain for it on soggy days. | 9 /10 |
| Total score | Row 5 – Cell 1 | 84 % |
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