Jacket off! Sportful Supergiara v Castelli Unlimited 2

Two similar-but-different jackets, both reviewed here for your cosy convenience.

Previously I’ve had waterproof jackets, down jackets, and windproof jackets – or cosy baselayers. It’s been a very long while since I’ve had anything of the windproof, insulated, and cosy variety. I ended up have two similar-but-different jackets on test, so I’ve reviewed them both here for your cosy convenience.

Sportful Supergiara Women’s Jacket review

It’s made by Gore Tex, but this Infinium fabric is not waterproof, but it does a reasonable job of keeping light spray or drizzle off you. Where this jacket is great is on a frosty morning rides or sommutes.

The fluffy inner Polartec Alpha liner and fairly thick windproof fabric combine to make a jacket that keeps the chill at bay. In fact, once you get much above freezing it’s rather too hot. If you live and ride somewhere that’s often cold but not wet, you’ll probably get the most use out of this.

Being black, if you’re lucky enough to find yourself somewhere of the snow and sun variety, it can still feel rather warm even at freezing air temperatures.

The rear pockets are handy for doing longer rides where you want jersey pockets for snacks. There are no zippered pockets, which is a shame because I do prefer to have one for securing a key and/or credit card.

The chest has two stretchy mesh… sort of pockets. Stow zones, maybe? They’re not really secure enough for anything precious, or weighty, but can be handy for stuffing a wrapper or glove into while on-the-fly.

It doesn’t pack down particularly small. This jacket is best if you know you’re going to want to keep it on. If you do a lot of early morning cold rides, you’ll perhaps appreciate the way this keeps you cosy enough that you don’t get that slow crawl of chilled bones for the first 20 minutes or so of your ride.

Castelli Unlimited 2 Women’s Puffy Jacket review

This jacket is very shiny. I would like it a lot more if it didn’t have the oddly wet-look fabric to it. However, it is lightweight and manages to be pretty cosy thanks to its fuzzy Polartec Alpha lining – the same as is in the Sportful Supergiara.

Its functionality has led me to use it a lot, in spite of its looks. It is cosy enough and mostly windproof, but not as warm as the Sportful Supergiara, since the outer fabric is thinner and there are more insulation-free panels.

This means it’s not so good for sitting around in after a ride, and doesn’t keep you as cosy on a frosty morning. However, it’s more functional when it comes to pedalling – you can be giving it beans before you’ll be too cooked. This is helped by the stretchy panels under the arms, which allow a bit more air flow (but do reduce the windproof-ness).

Even if you do feel a bit warm, it has a double zip which means you can vent a bit of air around your lower torso without chilling your chest and neck. A neat little addition I appreciated. The two rear pockets are fine – though I think I do prefer to have three smaller ones than two larger ones.

The front zippered pocket is handy for keys, though perhaps too small for most wallets. With a bit of effort, you can stuff the jacket into one of its rear pockets, making for a reasonably portable package – although it hasn’t been specifically designed to be stored like this.

If you don’t mind how it looks, you’ll likely get more use out of it – I found myself avoiding taking it on trips where I’d need to double it up as my pub jacket.

Verdict

Despite the Castelli bieng arguably the better all-rounder, the Sportful Supergiara wins it for me and my riding. It ended up as my go-to jacket for frosty starts earlier this year, keeping the shock at bay on that first cold descent of my rides/commutes. I’ll be digging it out come Autumn time. Pleasingly normal looking for popping to the shops too.

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