Rukka ladies Melta AWS jacket in dusty pink

The Rukka Melta is a brand new ladies mid-layer that is only available in the UK from Motolegends.

 

It's not going to be as warm as their 90%/10% duck-down, Down-Y jacket, and if you're an all-year-round commuter or like to challenge yourself by going out in the very coldest conditions, that's probably the one for you. It's the most insulating, biking mid-layer on the market. The only thing that could keep you warmer would be a jacket that plugs into the bike.

 

But the Down-Y is not a stylish bit of kit, and with its 800 fill-power rating it's not exactly figure hugging. It does a job, but it's very much function over form. You can wear it off the bike, but it's not what you'd call a 'looker'. But the fact is that for most people it is just over the top. Not everybody is going to need something this insulating. There's another thing. The Down-Y is not inexpensive.

 

Which is why we were so pleased to come across this new top on a recent visit to Rukka. And it's quite a technical piece; much more sophisticated than it might initially appear.

 

The outer fabric is a material known as AWS Extreme; these are the people who have supplied the laminated fabric for use in Rukka's Kemi suit. Now the outer fabric here does not quite perform to the same level as the membrane in the suit, but it nonetheless delivers a waterproofing score of 10,000 mm; and for a mid-layer that's darned impressive. The top's breathability score is 5,000 g/m2; less impressive perhaps, but still more than acceptable.

 

But of course you wouldn't buy the Melta solely for its waterproofing capabilities; that's really just a bonus. What the Melta is, first and foremost, is a thermal layer. The material used is not real down, but we are starting to read in the climbing world that some of these imitation downs are capable of outperforming the real stuff. On the Melta the insulation runs down the front of the jacket and down the back.

 

The baffles here are welded, and not stitched, meaning that you won't ever find down and feathers poking through the stitching. For added breathability, there are special panels under the arms. There are two zipped pockets on the front of the jacket. There are two 'open' pockets inside the jacket.

 

What makes the Melta so nice to wear is the 2-way stretch fabric. This is about as comfortable a mid-layer as you'll ever come across.

 

We are not really 'pink' people here at Motolegends. And the colour is not why we chose the Melta, although it's true we went for it over the black version. But it is nice to be able to alter the colour palette now and again. And anyway we think it's more a dusty pink than a Reese Witherspoon 'Legally Blonde' pink, so we think it's acceptable.

 

The real USP for the Melta, however, is probably it's waterproofing credentials. What it means is that you can wear it off the bike even when it's raining. And you can't do that with most down-style jackets. And because a waterproof membrane is also a windproof membrane, it means that the Melta will work really well below a highly breathable jacket like the Marrakesh. The insulation component will help you stay warm. Whilst the outer fabric will provide a good deal of protection from the rain, meaning that there are times when you won't have to stop and put your Scott's on. And finally, of course, that same membrane will serve to combat the effects of wind chill.

 

Rukka talk about the Melta providing a balance between protection from the elements, comfort, functionality and style.

 

And they're not wrong.