Chipps and the team venture out into the chill winds to bring word of the best insulated jackets out there.
Words: Singletrackworld, Photography: Amanda
Much is made of the need for a great waterproof jacket in the winter months, but this tends to ignore the fact that many midwinter rides are more often of the ‘cold and relatively dry’ variety than they are wet and gritty.
Likewise, a warm layer is always welcome if you stop mid-ride. If you can judge your clothing correctly before you leave the house or car, you’ll be fine, but this can quickly derail if you need to stop for a mechanical, injury, or even when you stop for lunch at that outdoor café. The need then is for a warm layer that you can pull from a bag and put on quickly to keep the furnace temperatures hot until you ride again.
Or, on those rare, chilly, but bluebird days, where your joyous smile freezes onto your face, you need a warm layer that you’re going to ride in from start to finish. And sometimes, the limitations of regular base layering aren’t enough to keep that precious heat in. What you need is some dead air space to trap and warm. Traditionally this was done with goose down, but technology has brought several credible rivals that pack down (nearly) as small and which resist wet weather much better.
Our test period has coincided with the first Arctic blasts of the winter, and has made getting out a little more bearable.
Albion Insulated Jacket 3.0
- Price: £165.00
- From: albioncycling.com
- Tested by: Chipps
- Size tested: XL
- Weight: 167g
- Packed size: Pint Glass/pocket
The basis for this jacket is a full DWR coated windproof nylon fabric. In addition, though, there are (Clo Eco Vivo recycled, Bluesign) insulated panels down the upper arms, chest and over the shoulders, with a further panel running down the spine. There are two zipped chest pockets (which, intriguingly go all the way over the shoulders.)
Sizing is on a standard punitive road-riding scale. At 42in chest, I’m an XL. Men’s sizing goes from XS to XXL and there is a women’s version available too (also in XS-XXL).
I’ve used the Albion jacket extensively. It’ll pack down into a cycling jersey or hip-pack pocket, so it makes a very handy extra or emergency layer to carry for trailside fixes. Using it at a lunch stop, the increase in warmth is felt immediately. I like that the shoulders are completely insulated, keeping rising heat in. This can be an issue if you ride hard for a while in the jacket as all that hot air has nowhere to escape, but for instantly feeling comfortable over lunch, it’s a winner.
I also wore it on frigid days, both as a ‘warm up’ layer, removed at the top of the first hill, and as an ‘It’s colder than I thought’ layer, straight from the car park, keeping it on all day. In both cases the instant warmth from this jacket is very welcome, and pulling it off soon showed how much work it was doing at keeping the heat in.
It washes well and dries very quickly, so could be a good extra layer to stow on a multi-day trip. It’s completely windproof, which is already worth a few degrees of comfort and it’ll shrug off splashes and spitting rain, though I imagine it’ll wet out soon enough (but dry quickly too).
Overall
Yes, you could get a very good waterproof jacket for the money, but if you already have one of those, then the Albion Insulated Jacket is a great addition to any backcountry adventurer’s kitbag. As a packable warm-up layer and as a lunch-stop essential (that you might then leave on for the rest of the ride), I’m sold.
Alpkit Filoment Hoody
- Price: £149.99
- From: alpkit.com
- Tested by: Hannah
- Size tested: 12
- Weight: 380g
- Packed size: Tea caddy
The Filoment is slim enough to fit a waterproof over if you have to, but puffy enough (with a PFC-free water-repellent DWR coating) to wear as an outer layer, even in thick cloud and light rain. It’s made with recycled nylon and reclaimed down – the down is collected from things like old pillows and duvets as well as outdoor gear – so you’re getting the benefits of down without any recent bird deaths. You get a Napoleon pocket which comfortably fits a large phone without misshaping the jacket, plus two zippered hand pockets on the front and two internal map pockets. The rear is slightly longer to keep the draughts out when leaning forward, and the hood has an elastic pull-cord at the rear so you can tighten it around your helmet if you so desire. It would be good if the hood could be tightened up more around the face to keep the hail off when things turn nasty, but generally it’s cut well to keep you snug for a whole range of movements and outdoor activities.
It’s available in both men’s and women’s cut in a range of colours, and while it doesn’t come with one, it will squish down into a one litre stuff sack – so you’re going to want a decent sized backpack to carry this with you on the trail.
I found it to be reasonably warm if you’re generating heat, but not so warm you could sit still in it outside for any prolonged length of time. You could ride an e-bike on a snowy day in it without cooking, but get halfway up a hill entirely under your own steam and you’ll be stopping to take this jacket off, especially if you have a pack on your back. If you wear it for a picnic at the top of a hill, it’s not so bulky or warm that you can’t ride back down in it.
Overall
It doesn’t pack down as small as some jackets, but it’s also not so bulky that you can’t be active while wearing it – in fact, if it’s really cold you’ll want to keep moving. If you’re looking for a multipurpose jacket for walks, bike rides and other outdoor activities, then this could be a good option.
Endura GV500 Insulated Jacket
- Price: £149.99
- From: endurasport.com
- Tested by: Rhys Wainwright
- Sized Tested: Small
- Weight: 251g
- Packed size: Stein
Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, as the saying goes. Before testing this jacket you could say I was in the latter camp when it came to insulated layers. However, the GV500 and I are currently on a blissfully cosy winter honeymoon. Before being introduced to this jacket I was always of the opinion that a mid-layer and a waterproof would be sufficient for most weathers we experience in the UK. The revelation of a jacket that stuffs neatly into its own pocket and can be transported in a bag or even a road jersey pocket is a great one!
The PrimaLoft® Gold insulation is sandwiched between two windproof layers of fabric to form an outer layer that’s ideal for early starts or late finishes on the bike at any time of year. Combined with a waterproof top layer it has easily replaced the low tech fleecy mid-layer I used to carry around in the winter. So far it’s kept me warm while eating outside at the end of several cool rides as well as some pretty serious long, cold, gravelly descents. It’s even been pretty wet on one occasion, but didn’t let any water through, dried quickly, and was swiftly back to its cosy self overnight.
The fit is on the snug side; I usually wear small Endura MTB tops and medium road kit and I’d say the GV500 falls closer to the road fit. Size up if you want some casual wearing space under the jacket. The fit of the sleeves and cuffs is neat and elasticated to keep the wind out while allowing easy access to watches and gloves. The hood has the same elasticated rim as the cuffs which works great to keep the breeze out. The hood is close fitting and designed to be worn under a helmet rather than over one like many waterproof jackets. With the insulation close to your noggin it’s great for warmth but does muffle your hearing a little.
Overall
I think the GV500 is a great versatile insulated jacket. It packs away small enough to fit in a road jersey middle pocket for gravelly adventures and doesn’t take up much space in a backpack if you’re on a winter MTB epic. The warmth/comfort to size/cost ratio is high! Endura has again succeeded in producing an excellently thought-out piece of design at a thoroughly reasonable price.
Pearson Field Day Adventure Insulated Jacket
- Price: £200.00
- From: pearson1860.com
- Tested by: Amanda
- Size tested: Small
- Weight: 542g
- Packed size: Pitcher of mojito
The Field Day jacket is aptly named with a nod to the military who require perfection, durability and comfort in extreme timescales and conditions. If the military were in the market for a bikepacking jacket, this would be the one.
The 100% recycled insulation is claimed to be ideal for 8°C down to 0°C, obviously subject to activity intensity and layers. I have found this jacket to be great for cold, social night-rides, but understandably it gets rather toasty if I start putting some serious effort into the hills. It is best used as a post-ride, campfire, café, pub jacket. It’s also an excellent emergency sleeping bag.
The side panels both feature cargo pockets – the left is elasticated for easy access, the right has a zip for safety paired with convenience. The front hand pockets have a hand warmer lining, and there’s a small zip pocket on the chest for your keys and bank card. Together, I think this pocket layout is a winner. My phone is secure yet takes seconds to grab from the side pocket(s) if a beautiful scene is opening up ahead, and the front pockets are as good as having a hand warmer muff.
In terms of fit, the wrist cuffs are a real highlight. The soft elasticated cuffs keep the cold out comfortably, while not stopping the outer insulation from covering the full length of your arms/wrists. The jacket has a dropped hem with grippy rubber finishing to keep it from riding up, and the hood can be cinched to make it very cosy and draught-proof.
Overall
I’ve had a lot of compliments on this jacket, it really stands out as being a great piece of kit to stuff into your riding pack and save you in moments of inactivity, or cold exposed rides. I’m a big fan of layering, so this winter on the coldest days I have been wearing Giro halterneck bibs (easy for female peeing), long-sleeved merino, windproof gilet and the Pearson Field Day. If I get too hot I stuff the gilet in my left cargo pocket. Outside of rides, I rarely take this jacket off… Like I said, it makes a great sleeping bag.
Rab Cirrus Alpine Insulated Jacket
- Price: £165.00
- From: rab.equipment/uk
- Tested by: Mark
- Size tested: Large
- Weight: 471g
- Packed size: Jug of Sangria
The Cirrus is designed for dry cold weather days. It’s not a cycling-specific jacket – it’s designed for hiking but there are often times when you end up standing around for more than a few minutes on a cold ride, waiting for someone to catch up or just having a lunch stop in the middle of nowhere. There are two deep zipped pockets for hands as well as ‘stuff’ and there’s a zipped inside breast pocket that is big enough for a max-sized phone.
It was important to me that I had a down jacket that wasn’t stuffed with real down. Synthetic down is arguably not as warm, but its performance is damn near close enough as to make no difference to me. The shell is made from recycled Pertex®, which gives it some light shower resistance and overall Rab claims the jacket is net carbon neutral – a claim Rab is making across the entire company right now that encompasses everything from recycled materials to paper packaging.
Having a sub-500g insulated jacket option you can pull out of your bag that will give you almost instant warmth is something you win at just once before it becomes a steadfast addition to a ride pack on the coldest days. Certainly, that’s my experience. It’s not a jacket to start a ride with under typical winter conditions, but it does compress well and at a push you can wear it under a waterproof shell if you really wanted full cold and wet weather protection. The hood will just about fit over a helmet in extreme situations.
Overall: It’s a versatile, multi-discipline jacket that offers instant warmth in pretty much all cold weather situations and has a raft of environmental credentials to boot. It’s a dry weather option for those especially cold rides when you will inevitably end up stopping for more than a few minutes. It’s a good looking, non-bike-specific jacket that will provide a lot of use away from the bike.
Specialized Men’s Trail Alpha Jacket
- Price: £190.00
- From: specialized.com
- Tested by: Chipps
- Size tested: Large
- Weight: 354g
- Packed size: Pimm’s Pitcher
The Trail Alpha Jacket is intended for cold, relatively dry days. It’s different from the close-fitting, Roubaix-style winter jackets you’d see on the road and it’s not a weighty softshell either. It doesn’t claim great windproofing and it certainly isn’t waterproof. It’s not sounding good so far, but read on.
The final apparent nail in the coffin is that the ‘relaxed trail fit’ and general cold grey colour of the jacket make this look like something you picked up in JD Sports for a night down the social club. I have the Large size and I still look like a tramp in it.
The big ‘Aha!’ though, comes when you ride it. The thin, matt-finished shell fabric hides a lining of Polartec® Alpha® Direct insulation, which feels instantly comfortable, whether on skin or base layer, and instantly warm. Alpha works to quickly insulate, while being massively efficient at wicking sweat from your base layer (and the generous cut leaves room for plenty of layers underneath). The overall feel is of putting on a comfortable jumper to give instant warmth, yet it seems hard to overheat while wearing it. There are side zips to increase ventilation if you need it and the main, backed, two-way zip is easy up and down to further regulate temperatures.
It doesn’t pack down that small, perhaps to the size of a melon, but it’s small enough that it’s been sitting in a dry bag at the bottom of my winter ride pack on every ride this dark season. It’s great to pull out for hilltop punctures (why do they always happen there?) or to lend to blue-lipped riders who misjudge the weather – and the effect is always positive and rapid.
Overall: On days (like on the Minehead Merlins feature elsewhere in this issue) when the wind is whipping in from the North Pole, the Alpha Jacket is an instantly comfortable riding jacket. It feels durable and well made. It’s just a pity that the ‘relaxed trail fit’ and the seemingly pilled, grey lining looks like you’re wearing a well-loved dog blankie. If you can get past the overly casual styling, it’s a secret weapon against the cold.