Having previously had very good experiences with Pearl Izumi products, we were very excited when the Pearl Izumi Softshell jacket arrived. Additonally, with Christmas right around the corner we hoped we could add this to our wish list!

• Model: Pearl Izumi Softshell Jacket 3300-BL
  
• Competitors: Rapha (www.rapha.cc), Sugoi (www.sugoi.com), Assos (www.assos.com)
• Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price: CNY 1628.-

A bespoke fit for our testers 185cm, 68kg frame

Approximately two months ago we received the Pearl Izumi Softshell jacket in the mail. It had just started to get cold (and wet), but we wanted to continue to ride outdoors - good timing.

An intelligent design: very reflective. The jacket also holds a LED light for dusk and dawn rides where light is low

History

Pearl Izumi has been around for about 50 years. According to Pearl Izumi staff, the brand started in Tokyo when a father produced Japan's first bicycle racing apparel for his son, a promising racer. Today, Pearl Izumi has evolved into one of the world's top technical sports apparel brands.

The name Pearl Izumi is derived from the gem "pearl" and an area of Japan known for its clear water, "izumi" literally translated, it means "fountain of pearls." In 1989, they started selling into the US market, allowing the product to be developed outside of Japan. They have been established in China for a very long time as well.

Reality

When we first put it on to take our initial photos the jacket instantly felt high quality. By this I mean it felt robust; it had a nice weight to it without being heavy, the material felt durable - if you were to crash it would scuff rather than tear. The jacket is European cut, by this I mean it is form fitting and professional looking - made for fast riding, training, or touring. It feels and looks like a piece of performace equipment - classy and robust.

More to the point: Was it warm? We did a few rides around the zero degree mark and I can report that while any skin that was exposed to the wind was very, very cold, any part of us that was covered by this jacket was kept very warm indeed. The jacket had a number of features which kept us warm including a fleece lining, and a semi-windproof/water resistant exterior. Additionally, the jacket had a good number of vents so we never got sweaty.

Well placed vents and high quality seams made the jacket feel like we would be warm and ventilated for seasons to come

Look

Cyclists tend to like a basic look or the full, tech, Euro racing look. I prefer the full, tech, Euro racing look. Regardless of which one you like, this is a good looking jacket. For me it is a bit 'understated', however I can always pretend I am using it to look inconspicuous and to escape from the media and paparazzi.

We tested the jacket in black, which was a good choice as it was relatively easy to keep clean. However, I did wonder if the jacket would keep a rider visible during evening or low light conditions.

We rode a few mornings while it was pitch black and returned from a few rides when it was getting dark and had no problems with our visibility in this jacket. Why? Quite ingeniously, this jacket has a small pocket designed to house a small LED light located just below your rear pockets. The small light is easy to adjust while you are riding, simply press it and you are given a different light pattern (always on, blinking, flashing). The jacket is placed right at eye level for drivers (for our test rider) so it functioned extremely well. One issue we did notice however is riders need to be careful as the light can be tucked underneath making it invisible to drivers.

Every all weather jacket needs a shock cord around the waist, and the Pearl Izumi jacket even has additional loops to secure the part of the cord that isn’t being used to keep it looking clean. The rear pockets are deep and cut on an angle to allow easy entry while riding, however I would have liked to have seen one zippered pocket if I was to use it for mountain bike riding to ensure nothing bounced out of a pocket.

Feel/Fit

At 185 cm tall and 68 kg's the jacket in Medium size literally fit like it was made for our test rider. While riding the jacket was very comfortable with only an undershirt and winter fleece jersey underneath, and as previously mentioned, it vented quite well on more intense rides. We found the sleeves about 2 centimetres short for our long arms, however our winter gloves were quite long so this was never a serious problem. One area that would have been nice would have been a Velcro adjusters at the cuffs to really tighten them down to keep the cold out.

Finish work was top quality with nice small Pearl Izumi logos for effect

Features:

• LED lights for morning/night riding
• Batteries included (!!!!)
• Battery life: about 30 hours when 'on' or about 70 hours when flashing
• Optimised ventilation and taped seams
• Warm/breathable
• Water-repellent
• Silicon processing to prevent water seepage
• Reflective materials built into the material
• Three back pockets

Above: The bright orange of Pearl Izumi logo houses an LED light to ensure cyclists are easy to see in low light

Pro’s!

• Beautiful, professional looking and feeling cut
• Well vented for various conditions
• Available in a wide range of colours
• Built in light!
• Quality of construction and materials

No so pro's . . .

• Price - Pearl Izumi clothing has always been a premium item (but I still have a pair of their tights after 12 years)
• A little short in the arms for our test rider
• Possibly a hood? However this is available on most other models in their lineup

Bottom Line

This is a great piece of kit to keep you riding through the winter. It's warm, breathable, will make sure you are easy to see in low light, and looks good. Our only issue is with sleeve length, so try before you buy. A sound investment which should last you for many seasons to come. We can only hope our significant other is reading this so we have one under the tree. . .

Buy it at: Contact Holy Brother in Beijing on 010 8589 8677 or via www.holybrother.com for your nearest shop.

The Test rider

Height: 185 cm Weight: 68 kgs
Gender: Male Years riding experience: 13 years
Type of riding done mostly: Road and Mountain bike racing

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