FOX FLEXAIR WIND VEST REVIEW

AWESOMELY ADAPTABLE

Words by Robert Johnston  |  Photos by Finlay Anderson

Changeable weather is notoriously difficult to dress for, but once you add exercise into the mix things can get even trickier. Aiming to offer a solution to keep you warm – but not too warm – dry, and unrestricted, the Fox Flexair Wind Vest is an item that I’ve found incredibly useful on the trails over the last few months. Keep on reading to find out if it’s an item worth investing in for your mountain bike rides.

ABOUT THE FOX FLEXAIR WIND VEST

Fox designed the Flexair Wind Vest to offer a lightweight and minimalist item that can be easily packed but packs some useful and meaningful protection from the elements when required. It features a slim fit, with a 10k/10k waterproof and breathable front panel and a lightweight and flexible rear panel to improve breathability. The vest is given a DWR coating to fend off light rain and puddle splashes with ease.

There’s a pair of zippered hand pockets, letting you stow the essentials safely. Up the front is a two-way zip, letting you easily tailor the amount of heat trapped inside. And that’s it. It’s a simple item but made purposely with quality materials. There’s a men’s fit available in a wide XS-2XL size range, and Women’s fit in XS-XL. These retail for $129.95 /£119.99 and are available in black only.

THE DIRT

On a mountain bike, it can be a struggle to regulate your temperature, especially in changing weather conditions. You can quickly build heat on the climbs, but cool down even quicker when you descend with the wind blowing through your newly produced sweat. The solution is to use adaptable layers, but then you can struggle with bulk and the effort of constantly swapping out and killing the flow of your ride.

The Fox Flexair Vest has proved to be as close as I’ve found to a one-item solution to wear on top of a jersey on the changeable spring, fall and cooler summer rides. With the zip undone, it’s light and airy enough to be barely there. And you get a cool cape vibe bonus. Zipping it up quickly adds in wind resistance and some water resistance should some moisture be involved.

It’s by no means the ticket to keep you dry when the heavens have properly opened – you’ll need a waterproof shell for that. But for light drizzle, the DWR coating keeps the worst off your back and the waterproof front panel does a solid job.

So light and packable is the Flexair Wind Vest, that it’ll easily go into some downtube storage or at the bottom of a hip pack, ready to save your ride should the weather change on a hotter day. Thanks to this, I’ve found myself taking it with me even when the weather is looking good for the day. There’s no harm in being prepared!

I can’t really call it a true complaint, but a dedicated pocket for packing would be nice. You can fudge it into one of the hand pockets, but it’s not ideal and the zipper ends up on the wrong side. But this does allow it to stay truly minimalistic, so I’ll forgive Fox for this.

The Wolf’s Last Word

Lightweight, comfortable, adaptable and effective. The Fox Flexair Wind Vest is an excellent item to have in your kit bag for changeable conditions or the awkward in-between days where you’re not sure what to wear.

Price: $129.95 /£119.99
Website: Foxracing.com

WHERE TO BUY
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