Jackets

dhb Aeron Storm waterproof jacket – review

The Aeron Storm is a winner in every sense - an outstanding waterproof jacket

dhb have long produced good value clothing popular with commuters, sportive riders and club cyclists alike but they have really upped their game for the 2016 autumn/winter range – and that includes the Aeron Storm waterproof jacket.

We were very impressed when we reviewed the Aeron Tempo jacket recently and were keen to see if the Aeron Storm jacket, said to be dhb’s most advanced product to date, could maintain the firm’s hit rate.

Well, we’re not going to beat around the bush with this one: it can, and then some. This is a jacket which performs way beyond its £125 price tag. Where the Tempo jacket is designed to be a lightweight jacket for your high-intensity rides, and packable for when the weather does improve. The Storm is a bulkier affair, intended more to be worn all day or for prolonged periods, especially when the conditions would ordinarily dictate that you stay indoors. Think of it as a hardier version of the Tempo, and you’ll not be far wrong.

dhb say the Aeron Storm is their most advanced product to date – and that shows in its superb performance

Specification
Price: £125 RRP
Sizes: XS-XL
Size tested: M
Colours: Black
Website: Wiggle

The centerpiece of the Aeron Storm jacket is dhb’s ‘37.5 fabric technology’, which is designed to help keep your body temperature as close to its optimum as possible, achieving this by managing the humidity in the area between your skin and the jacket itself. Essentially, therefore, it’s claimed to be a super-breathable, completely waterproof fabric that can be worn all day in prolonged rainfall, keeping you comfortable throughout.

Historically GoreTex has been the industry standard, but this is the first time we’ve come across a fabric that genuinely rivals it in terms of lifting and shifting moisture away from your body. True to claims, whole rides can be undertaken in the jacket, with almost no water build up at all in the ‘microclimate’ between jacket and skin. By breathing so effectively, the jacket does a great job at keeping you comfortable. The fabric is also helped along with additional zipped side vents and reach holes for jersey pocket access in the back. Leave those open and they double as back vents.

The outside is all-day waterproof as well, with no water ingress despite being doused in an absolute deluge. That was a particularly unhappy commute, but would have been even a nightmare had we not been wearing the Aeron Storm. As a result, bold claims of 20,000mm column waterproofness and 18,000mm breathability ratings seem right on the mark. Well done, dhb.

A great fabric is all well and good, but is nothing without a cut to match, as we found out with the 7Mesh Re:Gen jacket [LINK] earlier in the year, but dhb have that covered too. An extra long storm flap is the main feature here, with a front that cuts short so that you don’t get lots of fabric folding underneath you as you ride. This is a road cycling-specific jacket, make no mistake. The flap is long enough to protect you from muck flung up by dirty winter roads, and that’s all you can ask of it.

The arms are also an excellent length, with a double cuff which helps keep draughts and water streams from sneaking up your arms. As a result, this teamed with the fleece-backed neck give the edges of the jacket a reassuring quality – it creates the almost sealed ‘microclimate’ that it’s able to manage so well.

It also means you can wear the jacket all day and feel like you’re wearing effective armour against the outside, without feeling stuffy and hot. Wear it on its own on milder winter days, or with layers on the cold ones, it doesn’t matter: it’s one of those rare beasts that genuinely makes winter riding enticing again thanks to the protection it offers.

Quality details include these double cuffs

Cleaning it up is easy too – although as with all technical garments we must recommend a technical wash to maintain the fabric’s effectiveness. For the test, Nikwax Techwash was our choice, and left the Aeron Storm like new, able to breathe and bead water as effectively as before.

That’s also testament to the overall quality of the jacket, which is premium beyond its £125 asking price. You can easily spend upwards of £200 on an equivalent garment and not get as well-rounded product as the Aeron Storm is.

A generous dropped tail provides plenty of coverage

Our only gripe is that there’s no easy-access zipped front pocket, instead placing its three pockets at the rear (one of which is fully waterproof as a zipped compartment). However, we’re nitpicking in an otherwise fantastic all-round technical, waterproof, genuinely breathable jacket. It’s also only available in black, owing to the fabric technology.

Conclusion

Outstanding performance from a waterproof breathable jacket that could easily cost twice as much.

Pros

Truly waterproof
Excellent breathability
Great fit
Attention to detail

Cons

We’d like an easy-access front pocket
Only available in black

dhb Aeron Storm Waterproof Jacket (Pic: Michelle Arthurs/Factory Media)

Topics:

dhb Wiggle

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Jackets

dhb Aeron Storm waterproof jacket – review

The Aeron Storm is a winner in every sense - an outstanding waterproof jacket

Specification

Conclusion

Pros

Cons

Topics:

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dhb Aeron Tempo waterproof jacket - review

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Specification

Conclusion

Pros

Cons

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