IKEA Rain Poncho – Look Out, Cleverhood!

IKEA always has the most fun stuff for such good prices, and I can’t ever leave there without spending more than planned. But I certainly wasn’t expecting to find a gray print rain poncho with reflective trim for $6! Look out, Cleverhood! IKEA copied you!

The poncho packs into its own small bag, which then acts as the front pouch pocket, which is a nice feature. The pocket flap, the two arm slits, the neck, and, rather randomly, a bit of the elasticized hood are all trimmed with reflective material, although there is nothing on the back other than the neck. The elasticized hood is a bit odd, and combined with the big Velcro flap under the chin, makes the face opening so small that it is hard to see out of. It does fit under my helmet, but the hood is large enough to fit over my helmet as well. I discovered this one evening when it started to rain heavier than expected, and I didn’t want to stop and fuss with the hood. The fabric is very lightweight, which makes it easy to fold into the pouch, but means that the fabric flapped up as I biked in the rain, and my back got wet.

Thanks, IKEA, for thinking of reflective trim!

The gray print is cute, but there is a solid black version too.

Reflecting under the helmet

Hood under my helmet

Selfie in the rain! Hood over my helmet

 

It is longer than my Cleverhood, so it covers more of my bike, but because it is not made for biking, it doesn’t have the extremely useful thumb loops the Cleverhoods do, so I clutched the fabric and my handlebars at the same awkward time. Functional, for $6, but not very comfortable.

In action, and reflecting

Hood over helmet

Longer length

 

I wouldn’t use this IKEA poncho in a heavy rainstorm, because I am not confident it would keep me dry for too long. However, it’s not a bad backup to have, in case of an emergency. I could keep it at work, so if I need to bike home in an unexpected rain storm, I would be more comfortable than without. People with cars might want to think about keeping one in their vehicle emergency kit, although the solid black version is not a good idea at night. But if you are interested in a real rain cape, definitely splurge on the Cleverhood. Besides, you will be that much more fashionable in one!