I’m willing to admit that I’m often guilty of ditching my yellow high vis in a bid to avoid spending the rest of the day around the city looking like a radioactive lemon. This is why the Endura Xtract jacket, with its mix of practicality, visibility and style, has become the perfect high vis commuter solution for me.

The standout bright pink with contrasting orange zip is extremely visible and its visibility is further aided by the reflective trims on the sleeves and back. Normally I’d be the first to flag up that pink and orange tend to create the most hideous clash, but in the case of the Endurs Xtract jacket it seems to work.

The jacket claims to be that ultimate, often mythical, mix that is waterproof and breathable. I rode this jacket throughout the positively balmy autumn we enjoyed this year and, helped along by the back mesh vents, I didn’t once experience that dreaded steamy sweatbox that waterproofs can often create.

While the jacket did hold up well in showers and the elasticated wrist cuffs, hem and neck were great at keeping the rain out, when put to the test battling through drenching downpours I did notice that my base layers didn’t come off completely unscathed, so take note that this isn’t the hardiest waterproof going.

The Endura Xtract jacket contains some nice features, including a fleece-lined collar, which I found particularly added comfort during the chillier mornings, and the longer back length keeps the rain out while also protecting your trousers from splash back on the roads.

In theory the discreet back pocket is handy for keys or small bits and bobs you’d want to access on the fly, but I found in practice the angle of the pocket made the zip tricky to use, so I mostly opted to stash my keys in my rucksack, making the pocket pretty redundant.

Scottish brand Endura claims that this jacket packs down smaller than a can of Irn Bru. I can’t claim to have tried this exact comparison, but I can confirm that it does pack up incredibly small, making it ideal to stash in your bag or pocket when out and about. In fact it’s so lightweight and handy that I’ve even found myself taking it out without the bike for when our unpredictable British weather strikes.

Pros

– Highly visible

– Lightweight

– Packs very small

Cons

– Tricky zip pocket

Price: £52.02, (RRP £54.99), available from ChainReactionCycles.