Altura Women’s Nightvision DWR Waist Tight

The Altura Women's Nightvision DWR Waist Tights are a good choice if you want protection from the elements without the hassle of a bib. A palatable price tag gets you warmth, a decent pad and some excellent reflective detailing. You'll need to take care where sizing is concerned, though, and the leg ends could benefit from some alterations.

A decent pair of waist tights can be an absolute godsend in winter – comfort breaks are slick, so you can minimise skin-exposure to the cold and there is no issue with irritating or uncomfortable bibs. That said, get a bad fit at the waist and they can be the most annoying thing ever.

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Using Altura's size guide, my waist measurement is a 10, my inner leg a 10 and my height an 18 – yes, that extreme. I opted to test the 10, and it was genuinely a battle to get these on.

The first sticking point was at the ankle. There is no zipper here, and there's very little give in the silicone-lined hem, which meant prising them over the heel was a real effort.

To keep the waist snug, there is a deep band of doubled-over fabric that also doesn't have a huge amount of give, so the second sticking point was at the hips.

Once on, they certainly weren't budging, and I found the fit at the waist spot on, not over-tight or cutting.

The fit around the leg is tighter than I'd like, exacerbated by a fabric that simply isn't as stretchy as that used in, for example, Castelli's Velocissima or Sportful's Bodyfit Pro tights.

Should I have sized up? Doing this to avoid a battle to get them on would mean they might then be too long in the leg. As they are, there is more than enough length in the leg, so much so that I experienced some bunching behind the knee. And because of the material's lack of give, I found this bunching pretty irritating while riding. It's fair to say that they are not the most comfortable of tights I've ridden in; they don't flow freely with my body's movement on the bike.

While the fabric doesn't have much give, it's relatively lightweight, with a fleece backing to help trap body heat and keep you warm. I found them ideal for temperatures between 4 and 10°C. The DWR treatment keeps off the lightest of rain and road spray, too, though it doesn't handle much more.

The Nightvision reflective detailing is great – well placed and plenty of it. This is a big plus for any commuter or night owl. (You can see pics of it in action in Stu's review of the men's version.)

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The tights have a 3D Comp pad, which is at the lower end of Altura's range of pads.That's not surprising as the tights come from Altura's commuter range; it's not intended for long stints in the saddle. I found it perfectly sufficient for a couple of hours, with no signs of chafing or irritation, but – in line with Altura's guide – it wouldn't be supportive enough for rides much beyond that.

At £64.99 the Nightvisions are an affordable option – they're £20 less than Fat Lad At The Back's thermal tights, for example.

> Read more road.cc reviews of women’s cycling clothing here

The lack of bib helps keep the price down, but you can get cheaper, such as Madison's Stellar tights for £49.99 – though you need to check the fit here too, you may need to size down in this case – or dhb's Flashlight Thermals for £60 (we haven't reviewed these, so I can't comment on performance or fit).

Conclusion

Overall, the Alturas are a decent option for shorter rides in colder weather. They are let down a little by a lack of suppleness in the fabric, and would be much easier to pull on if there was more give at the ankles. I could recommend sizing up, but this might not solve all the issues. In short, it would be advisable to try before you buy to avoid disappointment and unnecessary exertion while dressing.

Verdict

Warm, with decent reflectives for urban riding and commuting, but some will have issues with the fit and fabric