Altura Nightvision Overtrouser

The Altura Nightvision Overtrousers are highly breathable, very comfortable and cut from completely waterproof fabric. Unfortunately you can't say the same about the pockets, which let rain in to soak through your clothes.

I spend a lot of time riding in regular clothing, and have nightmares about getting to my destination soaked. Though I've had great success with Gore-Tex jackets, my experience with waterproof trousers has been pretty mediocre.

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While the majority have worked theoretically, they've got so hot I've ended up just as wet on the inside as the outside.

First things first – the Nightvision Overtrousers don't make my legs sweat. Not one bit in temperatures from 5-12°C, even though they're windproof and keep your legs pleasantly warm. The breathability is impressive.

Waterproofing is also very impressive. Even in heavy rain, nothing defeats the actual fabric, and the elasticated internal gaiter means that even if water somehow gets around the outer cuff, your regular trousers and socks stay dry (and a Velcro adjuster keeps everything away from the chain).

The downside is you're forced to remove your shoes to get the Nightvisions on or off, despite the long zip.

Critical flaw

All of this is spoiled by a simple thing, however. The pockets are not waterproof.

Unfortunately, as you ride the baffles that are supposed to protect the (non-waterproof) zips from rain act instead like scoops, pooling water until it leaks through and wets the hips of your trousers.

While this doesn't seem to happen in light rain, in anything persistently heavy it starts leaking within 5-10 minutes. I cannot fathom how these trousers got through testing, but there you go.

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The fit is good – casual enough to be worn over trousers without feeling tight or baggy – and though I found the legs a little short, I'm 6ft 4in with a 33in waist, so probably a fairly extreme case.

The large reflective print down the side of each leg really helps at night, though I'd like to see it continue around round the back to catch headlights behind you too.

Value

At £65, the Nightvision Overtrousers and well priced. For a tenner less, the Proviz Reflect360 Men's Waterproof Trousers don't have any side pockets to cause problems, though their breathability is pretty poor. If you're willing to spend a lot more – twice as much – the Cube Blackline Rain Pants offer excellent waterproofing and good breathability for £129.95.

Unfortunately, until Altura fixes the flawed pockets – either with waterproof zips or by deleting them entirely – it's very hard to recommend the Nightvision Overtrousers. That's a shame because otherwise, they're a top-performing piece of kit I would happily recommend to any commuter, especially given the reasonable asking price.

Verdict

Leaking pockets undercut an otherwise very impressive performance