ION Shelter Softshell jacket is a hooded jacket which comes across more technical hoodie than thick soft shell. It uses double-woven, 4-way stretch fabric.

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The ION Shelter Softshell jacket is extremely comfy and unrestrictive while active on the bike.

This mid-weight material has a DWR coating to shrug off showers and splashes and stop the weave absorbing moisture, ‘wetting’ out and getting heavier. This works really well, so the jacket never sags or gets saturated, and there’s also a peaked hood that’s easy to cinch tight over your lid for extra shelter and warmth if the weather turns.

Considering how thin it is, ION’s Shelter has excellent wind proofing and good insulation for single figure temperature days. The interior builds up more steam and heat when working hard than some equivalents and can get a little damp, but the bonus here is the fabric dries very quickly (faster than other similar jackets I use).

One niggle is the white main zip might look snazzy, but it soon gets dirty with mud and spray, so I’d be tempted to get the other murky green option for UK riding.