City Men's 100% Reflective Waterproof Commuter Cycling Jacket

The one thing that makes this jacket worth talking about

Most 'high-visibility' cycling jackets give you a couple of reflective panels and call it done. The Proviz City works differently: the outer fabric is reflective, all of it, 360 degrees. In daylight it reads as a muted silver-grey; hit it with a car headlight and the whole jacket lights up. That distinction matters enormously on a pre-dawn commute or a dark wet evening when drivers are distracted and your life depends on being seen from angles you can't predict. The Times, The Telegraph, and The Guardian have all featured it — that kind of press doesn't attach itself to products that merely look good in marketing photos.

Waterproofing: honest expectations

At 5,000mm hydrostatic head, this will keep you dry in a shower, a drizzle, and a reasonably steady rain. It will not keep you dry if you're caught in a sustained downpour — for that you'd want 10,000mm or above. For most urban commuters, 5,000mm is entirely sufficient; the weather is rarely biblical, and the seam-sealed construction means water isn't sneaking in through the stitching. Go in with calibrated expectations and you won't be disappointed.

Living with it on a bike

At 500g (just over a pound), it packs down and doesn't feel like wearing a tent. The redesigned underarm vents — zipless now, just open panels — make a real difference in temperature regulation once you're working hard. The back pleat gives you room to lean forward over the bars without the jacket riding up and exposing your lower back, which is the kind of detail that separates a jacket designed by cyclists from one designed by committee. The fleece-lined collar is a small luxury that pays off on colder mornings.

The reinforced shoulders with mesh overlay are specifically for backpack wearers — if you commute with a pack, the straps won't eat through the fabric over time. That's thoughtful. The three-pocket layout (front chest, side, rear) gives you workable storage without bulk, though none of the pockets are large enough for a full-size phone in a case.

What's new over the previous version

Proviz has visibly iterated here: improved zips, stronger Velcro cuffs, the zipless vents. These feel like responses to real user feedback rather than marketing-driven changes. The Velcro cuffs in particular seal well and haven't shown any velcro-loses-its-grip degradation in reasonable use.

The honest trade-offs

The reflective finish comes with a visual trade-off: in daylight, this reads as silver-grey and nothing else. If you want a jacket that looks good on the bike and at your destination, you'll need to change or layer. It is a dedicated cycling jacket, not a versatile lifestyle piece. The waist adjusters help dial in the fit, but the cut is athletic — if you're between sizes, size up.