THE WEISE Atlanta is an all-seasons jacket that’s been keeping me largely dry and warm for the past few months.
It ain’t sexy though. Still, thanks to the pockets and vent zips on the front, the Atlanta has something of an adventure jacket look about it, especially in the grey pictured here (it’s also available in black).
The Atlanta’s non-waterproof front packets are a bit of a novelty to me because they’re super easy to access with gloves on, meaning no faffing taking gloves off and trying to wrestle my wallet out of a small zip pocket at a petrol station. It’s a small thing, but I’m easily pleased.
If you want to keep your phone or naked flame somewhere better protected from the rain, make sure you use the pockets in the removable thermal liner because after a two-hour stint in the Napolean pocket that sits behind the stormflap, my phone had started to get damp.
For the most part, the Atlanta has kept me dry. I’ve used it in the rain multiple times and the 600-denier polyester exterior has always shrugged off everything from drizzle to driving rain. It’s not been flawless though and during one two-hour long ride in torrential rain, some moisture seeped through the bottom of the front of the jacket. From what I could tell, it was where water was rolling down the front of the jacket and down the back of the tank, towards the seat. When I got off the bike, I had a small damp patch at the very bottom of my sweatshirt, just above my belt line.
With the liner in, the Atlanta is warm, cosy and comfortable, making me feel like I’ve gone for a ride wrapped in my duvet. Having said that, down fast roads on bitter days, I’ve made sure to wear a few layers to fend off the cold for as long as possible because otherwise, the chill eventually manages to get through.
Whenever I stick the Atlanta on, I always look in the mirror and think ‘Who’s that good looking guy in the grey winter jacket that I'd expect to be bulkier than that?’ Well, thanks to the useful Velcro arm and waist adjusters, it never feels bulky and the adjustability always comes in useful in getting the fit I want. The arm adjusters look a bit crude because they are, but they do what they’re supposed to and I wouldn’t usually expect a jacket at this price to offer a fit that can be tailored so well.
The stretch accordion panels at the elbows, shoulders and sides also do their bit to help the Atlanta fit nicely and the CE-approved armour sits comfortably in all the right places.
There’s one area where the fit needs improving and that’s the collar – I find it much too restrictive next to my neck and windpipe and end up having to leaving it open or loosely done up most of the time. Inevitably, having to leave it open invite the cold in unless I’ve got a thick neck tube on.
I've got another niggle with the fit at the wrists. The cuffs zip closed over gloves but the zip always needs a bit of jiggling and cajoling to get it closed along the last couple of centimetres where the zip flexes and the material under it starts to bunch. It does close, but sometimes requires needs the teeth to be drawn together before trying to pull the zip closed.
Being an all-seasons jacket, it's got a few vents – at the front, sides and arms for when the sun’s out and the removable lining is forgotten at the back of a cupboard somewhere (remember those days?). The zip-close vents on the front are particularly useful if you need a quick blast of cool air.
At £149.99, the Atlanta is cheap, but feels well put together. In fact, it’s outperformed my expectations nearly everywhere, especially with how nice it feels when on, and how well it’s made.
The too-tight collar is a pain, as is the small damp patch I got after a two-hour ride in an unrelenting downpour – especially when the rest of me was kept bone dry, even though the outer of the Atlanta was soaking wet.
I’m willing to forgive it that though, because when I think about it, the Atlanta has been the sturdiest bit of kit I’ve used through winter – warm and water resistant enough for nearly everything I’ve put it through. Because of its all-season ability and with spring starting to make an entrance, it’ll be in regular service for couple more months.
The way British summertime can often go, I might just use it right through to August as well, and for £145, that makes it good value for money.
Tested: Weise Atlanta jacket
Price: £149.99
Contact: The Key Collection
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