Apidura Packable Visibility Vest

The days are getting longer here in Seattle, but one thing never seems to change: We’re too optimistic with our ride plans. More than once have we returned home as twilight was fading into complete darkness. That’s when a visibility vest comes in handy. Especially in the city, with so many lights and distractions, a reflective vest is key to being seen—even if you have lights on your bike.

Except that most reflective vests are bulky, billow in the wind, leave us hot and clammy—and, to be honest, just aren’t very attractive. That’s why we are excited that Apidura developed their Packable Visibility Vest. Apidura doesn’t need an introduction: They make some of the best and lightest bikepacking bags. They are riders themselves, and it shows in the products they make.

They’ve outdone themselves with this vest: It’s truly minimalist. It weighs just 101 g and packs to the size of an energy bar. There’s a sewn-in pocket for that… It fits into a jersey pocket or into your handlebar or underseat bag.

When I’m wearing it, it’s so unobtrusive that I tend to forget I’m wearing it. The vest doesn’t billow in the wind, even on ultra-fast descents. There’s so little of it that it doesn’t block the cooling breeze, yet it’s very visible day and night. It’s EN 17353 certified, which means it’s been tested for visibility and reflectivity. That also means you can wear it in Paris-Brest-Paris.

It comes in two sizes, because ‘One size fits all’ just isn’t true for many of us.

It’s also great for walking in the dark. We consider the Apidura Packable Visibility Vest superior to any other vest on the market, and so we’ve added it to the Rene Herse program. It’s in stock now as part of our (very small) clothing line.