Review from London Cyclist

Provoked by the hosepipe ban, in the past 30 days we've seen the skies opening and unleashing their rainy fury on London's cyclists. In response, I've been testing out the DHB Sync Waterproof Jacket (59.99 Wiggle). The ultimate solution for the worst weather that can be thrown at a cyclist.

Let's get one thing clear, I've always been a fan of the DHB range. In my own testing experience, it often outperforms more expensive products. The DHB Sync Jacket adds one very crucial element that I've found makes a big difference when compared to similar jackets. A hood.

You may think riding around with a hood sounds a little precarious. There's obviously a DHB designer somewhere that agrees with you. Most of their range so far has been hood free. Fortunately, now that the decision has been made to include one – I'm wondering why I didn't get a hooded jacket sooner.

As the rain lashes down not only do you avoid getting rain running down the back of your neck but you also keep rain out of your face thanks to the peaked front. This makes you feel invisible against the rain.

The downside with a hood is you lose some of your peripheral vision. The DHB Sync Waterproof Jacket is designed to combat that by offering a tight fit so that you can customise the position. In practise you do still lose some of your field of vision around the edges which isn't ideal. However, I've not found this to be a hindrance on the road.
Waterproofing

Moving beyond the peaked hood, the material used in the jacket provides excellent waterproofing. Even during prolonged exposure. This is definitely a waterproof as opposed to water resistant jacket. As such, you'll never have any downpours to worry about.

Also protecting you against the rain is the longer cut at the back with the adjustable elastic cord waist which means the jacket can be tightened to prevent it riding up your back.
Pockets and looks

The DHB Sync Waterproof Jacket comes with two zipped front pockets along with a chest pocket. All three of which are really useful and also keep the contents placed inside waterproof. I tend to keep my iPhone in the breast pocket which makes it quick to access if I need to pull to the side of the road to check directions.

As the jacket has minimum branding it looks good off the bike too. This is great for when you don't want to look like a cyclist when you've reached your destination. It also means the jacket can be used on a daily basis. (Though hopefully it won't need to be!)
Comfortable but warm

The cut of the jacket has clearly been well thought out. Even when leaning down on the handlebars with a messenger bag strapped to my back everything felt very comfortable.

However, it must be noted that you will get warm in the DHB Sync Waterproof Jacket. The two under arm vents help but there's only so much they can do. Perhaps if Gore-Tex material was used then this jacket would be offer superior breathability. In practise, I'm happy to trade off getting a little warm for the advantage of staying completely dry.

In conclusion...

Overall, I'm going to give the DHB Sync Waterproof Jacket 4 and a half stars out of 5 for this review. For staying dry, I've yet to test a more effective jacket. The only area where there's room for improvement is to add additional breathability. At £59.99 this is a great buy.

Rating: 4.5/5