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Vollebak Black Light Midlayer – Lee-Stuart Evans

A Reflective High Visibility Black Light Top sounds like a contradiction, but the clothing Imagineers at Vollebak have managed to fuse safety, cool and high quality sportswear into a Midlayer that is as much a talking point as it is a practical piece of sports gear.  

Vollebak Black Light Midlayer

When I reviewed the Black Light Baselayer here I bought it for the reflective technology, but was surprised to find that the unique mesh it had made it an incredible wicking baselayer and that was really its party piece. 

With the Black Light Midlayer I knew straight out of the box this was exactly what I expected. The usual Vollebak elements were there, the fine attention to detail and quality and a superb fit.  They use some very high tec materials from a Swiss manufacturer and then have small batch orders made at a very high tec facility in Portugal.

The result is a Midlayer that has very sturdy stretchy stitching, and a cut that means you get superb freedom of movement round your arms and a flattering snug fit. The midlayer is also sized to fit perfectly over the baselayer so you can see the slight size increase despite me having both in size medium.  It means when worn together they feel like one item of clothing.

Vollebak black light midlayer – lee-stuart evans

March / April is a tricky time of year for me when running. At the weekend we had up to 27 C and yet a few days later it was 12 C when out running. For me a single midlayer this time of year is perfect as I can roll my sleeves up and open the neck zip to keep cool, and keep the zip done up tight and sleeves down to stay warm. 

Vollebak Black Light Midlayer – Lee-Stuart Evans

Soft Fleece – Breathable and Stretchy

The midlayer is made of a fleece that is VERY soft to the touch on the outside and very wicking inside. When I went out running in it I could feel the breeze through it keeping me cool and taking moisture away, but when I wore it on a cold urban night run with my local club it kept me warm.

Vollebak Black Light Midlayer – Lee-Stuart Evans

When running in urban areas or being likely to cross roads a lot I loathe the idea of wearing a bright yellow plasticy reflective top. They look awful and are usually clammy.  The Black Light System has a series of glass sphere dots on the body that have a huge reflection to light at certain angles. If you imagine that you look like someone in front of a green screen in a special effects movie when a car headlight is on you then you get the idea.  

Thousands of small glass spheres embedded in the spots on your arms and torso reflect light without adding much weight or any bulk to the top.  What you get is a stealth bomber black top by day, and a reflective top by night without wearing hideous flourescent yellow.  They also have a 4 layer system with the Black Light range so you have many options between the baselayer , T shirt and Midlayer to cover all your needs during any time of year. 

Vollebak Black Light Midlayer – Lee-Stuart Evans

60,000 Glass Beads Reflecting on Each Spot

The human eye only needs to see a few of these spots in motion to recognise a ‘human shape’ so when lit up you become easily visible to motorists and others.  Don’t expect all of the discs to light up at once, they don’t, what happens is they gradually phase in and out of brightness at various angles as light passes across your body.

This means that the slightly different angles all the discs are at as a result of your body mean you always have a few of the discs reflecting light back at any given time making the overall system more effective.  It also looks more ‘organic’ to anyone seeing you as the light phases in and out on various moving parts of your body. It grabs attention with the minimum of effort. It does exactly what it says on the tin. 

Verdict

So is it worth the price tag?  There are other quality midlayers out there for half the price, but when you consider the reflective element and the high quality craftmanship the price tag seems less of an issue. I’m as happy wearing this with jeans as I am for sport so I will get double the bang for my buck anyway.  As the brand has established itself I’m also beginning to feel that the Vollebak range is garnering a following and reputation for being a celebration of design and technology as much as simply a clothing company.  

The Vollebak Black Light Midlayer is currently sold out but you can join their email waiting list here.