It’s rugged, it’s thoughtfully designed, and best of all, it fits. That’s my short and sassy review of my new “women’s specific” Canari Barrier Commuter Jacket, which I bought a couple weeks ago from Team Estrogen, the only mail-order supplier I could find selling this jacket. Now to the details…

Whatever it is that’s the opposite of a fashion plate, that’s what I am. Luckily, field geologists and freelance writers don’t need to dress like Paris fashion models. But when it comes to bike clothes, I’m rather fussy. I want upper body clothes that are bright enough to alert motorists I share the road, and I like bike clothes to fit, not bind or flap excessively. The jackets I had before the Canari Barrier don’t fit. Why? Because they’re made for men, and I’m not built with a man’s shape.

It took quite a long time to find the ultimate jacket. My requirements? The jacket had to be better in every way than the two I have. I wanted a jacket for rain, snow, wind, and cold. A jacket that would accommodate the extra layers needed to keep warm in sub-freezing temperatures, but one which I could also wear when the thermometer climbed into the 50s, or even 60s. It had to be brightly colored, with reflective strips. And most importantly of all, the darned thing had to fit me everywhere, not just around the waist, or around the chest, but along my entire trunk.

Enter the Barrier jacket. The order was placed online at Team Estrogen’s site, and within the week I was pulling the jacket on to check its fit. Full marks to Team Estrogen. Their online ordering form is a breeze, they informed me through email of the order and tracking number. And they footed the bill for shipping, which was a selling point, since the cost of the Canari Barrier jacket is a bit steep for my liking, at USD129.99.

Right out of the package I was pleased with what I saw. But rather than try to describe it, here are a couple pictures to acquaint you:

 

 
Canari Barrier jacket winking in the flash

 

 
The back side winks, too

 
Fit  Note the boxy cut, with enough slack to accommodate my layered cold-weather clothes and me, without any floppiness. The sleeves were long just standing in the living room, but stretched forward on my bike they’re just right—no bare wrists to freeze in the slicing wind. The fabric is Gelanots, which I’ve never heard about before, and the ad-copy claimed it to be “amazingly durable, waterproof, windproof, yet highly breathable. Moisture is released through a Hi-Tech Polyurethane membrane while wind and water can not penetrate. It is a strong, yet soft, top quality fabric made for extreme conditions. Gelanots is a new environmentally friendly fabric.” Only a test ride would tell if these claims are based in fact. So of course when a good cold riding day came along yesterday, I was out first thing to give Canari a try. Then I came to appreciate the…

 
Distinguishing Features  All seams are taped to make them waterproof, and an elastic drawcord around the bottom hem can be cinched down with tabs that don’t snag on the bike when you ride or get off and on. The chest “media pocket” is large enough for an MP3 player (which I don’t use) and there’s an internal eyelet which lets you pass the earphone cord through without compromising the jacket’s weather resistance. I keep my cell phone in the media pocket, and my wallet could live in there also.

 

 
Hear those tunes

 
Fleece lines the collar—feels great when the wind and rain are lashing down on you—and it’s not too snug nor too loose. With a long-sleeved jersey and a high-neck lightweight fleece pullover on top of it, the Barrier jacket closes up into a snug but not strangling fit.

The zippers are intelligently designed. The pull tabs are large enough that with full-fingered gloves it’s possible to find them without fumbling, unlike other jackets I own. The front and pocket zips are all waterproof ones, and though they’re a little tough to use, they’re not impossible to zip one-handed. The front has a two-way zipper. There are two side pockets that are plenty large enough for gloves, wallet, keys, fig bars, and other necessities.

I especially like the pit zips. They’re quite long, extending down the inside arm from about the elbow to halfway down the jacket’s side (see the first photo, above). With dual zipper pulls, it’s possible to customize the ventilation. You can keep water out and let vapor escape at the same time, easily. All exposed zippers tuck up into “zipper garages,” fabric covers that help keep water outside, where it belongs.

In addition to the front and pit zips, you get ventilation with a back yoke that’s mesh-lined. The overhang is generous so that rain can’t blow up under the waterproof fabric and in through the mesh.

 

 
Scooping air

 
Colors  The golden yellow color of the jacket’s main body and sleeves is attractive, and it stands out well enough in traffic that motorists tell me I was easy to spot. The reflective strips are a big plus in daylight as well as at night. At first I wondered at the black accents on the sleeve and in the lower back, thinking yellow would have been a better choice, but now I think there’s some logic at work there. The black lower back would better mask any gunk kicked up by wheels (though I use fenders) and car spray, and the sleeve accents are placed where it’s most likely you’ll drag the sleeve across an oily chain. I can live with that.

 
What Would I Change?  The price is higher than I’d like to have paid, but the Canari Barrier jacket’s cost is still within the reasonable range. Just. Given all the attention to detail, I don’t begrudge the price. And Team Estrogen delivers, too, with free shipping. Full marks to them. I’d also like to see this jacket available in Hi-Viz yellow or Hi-Viz green because these colors stand out like a beacon in all daylight conditions. Still, the rich golden yellow the jacket comes in now is at least brighter than the usual run, and the jacket is generously supplied with wide reflective strips.

All in all, I’m very pleased with the Canari Barrier Commuter Jacket and I recommend it without reservation. Almost makes me wish for bad weather. Almost.

 

 
Let it rain!