The Morvelo Winter Attack Exile is a Durable Water-Repellant finish (DWR) treated jacket made from an award-winning P4Dry fabric that uses recycled ground coffee. The fabric claims to resist odour, and continually wicks away moisture whilst reducing condensation - so far, so good. The cut has a fairly casual yet functional bias - offering the unique Morvelo look, backed up with some well thought out technical features.
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On first wear, I loved the fit which, for me, is that Goldilocks place where it's neither too baggy or too tight. There is a good degree of flex in the 4 way stretch fabric that helps with mobility, and the large, articulated hood actually works with a helmet and allows you to ride with it up. The jacket is a panelled build, with taped seams throughout, which helps in the fit and shaping the panels for placing seams in areas that are less exposed.
There are some nice touches like the neoprene cuffs with thumb loop if required - handy for getting the jacket off, but I never found them great to ride with, and actually seemed quite effective as a vent on the arms. There are effective and well-positioned drawcords on the waist and hood - which stay in place and are easy to adjust. There is also a reflective panel on the reverse and subtle logo placements on the arms.
The AquaGuard® water-resistant zips are a nice touch, but seem a little stiff initially, but thankfully keep their effective water resistance over the test period.I wore the jacket in early Spring showers, with milder temperatures where it was a little clammy, but thanks to the large vents, this was easily cleared. In more recent late Autumn weather with cooler temperatures and heavier rain its shaken off all I have put at it.
There are two good size pockets which will keep gels, snacks and lighter stuff in easy access. I found a multitool moved around a bit, but a lighter essentials only one was ok. The zips are a little stiff initially and are best adjusted when stopped rather than on the fly.
The Durable Water-Repellant finish (DWR) keeps the breathable barrier layer from becoming saturated when riding - it will need treating over time and cleaning correctly to maintain that water off a duck's back beading that is a feature when brand new. This will depend on wear and tear for each rider. Talking of wear, its a surprisingly tough fabric considering its fairly light weight, and resisted bramble snags pretty well.
There is a sort of grippy rubberised patterns on the shoulder, which are and do hold you pack in place as the fabric is pretty smooth. The size of the medium tested allowed a nice amount of movement and a more casual look, but the cut keeps the parachute effect to a minimum. My only slight niggle is there is no way to keep the hood properly rolled down - you can pull in the draw cords, but this means moving them if you need to pull it over a helmet in some really proper rain. Its kept me dry on every ride in the rain I’ve been on, and I’ve not had rain enough to saturate it, despite my best efforts.
Looks wise, Morvelo always seems to nail it. There is the urban camo look tested and a more understated black. Priced at a point where it's not a bank balance breaking purchase, but still a considered buy, you get a cracking performing garment, lovely detailing that adds performance and an unusual fabric that works, and has an ecological angle that is no bad thing. The P4Dry fabric allows for the printed camo look and adds to the fast drying of the jacket after a wash.
I’ve worn the jacket as much as possible over six months - the luck of this summer, means I rode it in rain when it was really warm, and I’ve washed it a fair bit, and there has been little to no build up of smells, that can happen over time to heavily used jackets. The frequency of use and washes will increase in the winter no doubt, and may dull the performance, but initial impressions are good - and a quick wash with a treatment should bring it back to new.