The DHB Minima is a lightweight jacket designed to be thrown in your bag and forgotten about until it starts to rain. It solves two problems all cyclists face: Staying dry and knowing what to pack in the morning. Here is my review.
The Minima jacket comes in both a Male and Female version. I’ve been testing out the male version for the past few months. At £47.99 it’s an affordable option that wouldn’t go amiss in any cyclists bag.
Saving space
When my bag is overflowing I’m not happy! My big hope with the Minima jacket is that it would pack right down. Below I’ve compared the DHB Amberley jacket with the DHB Minima.
It easily saves over 50% of space compared to most waterproof cycling jackets. This means it’s perfect for shoving in the pocket of a cycling jersey. However, compared to some other packable cycling jackets, the DHB Minima could definitely be smaller. Although, you will notice, the smaller a jacket can pack down to, the more the price is likely to rise. I’ll never forget my horror of been quoted £150 for a lightweight jacket roughly half the size of the DHB Minima.
Comfortable cycling jacket that keeps you dry
The fit and design of the jacket is very good. The lack of pockets may be a turn off for some people but I prefer it to provide a better fit. The length of the arms is good, even if you are stretching to reach the handlebars. The only thing I was disappointed about, is the lack of longer cut at the back to better cover the posterior region. This can leave you with a bit of a wet behind if you’ve not got a decent set of mudguards.
In the rain I’ve found the DHB Minima cycling jacket to be highly waterproof. One of the best features is the zip that goes right up to the chin stopping any rain. The soft material on the inside keeps your neck warm and comfortable.
High vis
Whilst I opted for the black version there is also a high vis edition. There is hardly any reflective material on the black DHB Minima version so the high vis may be a preferred edition for some.
Price vs performance
The best part of the DHB range from my reviews so far is that it hits a good balance between an affordable price and good quality. The DHB Minima cycling jacket is no exception.
I would recommend this jacket for anyone looking for an affordable, lightweight jacket they can easily store in their bag or jersey pocket.
The DHB Minima Jacket is available from Wiggle:
https://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/go/dhb-minima-jacket/
See also:
As this jacket seems not to be made specially for cyclists (the lack of a longer back) I’d like to know why it is better than the waterproof jackets that can be bought cheaply in Army Surplus / Hiking-type shops. The one I use cost about £7 — I don’t use it very often, and it’s probably not as durable as the Minima, but for occasional use it’s fine, and I could replace it 6 times for the price of one Minima!
Got to agree – you can buy a cheap pacamac with a long body length or even a rain cape and get the same performance. So for this price I want something that is designed around the cyclist.
True – you can always shop around for a cheaper alternative!
Hi Andreas,
Does this jacket have a breathable material? If it does not then I have to agree with the others, it is certainly overpriced, I have a Jack in a sack from Millets which I bought quite a few years ago for those sort of summer trips and days out when you take a jacket just in case! but it only cost a couple of pounds and is still in service.
John
Pedalling in fairly cold conditions I didn’t notice any extra sweating. The material is very light and so is unlikely to cause problems.
I experience four main situations.
In cold weather:
— I wear a normal waterproof cycling jacket, so I am OK if it rains
In warm weather:
— In light rain I ignore it as I will dry off quickly
— For “medium” rain situations the £7 jacket is fine
— In really heavy rain I hop off my bike and find shelter!
So … I can understand why a cross-country / long-distance cyclist might pay the extra money, I still don’t see why anyone travelling relatively short distances in London would spend nearly £50 on a lightweight waterproof jacket like the Minima, if they already have a thicker waterproof jacket!
Andreas, I’m really not sure why you “would recommend this jacket for anyone looking for an affordable, lightweight jacket”.
I think you would be doing your readers a real service if you could test several different jackets at under £20 and under £10, and make recommendations at those price-points. Bicycling in London does not need to be expensive.
Hi JdeP – appreciate the comment – As there is a range of readers of London Cyclist blog I like to also cover a range of cycling gear – for a £10 cycling jacket purchase I don’t believe it’s very useful for me to review as most people will probably just buy a £10 jacket without thinking about it. Let’s not forget jacket prices can climb to 100’s of pounds and enthusiasts are willing to pay this – I just want to provide a balanced review for anyone considering the Minima jacket and wanting to hear what a fellow cyclist thought of it.
Andreas,
Do you think this jacket is suitable for summer cycling on mornings when it’s pleasant but not so warm that you’d want to go without a jacket?
I’m looking for a jacket that’s specifically not warm and is breathable.
Thanks.
I love all your comments and the review features a great product.
For 2 months now I’ve been reviewing Soft Shells on a serious level and in all fairness the best Softshells are breathable and tend to [as a result] carry a smidget more on the ticket price.
To settle up I’d recommend a Gore-Tex fabric, preferably the comfort shell out of the 3 gore-tex material types. I do 16 miles a day on a bicycle by the way.
If you’re as passionate as me about jackets then I’d really appreciate your opinions on my blog, particularly the Softshell jacket reviews, comments are very welcome – so to are guest posts! The below link is to a post I wrote about the 3 types of Gore-Tex.
http://nakedjacket.com/softshell-jacket-reviews/the-top-en/
Cheers
Matt
ps. see you in the cycle lane!
I’ve had the hi-viz version of this jacket for about 6 months now; I bought it after reading this review. Findings are as follows:
Positive:
– good fit, both for arms and I also find it sufficiently covers my behind. Then again I have mudguards on my bikes.
– wind-proof and keeps me warm on chilly early starts
– does a good job of keeping the rain out
– packs up into a small pouch which fits perfectly into a side pocket of my back pack (I have the corresponding DHB waterproof over-trousers rolled up on the other side)
Negative:
– for anything longer than a very gentle 10 min ride, the lack of breathability means I get wet from the inside out pretty quick. I don’t sweat excessively either.
– the fabric around the arms is slightly on the loose side, which means it flaps around when riding at speed. I find the additional drag to be quite noticeable at higher speeds.
So all-in-all I’d say it was a good option to cover being caught-short in the summer. But I’ll be saving up for something heavier duty and more breathable for the winter months.
At first glance, I see the price and it is affordable. Waterproof design is great, and how about use it in winter?