The Decathlon Btwin 540 cycling jacket passed through our hands for a few weeks. What is it worth on the handlebars of a cycle, but also on foot in the streets of Paris? Does it live up to its promises of visibility and waterproofing? Answer in this test.
After testing the Decathlon cycling parka available at a price of 70 euros – which generally convinced us -, Frandroid continues with a second jacket also designed for cyclists. The “CITY BICYCLE RAIN JACKET NIGHT VISIBILITY 540 MEN’S GREEN”, its full name on the French brand’s website, released this year.
We wore it for several weeks, on an electric bike, on foot, in the rain and in the sun. His promise? Improve your visibility at night thanks to its multiple reflective strips, while guaranteeing a minimum level of waterproofing. Here is our test.
This test was carried out using a model loaned by the brand.
Size, color and warranty
Let’s take a look at the key information before getting to the heart of the matter. First of all, this BTWIN 540 jacket costs the sum of 80 euros. A “winter” version is also available for a price of 90 euros. Our model tested is not unisex, but a version for men. An equivalent for women exists.
Available in sizes S, M, L, XL and 2XL, the BTWIN 540 is available in dark green and black (dark blue and red for the women’s model), all guaranteed for 2 years. Do not hesitate to check its availability in store to try it on, in order to find the optimal size for your body shape. For my part, I inherited a size M from my height of 175 cm.
Design and practicality
Conversely of the Decathlon parka, the BTWIN 540 opts for a mid-length and slightly fitted cut. The end of the jacket falls about 10-13 centimeters below my belt, which has the advantage of protecting my upper body as a whole. The jacket being sufficiently flexible, I never felt the slightest discomfort or tight effect that would hinder my freedom of movement.
From a purely subjective point of view, this Decathlon jacket manages to have its own style, while remaining sober. I enjoyed wearing it both on the bike and on foot and combining it with various items in my wardrobe. The French firm manages to turn so-called visibility clothing into an everyday product that does not spoil your look. For some people, the reflective strips might make you wince.
Good news: the two zipped side pockets are perfectly placed so that your hands fall on them in the most natural way possible – which was not the case with the parka. They are, however, less deep, but remain large enough to accommodate a wallet and a smartphone in the same pocket, without any problem. No interior pocket is offered.
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
What was our surprise – to say the least pleasant – to discover large zipped openings under the arms to ventilate your armpits according to your needs. They are quite easy to access, even while driving: in any case I did not encounter any particular difficulty in opening and closing them during a journey. In short, there is no need to contort yourself, just know how to control your bike with one hand.
The ends of the sleeves are also very well thought out: the upper part is deliberately longer to provide a form of continuity and connection between your wrist and your hand. The latter thus benefits from a small protective “surplus” that is always welcome. You might think the sleeve is too long, but no. On the other hand, it can get in the way if you want to check your watch.
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Conversely, the lower part benefits from an internal drawstring which cinches the entire sleeve to your arm. This is to prevent too much air from circulating in your sleeve. It’s quite silly, but Decathlon thinks about the little details that make the difference when wearing the garment.
Overall, this Btwtin 540 does not hit any particular wrong notes in terms of design and practicality. Comfortable, it even benefits from good finishes and a very well placed slider at mid-height to easily close the zipper.
Protection, waterproofing and visibility
The BTWIN 540 is sold as a jacket intended to increase your visibility. To do this, the group uses reflective strips placed all around your waist – so they are visible even with a backpack –, at your wrists and on the hood. The idea being to be seen by both the people in front and behind you.
Obviously, reflective strips are only useful at night. And in order for them to reflect, a light source must be aimed at them. This is when the reflective effect takes effect.
This type of clothing must also be certified. The BTWIN 540 is certified as Category 2 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (out of three categories in total). The second category was designed to protect you from intermediate risks and serious injuries. This entails a number of responsibilities for the manufacturer.
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Category 2 and 3 PPE must therefore be examined in order to assess their conformity by a European Notified Body. Without this, they cannot be put on the market. The Decathlon jacket was examined by the SGS Fimko Oy organization, located in Finland, which was based on the French standard NF EN17353 effective since 2021.
This standard “specifies requirements for enhanced viewing equipment in the form of clothing or devices capable of visually signaling the user’s presence», we can read on AFNOR.
After this brief aside, let’s get to the heart of the matter. In addition to the apparent effectiveness of the reflective strips – relatives have confirmed their effectiveness to me on several occasions – the BTWIN 540 benefits from a water-repellent treatment which allows water to slide off the surface, as well as an index of impermeability of 15,000 mm on the Schmerber scale.
This value is considered good. We don’t have any technical tools to prove this, but our various experiences in the rain have reassured us. We both drove in light rain for around 20 minutes, and more intense rain on foot, lasting around ten minutes. Without the slightest drop passing through the garment.
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
The jacket also benefits from a protective collar that goes up to the top of the chin: a small Velcro strap is there to secure it. This provides good protection for your neck if you don’t have a scarf or neck gaiter.
The hood also gets good points: firstly, the multiple adjustments – via side and rear cords – allow it to be held tightly to your head. Secondly, it is large enough to fit over your helmet. Three, its small visor offers interesting rain protection for your glasses and your forehead. Which was not the case with the Parka.
Finally, wearing headphones with a hood poses no problem: you will not feel any particular compression on your skull or the helmet. Only one small downside can however be noted: the hood can sometimes “clump” on your left. This may therefore slightly hamper your visibility.
Storage and Care Tips
Decathlon provides some interesting advice on storage and maintenance. Firstly, it is preferable to store the jacket on a hanger in order to preserve the quality of the reflective strips.
Regarding machine washing, do it at 30° maximum. In any case, the waterproof coating will take a hit, so much so that its value will drop from 15,000 mm to 5000 mm after washing. This is something to take into account. Bleaching, tumble drying, ironing and dry cleaning are clearly not recommended.
For what season and at what temperature?
Like the parka, this BTWIN 540 is above all made for fall and spring, or even winter if the temperatures are mild. It is a garment suitable for temperatures around 10 degrees, or even a little below if you use multiple layers. For example, I made 20-minute journeys at 8 degrees, with underwear, gloves, a sweater, an under-jacket and the Decathlon jacket, on an electric bike. Without being cold.
Obviously, your level of coldness and the type of bike can influence your body temperature. A muscle bike actually requires more effort than an e-bike, which will tend to make you feel hotter. Below 5 degrees, this BTWIN 540 may give you some shivers, especially since the feeling of cold is exacerbated when cycling at speed.
A very satisfactory overall assessment
It’s difficult to fault this Decathlon BTWIN 540 jacket, as it accumulates so many good points. His promise? Make you more visible to other users thanks to its reflective strips. Objective met. As a bonus, it has a decent waterproof rating that does its job on trips of 20 minutes or more, whether in light or moderate rain.
With its sober but effective look, the BTWIN 540 knows how to handle style and practicality, with its two side pockets which fall very naturally under your hands. Same song for the hood, adjustable as possible and equipped with a small visor capable of protecting your forehead and your glasses – for those who have them. As a bonus, zipped openings placed under the armpits allow them to be ventilated in the event of a heatstroke. It’s well thought out.
Apart from the length of the sleeves – designed to slightly protect your hands – likely to obstruct your watch and the hood which can sometimes slightly block your rear visibility, there is not much to complain about this 80 euro urban jacket.