Review: Luminite II jacket

We Liked

My company is based in Portland OR and to say that it rains here a lot is not an exaggeration. So I have plenty of opportunities to ride in the rain and having the right rain jacket can make all of the difference in a ride being a great one or a disaster and a trip in an ambulance or worse a statistic. I have seen the Endura in the bike shops around here in Portland and I got ahold of the company after interbike this year to get some of their cool stuff to try out. With my commuting I was really looking forward to giving this jacket a go in our famous Portlandia weather. Both did not disappoint me in the least. I'm going to start with all of the things that we love about this jacket. I'm really particular about a few things and one of them is Fit.

Fit: Once we received our jacket and put it on it was obvious to me that this is not Endura's first attempt at a cycling rain jacket. The luminite II jacket had long enough sleeves for my monkey arms and didn't bunch up on me at the shoulders. I would describe the cut as athletic. Its not a race cut and not a relaxed fit either. This is a great thing as it will allow you to layer up for warming up or commuting with out bunching up or flapping in the wind like a giant shapeless plastic trash bag. The Velcro wrist closers on the cuff are reflective and was easy to grab and use. The cuffs, when open are generous enough to go over just about any glove you might wear. Endura included a internal draw cord at the waist and at the collar to help keep the warmth in and the cold rain out.

Reflectivity: If you have been a long time reader of this site you will know that I hate black rain jackets with a passion. I don't like going out with very low visibility and become the "invisible cyclist" because the jacket is the same color as the asphalt. i just don't feel safe in them at all. I have returned a lot of black rain jackets to several manufacturers because of this very reason. Endura sent me a black one and Its the first one that I actually feel safe in. Endura has been able to blend fashion and safety into one jacket. I don't think that I have ever seen this much reflectivity on a rain jacket ever. While driving around I noticed that this jacket has more reflective material on it than most of the construction workers from the Department of transportation. The luminite jacket also comes in a bright yellow as well.

Water proofness & Breathability: 10,000/10,000. So what does that mean? How water proof is that? Well the first number is the water proof rating and is expressed in millimeters of Mercury (mm) or pressure. So in this case you can take a piece of the fabric and place a 1"X 1" square tube over it and fill it with 10,000 mm of water before it would leak. Oh and by the way that is 32.8 feet of water. The higher the number the better the performance of the fabric. The second number is how breathable the fabric is. This number is express in the number of grams of water vapor can pass through 1 square meter of fabric in 24 hours. The higher the number the more breathable the fabric is. The other thing that this jacket has going for it in waterproofness is the fully taped seams. You have to have the seams of the fabric tapped and sealed if you want to be water proof.

• iPod port
• Integrated blinky light
• Lined hand Pockets
• Arm pit vents
• Back pocket
• Drawstrings on waist and collar
• EZ pull tabs.

We Didn't Like

Nothing

The Final Say

Endura was founded in Edinburgh Scotland in 1992. Now, I'm pretty sure that Scotland is wet and judging by the luminite II jacket and the rest of the line these guys know rain gear. You would be hard pressed to find another jacket in this price point with all of the features that it posses. The fit is spot on for me and the fabric offers a 10,000/10,000 waterproofness/breathability that is just right for commuting or warming up for your favorite cross race. The reflectivity is very very generous and this is the first black rain jacket that I feel safe in. For $150 bucks you won't find a better deal with all of the features that include its own rear blinky light. Hell, rear lights cost $20 and up to begin with. This one is integrated so you won't forget one and its can't be stolen unless they take the jacket off of you. Thanks Endura I look forward to trying more of your stuff out!

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