Proviz REFLECT360 Cycling Backpack review

The Proviz REFLECT360 looks like a standard, unassuming grey backpack by day; by night it becomes a shining silver object that looks like it fell off a UFO.

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The fabric Proviz uses for the entire outer shell of the REFLECT360 comprises millions of tiny reflective beads that bounce back light and make this the most visible piece of cycling kit you’ve ever seen – you can’t miss it, and crucially neither should dozy drivers.

The fabric is also highly water resistant, but not waterproof, and we haven’t managed to check this in the real world since we tested it in the middle of the heatwave, but in the tap test the water runs off rather than soaking in.

Inside there’s an organiser with a padded laptop/tablet sleeve and a zipped mesh pocket. There are two elasticated outer side pockets made of mesh and a front zipped valuables pocket. If we were being fussy we might have preferred the side pockets to be zipped and made from the same fabric as the rest of the pack just for a bit more protection.

The REFECT360 has its own ventilation system whereby a harder delta-shaped panel is recessed to allow air to circulate behind the rider’s back while spongier, padded sections hold the backpack to the shoulders and waist. There’s a waist strap and a chest strap, both well placed.

We found the REFLECT360 a little hot in the summer, particularly as there’s a ‘collar’ that joins the straps behind the neck. Having said that, in winter this could be good for keeping out the draughts. However, we found that this part of the backpack could also interfere with the back of a helmet when in a fairly low road bike position.

This wouldn’t be an issue with a more upright position but for a drop-bar bike the straps would be better joining the pack separately to free up some head space.