Sweet Protection Crossfire Jacket

Tell us what the jacket is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

A foul weather soft-shell jacket designed for riding in cold, windy, and rainy conditions.

Sweet Protection says: "The Crossfire Jacket is slim fit with articulation in all the right places. This breathable softshell is windproof and DWR treated for water resistance, while the elastic cuffs stop the wind getting up the sleeves when going fast."

Everything in there seems pretty accurate, with the windproofing and DWR treatment keeping out the worst of the weather and the elasticated wrists helping with comfort.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?

From Sweet Protection:

Weight: 470g (L)

Materials: 88% Polyester/ 12% elastic woven 2L laminated soft-shell fabric with 2-way stretch.

Seems really well made and the material choice is good as it kept out everything thrown at it.

Performed really well, bringing together waterproofing and windproofing and keeping you warm enough without getting too hot.

Good material choice and strong stitching throughout mean this is unlikely to fall apart any time soon.

Fit is good: it doesn't crease in the wrong places and holds its shape well thanks to the silicone grippers at the bottom of the back.

I tested a medium; it's perhaps on the slightly small side, but well within what I would deem to be acceptable.

At 483g this isn't especially heavy for a decent softshell jacket, but isn't as lightweight as others with a bigger price.

Really comfortable thanks to its ability to keep out the elements and keep in the warmth. The elasticated wrists also really help in this regard, not only in protecting against wind and rain, but also in keeping your wrists warm.

It's pretty good value for a good quality softshell jacket, although you can find others – like the Sportful Giara – for slightly less.

How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Easy – I just chucked it in with the rest of my washing at 30 degrees without any issues. I didn't tumble dry it, but according to the label you can if necessary.

Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well, it kept out everything that was thrown at it, it maintained its warmth and kept its shape.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket

I really liked the simplicity of the design. It doesn't have the flash of some of the more fluoro or highly branded jackets but performs just as well.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket

The placement of the zip pocket; I found that when leaning over the handlebar it would just cause things to dig into my hip.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Gore's Windstopper Soft Shell comes in £15 more expensive, while the Sportful Giara Softshell is about £10 cheaper.

Use this box to explain your overall score

A really good softshell jacket that does everything you want when you're out in cold downpours. The zip pocket could be in a more convenient location, but there isn't much else negative to say about it.