Fox has taken advantage of its own-brand TruSeal technology for weather protection, being 10,000mm waterproof and 10,000g/m2 breathable. However, these aren’t hugely impressive stats if you're looking for a jacket where you can spend hours in the pouring rain.
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The Fox Attack is definitely good enough for showers and short rides, or simply to keep puddle splash and mud spray at bay.
The jacket advertises a 'rider attack' position and women’s-specific fit. Though the fit feels no different from other jackets in this category, it does fit well, both on and off the bike.
One thing the Fox Attack has over most other trail jackets, however, is the low-slung back, which offers mud and water-spray protection to the buttocks, and the highly reflective logos on the back will be appreciated if you encounter traffic.
Attack Water jacket in action
The Fox Attack jacket has side-vents under the armpits, but they are small overlapping holes that only open up when you poke a finger through them. I wasn’t confident these would do much for venting, but in practice the jacket was incredibly breathable. At no point did I feel clammy or claustrophobic like I have done in other jackets.
The fact it uses a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating is a little off-putting initially, as this often means you have to top-up the coating later on in its life, especially after multiple washes. Furthermore, the waterproof/breathability numbers mentioned above aren’t hugely impressive stats if you're looking for a jacket where you can spend hours in the pouring rain.
Although the waterproofing is statistically quite low in comparison to others in this price range, having a more breathable jacket will always trump a more waterproof jacket for me, especially when I’m going for short and fast mountain bike rides, hence this coat still scored quite highly. The jacket is also windproof, which helps keep the chill off.
I wouldn’t say that the Attack was a fully stretchy garment, but it did have enough give in it to move freely with my body, and certainly didn’t feel restrictive at any point, with the stretch fabric concentrated on the shoulders and underarms.
The long back and wide adjustable cuffs were a welcome addition on the mountain bike too, offering extra protection from mud and water getting inside the jacket, as it usually does when riding off road.
I tested the size small, and I wear a UK/AU10 or US6 in high street clothing sizes.
Fox Women's Attack Water jacket overall
The Fox Attack was a comfortable fit, it moved well and breathed well, and looked good too. Despite not having a hood, it had all the features I needed, and performed as I’d hoped for a short hack out in the rain.
It was a great jacket for getting muddy in, but washing the waterproof coating off in the washing machine did play on my mind, though this can be reproofed.
For protection against heavy showers in all-day rides, you may want to seek a higher waterproofing rating, but sometimes it’s better to choose comfort for off-road riding, and that is clearly the angle Fox has taken with the Attack jacket, hence I’ve scored it highly based on what it is designed to do, rather than simply just how waterproof it is.
Price, sizing and availability
The Fox Attack Water women's waterproof jacket is available in two colours: black, pictured here, and 'sage' which is a pale green colour. It comes in four sizes: S, M, L and XL.
- £150 / $174.95 / AU$TBC
- More info: Fox
- Available from: Leisure Lakes Bikes / Evans Cycles / Stif Cycles / Competitive Cyclist / Backcountry