Castelli Mortirolo Reflex Jacket

The Mortirolo has been part of Castelli's winter jacket line-up for many years; the Reflex model is based on the same softshell design as the original but with large swathes of reflective material across the shoulders and waist. This lights up impressively in car headlights, but, unlike plenty of other high-vis outerwear, when the sun is up the fit and styling don't scream 'commuter'.

The Mortirolo Reflex looks and performs just like a high-end winter jacket should. It's made from Gore's Windstopper X-Fast fabric – a nominally windproof and water resistant material – and features a thick-pile fleecy interior lining throughout. It's very comfortable against the skin when you're only wearing a short-sleeved baselayer underneath.

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Although not technically waterproof, the Reflex's ability to shrug off rain is impressive, so much so that I never felt the need to wear a separate waterproof if I knew I'd only be out in the rain for less than an hour. Despite the fabric soaking up water, the thickness of the jacket means it takes a long time for moisture to actually make it through to the inside. This proved ideal for my daily 10-mile commute as I didn't have to fuss with packing a separate waterproof 'just in case'.

The jacket's thickness also comes in handy for fending off the cold. Castelli puts the Reflex's wearable temperature range as between 6°C and -15°C, which my experience showed to be about right. With the chest vent zips open, this range can perhaps be extended up a couple of degrees, but anything warmer and it quickly becomes too hot. For most of my riding in the past couple of months, featuring temperatures of 0-6°C, a long-sleeve wool baselayer and perhaps a neck warmer was all I needed under the Reflex to remain comfortable.

In normal daylight, the Reflex just looks like any other top-end winter jacket, but in low-light conditions, it positively lights up because of the reflective panels on the shoulders and waist, providing 360 degrees of visibility. Numerous comments from riding buddies and even strangers just passing by made me realise just how reflective the jacket is. It really is quite impressive.

When it comes to fit, the Reflex is typical Castelli in that most people will need to go up one (if they're on the slim side) or two sizes. 'Sporty' would be a good description of the fit itself – the jacket has skinny arms, a slim cut and a very dropped waist at the rear; it's tailored to fit well on the bike, but a little awkward walking around the office or other public places. Despite the nod to commuting and practicality through the use of reflective material, the Reflex is still very much a performance-orientated bit of kit, most at home on the bike, with tight-fitting layers beneath.

As you might expect from a brand with Castelli's reputation, the small details have all been well thought out and executed. Up front, the YKK zip is a fairly hefty number, with a large zip pull that's easy to grasp and manipulate with thick winter gloves. The chest ventilation zips are much slimmer, but then these are much more likely to be used when wearing thinner gloves.

Unusually, the waist forgoes the typical strip of silicone and relies on being elasticated to stay in place, which it does fine. Out back, there are three pockets providing enough space to fuel any long winter ride.

Construction quality is spot on too – the jacket has held up to a winter's worth of daily commutes and longer weekend rides without showing any signs of wear. Despite the warnings, it's been through a number of tumble drying cycles (on low heat), and the reflective panels are still as good as new.

> Check out our guide to the best winter cycling jackets here

In summary, the Mortirolo Reflex is an excellent jacket. At £200 it's at the high end of the market, and because of the fit and performance it's likely to appeal mainly to those using it for recreational rather than utilitarian purposes. But the introduction of the reflective panels transforms it into something than can legitimately be worn seven days a week; whether that makes it worth the money is ultimately up to you.

Verdict

A top performing winter jacket that transforms in low-light conditions