Product review

Fox Fluid Rain Jacket

By Ardrider

We tested the Fox MX Fluid rain jacket for you!

First impression

The transparent jacket that everyone has seen somewhere before – that was our first thought when we held the Fox Fluid rain jacket in our hands. Why many seasoned mountain bikers call this simple jacket their own can be answered relatively briefly. It is simply the price. You can get the Fox Fluid for just under 40 Euros, even some gloves cost more. But this is exactly what made the test so attractive for us.

After we had discussed the necessity of a rain jacket for cycling, we realized that there is not a single rain jacket among all our old discarded softshell jackets. But why?

On the one hand probably because one puts on a rain jacket only in wet weather and actually uses it less besides cycling. And one the other hand, we have to admit we're meeting the ground more often than we'd like to admit, which leaves holes and scratches in our bike gear. Once you move your elbow through the undergrowth and the high-end raincoat is gone. But also blackberry bushes are an effective weapon against the preservation of our clothes.

Material & Features

Although the jacket feels very simple to touch, it is still quite comfortable when put on. The only thing that remains is a certain acoustic of the material, but after a short time this is actually no longer annoying. In the armpit area, the jacket is equipped with lattice vents. The whole thing is closed by a zipper that can be positioned as desired over two ends. Over the rather coarse closure, a part of the jacket folds, which is held by means of velcro fasteners. The material is transparent, which is why the jersey and possibly the race number can still be seen underneath.

In Action - Enduro

You don't have to wait long for rain here in Germany. 11 degrees, drizzle and the buddies still won't leave you alone. But hey, there was the new Fox Fluid Jacket. So put your jacket on and let's start the tour. After about two hours the jacket was as wet inside as outside. It was not rain, but sweat. I was more in the juice than some packs of Granini. Overheating or freezing was the motto. For Enduro riding, the jacket is rather suboptimal. But what really worked well was the cleaning. Just put it next to the bike and get going. The fact that the fluid does not have any fabric worth mentioning means that it dries very quickly. Even though the jacket didn't feel so new at some point, we had to objectively determine that the first time of riding was actually very good. Maybe we should limit ourselves to riding downhill.

In Action - Downhill

No sooner said than done. The next rainy bike park visit met us in Warstein. With the lift, which took some getting used to, the rain jacket was already taken directly into the wringer. Here a wire rope runs up at hip height with protruding wires, which are simply pressed behind the back. Super simple, but also a bit uncomfortable. Without a back protector, you can make an appointment with an orthopaedic doctor. Nevertheless, we made descents without end! True to the motto "wet is like dry, only wet". It rained, the dirt flew and it felt good. The jacket felt great. By cooling down in the air, you never got to the point where you got too warm in the jacket. A slip during the wallride and a senseless attempt to skip a root combination with subsequent soil sample could not really impress the Fox Fluid. It has no holes!

Conclusion

The jacket is for playing in the forest without long tours or for wet days in the bike park. Small sessions in the rain are no problem with the Fox Fluid. We are quite excited, although we have worn it less over the year – as expected with rain jackets. However, the added value in use is matched by the price, which is why we can definitely recommend the inexpensive Fox rain jacket!

PRO

• cheap price
• easy to clean
• perfect for wet days in bikeparks
• can be combined with protectors

CONTRA

• non-breathable
• haptics

The Fox Fluid is a great jacket. But for less than 40 Euros it makes the wet days in the bike park or on races more beautiful. With the jacket in your luggage you will lose your inhibitions to play something in the forest in the rain. But for enduro tours it is not recommended.