Vulpine British Waxed Harrington Jacket Review – Style & Practicality

The goofy grin on my face is because I’m thrilled to be trying out Vulpine’s new British Waxed Harrington Jacket for a review on London Cyclist. If you find yourself wearing this same jacket right now, it’s likely you’ll have the same silly grin.

This has become my go to jacket over the autumn and winter. It’s designed for warm to mild conditions and has some rain resistance, though it is not classified as waterproof. In practise, that means you’ll be fine most days, even with light or slightly heavier rain, but if heavy, prolonged rain is predicted, you’ll want to grab something with stronger resistance.

Over the past few days, where we’ve seen temperatures around 8-9 degrees celsius, for a short, casual 3 mile cycle, I wore the Vulpine Harrington Jacket, with a t-shirt and jumper beneath. This suited me just perfect.

The Harrington Jacket – The Basics

Let’s get the basics out the way.

From Vulpine’s wide range you pick between:

• Casual vs. sporty
• Waterproof vs. rain resistant
• Summer vs. winter

The Waxed Harrington is classified as a casual, rain resistant, half way between summer and winter jacket. Basically, it’s just right for anyone looking for something that looks good off the bike, but feels comfortable and practical on the bike.

It’s not waterproof enough to get you through the whole of winter and it’s not really right if you are looking for something for more competitive rides.

Available from extra small to XXL, the jacket retails at £350. There is also the unwaxed edition which retails at £295, which doesn’t feature water resistance.

Jacket Features & Details

The Vulpine Waxed Harrington jacket features two zipped pockets on the sides and an internal zipped pocket. The inside pocket is large enough to fit a Kindle. The side pockets are large enough to fit a couple of bike lights, your wallet, phone, keys and so forth.

This jacket is part of Vulpine’s Made in Britain Range and on the inside, next to the pocket, you’ll notice a label for the British Millerain Fabric. Manufactured in Lancashire, the fabric they’ve chosen is both lightweight and windproof.

The zips feel durable and should easily stand the test of time. There’s a flap that covers the main zip and a couple of buttons to clip in to near the neck, for a really tight fit. In practise, I find this a little too tight around my neck, so I don’t tend to use it.

On the back of the jacket, there is an additional pocket, with another button which clamps down hard. It’s a little too fiddly to open and close while riding, but this jacket isn’t designed with competitive riding in mind. This is a useful pocket for keeping a pair of gloves or a snack.

There’s beautiful tartan lining, which looks great on the inside and on the pockets.

The back of the jacket features some light reflective detail.

The Fit

I always tend to buy medium sized clothes and for my shape the Vulpine Harrington feels just right. It’s tight enough to look good, but still feels really comfortable and great for while riding. There is of course a slightly longer cut on the arms for when you are leaning down on the handlebars. I think Vulpine have really got the fit just right and it makes a difference.

Which Vulpine jacket should you choose?

Let’s be honest, if you have close to £350 to spend on a jacket, then it’s tricky to decide from Vulpine’s excellent range.

The Vulpine Waxed Harrington is a really fashionable jacket, with the usual cycle friendly features. It has some rain resistance, a great fit, great pockets, it feels really good and looks good. It’s a jacket you’ll be able to wear most of the year.

If you are looking for stronger rain resistance, then it’s likely you’ll also want to take a look at the Harrington Rain jacket. It’s perhaps not as fashionable/trendy, but it is £100 cheaper.

Whatever the choice, it’s unlikely you’ll be disappointed.

The jacket can be ordered from the Vulpine website.

We also have a review of the Vulpine Urban Cycling Jeans.