Although quite a basic design, the Altura scored surprisingly high in the cooling stakes in our environment chamber – every one of our readings fell over our 20-minute stint on the bike – some of them by more than 2°C.
Although we didn’t feel that it was shifting as much sweat away from our skin as some of the others we've tested, it stayed light and comfortable, even when we were working at maximum intensity with steam coming out of every pore.
The dimpled polyester fabric let lots of cooling air in, and it dried out fast. The zip opens to sternum level, so you can control the climate inside well, a chinguard up top prevents any scratching, and you get an extra zipped pocket on top of the three usual ones around the back for hiding away your valuables safely.
The Asymetrix is cut close to the body so it doesn’t flap, and stretches width-wise so it’s perfectly comfortable, while a silicone gripper around the hem stops the back from edging up. Although you get raglan sleeves, the seams aren’t flat-stitched, and the multi-panel design means there are lots of them around the shoulders. That can irk a little if you’re wearing a pack, but the fabric’s cooling means the overall level of comfort is otherwise high.
