Protection against cooling: 15 wind waistcoats in the test

Many cyclists know the situation: after a sweat-inducing ascent comes a long, fresh descent. If you're not careful, you can easily catch a cold in the cool wind. Not even 60 grams of fabric can counteract the unhealthy chill - at least in summer. The lightest wind waistcoats, such as the Gore Ambient Vest and the only slightly heavier Protective P-Ride, weigh just under 60 grams. Both can be stowed away in even the smallest of pockets. Of course, it's not just mountain and coastal cyclists who have a waistcoat in their luggage. Wind waistcoats are also very useful in the early morning or in the evening, for example, when temperatures are significantly lower than during the day.

• CRAFT Essence Light Wind Vest
• GONSO wind waistcoat Grado / Sinestra
• GORE Ambient Vest
• LÖFFLER WPM Vest
• PEARL IZUMI Zephrr Barr Vest
• PROTECTIVE P-Ride waistcoat
• VAUDE Air III wind waistcoat
• ZIENER Nechamus Man/ Norwiga Lady
• DECATHLON Forclaz 500 softshell waistcoat
• ENDURA Windchill Gilet II
• GORE Spirit waistcoat
• GONSO Glandon Primaloft
• ENDURA Pro SL Primaloft Vest II
• SCOTT Trail Storm Alpha waistcoat
• VAUDE Sesvenna III

"Wind is always dangerous when it hits sweaty skin that has overheated due to exertion. The areas of the body most susceptible to the cooling wind effect are the chest, neck and forehead. These areas can easily become cold or tense. Prolonged exposure to the cooling wind, especially when cycling downhill, can also lead to inflammation, even pneumonia. For many cyclists, a wind waistcoat is a question of philosophy: it almost always helps downhill, on the flat depending on the situation, but uphill it tends to be counterproductive, i.e. it disrupts the body's temperature regulation."
Prof. Dr Ingo Froböse, Head of the Centre for Health through Sport and Exercise at the German Sport University Cologne

The MYBIKE team tested two different categories of wind waistcoats: on the one hand, the aforementioned lightweight and compact models and the noticeably thicker waistcoats with either softshell material or warm insulation, e.g. with Primaloft padding. These also perform well in the transitional period in spring and autumn when temperatures range from a cool five to 15 degrees.

One positive aspect to start with: all waistcoats - whether lightweight or warm and robust - fulfil the most important function of protecting the upper body from the cold wind well to very well. However, it is advisable to try on virtually all models before buying. The reason: most waistcoats are cut relatively close to the body. And since not all cyclists have the athletic, slim figure of a well-trained road cyclist, the waistcoat in the usual size may be too tight on the upper body. In this case, it often helps to simply choose a size larger.

You should also pay attention to the following details when trying on the jacket: First and foremost, the material must be windproof at the front of the upper body. The gilet must also be designed in such a way that the wind is also shielded at the collar, armholes and by the zip. This means that the gilet should fit relatively snugly in these critical areas and the zip should be completely covered if possible.

In practice, the following applies: the waistcoat should not be too tight, but also not too wide. This is because the wind circulates in waistcoats that are too wide and the material starts to flap, which can be quite annoying, and not just on long descents. Speaking of clothing sizes: not only athletes ride bikes. For this reason, manufacturers such as Gonso, Protective and Löffler have a very wide range of sizes from S to 6XL or 48 to 66 in their programme.

Another aspect is breathability. To prevent overheating when cycling with a windproof membrane, manufacturers have used airy mesh material on the back and in some cases on the side. The warmer models are ventilated using stretchy elastane inserts. The issue of safety through visibility, especially in the dark and in bad weather, is unfortunately somewhat neglected in almost all waistcoats - unless they are completely in signal colours such as neon yellow or neon green. Although the manufacturers refer to reflectors, these usually only have an alibi function due to their minimal size, especially if the waistcoat is also a dark colour. These days, you can expect a little more.

A matter of opinion

Armin Herb MYBIKE editorial team:

I never go on a bike tour without a waistcoat - not even in summer. The lightweight, compressible garment fits everywhere in my rucksack, handlebar bag or even saddle bag. The reason: not only sporty cyclists can easily work up a sweat. In such cases, the waistcoat is a quick and easy way to keep cool, especially when a descent is imminent. This is because the waistcoat protects the sensitive chest and neck area and thus prevents a cold or worse. A jacket would certainly also help, but it is often too warm and too heavy and takes up too much space in your luggage.

Barbara Merz-Weigandt Editor-in-Chief MYBIKE:

I always prefer to go straight for a lightweight, windproof and water-repellent jacket. For reasons of space and weight, I can save myself such an item in my tour luggage. There are now super-light insulating jackets that can also be packed small and stowed away easily. As I get cold very easily and my forearms quickly turn into icicles, this jacket is always used on longer descents or to warm me up again during a coffee break.

A little material science

The basic material for cycling wind waistcoats is usually made from synthetic fabrics, i.e. fibres and membranes made from polyester and polyamide (nylon, elastane). The reason: these synthetic fibres are relatively light, but still tear-resistant, and they also absorb little moisture. They are also inexpensive to produce. In order to be more sustainable, textile manufacturers are now using more and more recycled polyester and polyamide. Natural fibres, such as cotton and wool, could also be processed very tightly meshed and thus achieve more or less windproofness. However, these waistcoats would then be significantly heavier, more sensitive to moisture and have a larger packing volume - and would probably also be noticeably more expensive to produce.

You can download the complete comparison test of the wind waistcoats from MYBIKE 4/2021 including all individual ratings as a PDF below the article. The test costs 1.99 euros.

Downloads:

Test wind waistcoats (pdf)