Whether mitigating an early start, shielding your chest on a prolonged descent or resisting an autumnal chill, a cycling gilet is an excellent adjunct to any rider’s wardrobe.
In fact, given the unpredictability of the British weather, a gilet or vest is one of the most valuable items of apparel you can own at any season of the year.
Serving as an additional obstacle between you and the wind, these simple sleeveless jackets will keep the cold from infiltrating your core, while some also provide water resistance to resist showers. However, doing without sleeves and leaving your armpits to profit from a bit of breeze means they’re unlikely to allow you to overheat.
Many are also lightweight and sufficiently packable to cram into a jersey pocket when not needed, although others are designed for all-ride use with pockets, extra insulation and added water resistance.
Endlessly useful, there’s a broad range of designs sporting diverse fabrics, technical features, and colours to pick from. As a result, there’s likely something out there to suit everybody’s wants and resources.
Below you’ll find a round-up of our current favourite cycling gilets. They’re arranged loosely from the lightest, most packable to the most weatherproof, most insulated. There’s a guide lower down to help you to choose.
Review of the best cycling gilets
- Maap Flow Vest – read our full review
- Gore Ambient Windstopper gilet – read our full review
- Assos Mille GT Wind Vest C2 – read our full review
- Castelli Espresso vest – read our full review
- Rapha Core gilet – read our full review
- Le Col Pro Insulated gilet – read our full review
- Sportful Fiandre Pro gilet – read our full review
- Alé Thermo Clima R-EV1 gilet – read our full review
- 7Mesh S2S Vest – read our full review
- Endura Pro SL Primaloft Gilet II – read our full review
- Velocio Alpha Zero Vest – read our full review
Why trust Cyclist’s advice?
Here at Cyclist, we’re out testing bikes and riding all year, in all weathers and all around the globe. We just love cycling. And we love the kit which comes with it, ensuring that it is the best of the best.
We know what to look for in a good gilet – packable, warm and ideally with a PFC-free DWR treatment.
So here is the current crop of our favourite lightweight gilets.
The best cycling gilets reviewed
Maap Flow Vest
£125 | Buy here
- Low weight and small folded size
- Plenty of windproofing for cooler summer rides
At 82g, the Flow gilet is the lightest on test and also one of the most packable, marking it out as a good option for cool starts on summer rides and Alpine descents. A windproof front is paired with an airy, more open rear and the collar is quite low.
With no pockets in the gilet, you must rely on your jersey for stowage, although the gilet has limited stretch to accommodate heavily loaded jersey pockets. The low stretch does avoid windflap though.
Gore Ambient Windstopper Vest
£89.99 | Buy here
- Low weight and very packable
- Rear mesh panel stretches to prevents windflap
Gore’s gilet makes use of the brand’s technical Windstopper fabric on the front and side faces for effective protection, with a mesh rear to stop you getting sweaty. At 64g, the gilet is low in weight and very packable too. There’s enough stretch to the rear to avoid windflap from the rustly Windstopper fabric.
With the Gore Wear brand being phased out, there are currently discounts on its clothing, although mid-sized items are likely to sell out sooner than larger and smaller pieces.
Assos Mille GT Wind Vest C2
£100 | Buy here
- Low 80g weight and low bulk, but with decent wind protection
- Mesh rear panel avoids overheating
Assos’s gilet has much in common with Gore’s, with a windproof front panel and shoulders and a mesh back contributing to an 80g weight and good packability. The front is not quite as windproof as Gore’s though.
The rear mesh is stretchy for a good fit, while the front of the gilet is DWR treated for a little rain protection. It’s a good option for core protection in cooler, possibly damp conditions, if you might want to remove a layer at some point in your ride.
Castelli Espresso Vest
£130 | Buy here
- 108g weight and packable, but still with pockets
- Wind resistant front and jersey-weight rear
The Espresso gilet’s front panel limits airflow, without being fully windproof. It’s paired with a rear that uses the same lightweight fabric as the Espresso summer jersey, offering good sweat management. There are three pockets to carry food and spares.
The gilet has plenty of stretch for a close, comfortable fit and the high collar helps keep the neck warm. It folds small enough to be packable when not needed.
Rapha Core gilet
£85 | Buy here
- 82g and packable, made from recycled polyester
- Slight tendency to windflap on fast descents
The Rapha Core gilet forgoes some features to keep price and weight down. It’s compact enough to be packable, but lacks rear pockets, making it a good extra layer that can be removed if your ride gets warmer.
Using the same fabric front and rear, there’s a little less airflow than other gilets and the Rapha Core is slightly prone to windflap, the only gilet reviewed where this occurred. 11 colour options offer plenty of choice and the polyester fabric is recycled.
Le Col Pro Insulated gilet
£150 | Buy here
- Lightweight insulation to the chest and shoulders help maintain packability
- Bright colour and plenty of reflectives
Le Col places Polartec Alpha lightweight insulation behind the upper front panel and over the shoulders of its gilet, where it works well without adding too much bulk, ensuring good packability. It also keeps the weight down to 108g.
The gilet’s Pertex Quantum Air fabric and stretch side panels ensure wind protection and a close fit and the tail is longer than many gilets. Without pockets, the Pro Insulated gilet is a good optional layer piece for changeable conditions.
Sportful Fiandre Pro Vest
£140 | Buy here
- Water resistant and windproof front, three rear pockets
- Marginally packable, 122g weight in M
Sportful pairs a windproof, water resistant Polartec Neoshell front with a lighter polyester rear, which includes three pockets. Although it will fit in a pocket, it’s a gilet more designed for wearing all ride, when it provides effective insulation with a close fit.
While the Fiandre Pro has a Polartec front panel, the newer Fiandre Pro 2 swaps this for a non-branded windproof fabric and lowers the price.
Alé Thermo Clima R-EV1 Vest
£74.99 | Buy here
- Well insulated front and rear, with good size pockets
- 194g and not very packable, so an all-ride option
The Thermo Clima is made front and rear from a roubaix-style fabric with a flocked internal face and plenty of stretch for a close fit. Three large rear pockets allow you to load up.
The all-over insulated fabric allows the Alé gilet to handle cooler temperatures well, although you might want to wear a neck warmer as the collar is cut low. I sized up, as Alé clothing tends to run small and, at 194g, the gilet is heavier than most and not very packable.
7Mesh S2S Vest
£170 | Buy here
- Fully waterproof, with taped seams
- Folds into its own pocket and includes mounting straps
7Mesh makes the S2S Vest from three-layer waterproof fabric and taped the seams, so it’s water and wind resistant. It has high recycled content too. The gilet can be stashed in the single front pocket, which includes straps to mount it to the bike frame.
The fit isn’t as close as many gilets, but the sturdy fabric avoids windflap and helps keep warmth in. It’s a good option for damp rides and well made, although expensive.
Endura Pro SL Primaloft Gilet II
£119.99 | Buy here
- 178g weight, with insulation front and rear, although not easily pocketable
- Four pockets, including one with a zip and drain holes on the two outer ones
Endura places Primaloft insulation behind the wind resistant front panel and the upper back of its gilet and there’s a high collar, also insulated. The stretchy side panels ensure a close fit.
At the rear, there are four pockets, one with a zip, so there’s plenty of room for ride gear. It’s a gilet you’ll want to wear all ride, as it’s not very packable.
Velocio Alpha Zero Vest
£159 | Buy here
- 210g with Polartec Alpha insulation for all-ride weatherproofing
- Water and windproof for colder, damper rides
The Alpha Zero is a wear-all-ride gilet with Polartec Alpha insulation at the front under a fully waterproof, breathable Polartec front panel. Three pockets at the rear provide load space.
The weather resistant build is comfortable on cold rides, although with arms exposed they were chilly when starting out.
What should I look for in a good cycling gilet?
Weatherproofing
Gilets are made from windproof fabric to protect your core and keep you warmer. There are degrees of windproofing, with some gilets more wind resistant than others. A little airflow can help keep you more comfortable, but may prove chilly when it’s really cold.
Some gilets add waterproofing, with a DWR coating, a membrane and even taped seams, which can be useful for wet rides.
Often, the weatherproof fabric is confined to the front panels and sometimes the shoulders and upper back, with a lighter weight, more breathable fabric or even a mesh at the rear to stop you from getting sweaty. That’s not so good for wet rides and in some cases you’ll find a water resistant dropped tail to keep wheel spray off your rear.
Packability
Gilets span a range from ultra-light and highly packable to more substantial pieces designed to be worn and keep you warmer all ride. A packable gilet is a good option for chilly starts and finishes, where the weather may be warmer mid-ride and you may want to shed a layer. They’ll not keep you as warm as an all-ride gilet though.
Fit
More than most cycling clothing, a gilet can be prone to windflap. The fabric is often lightweight and a loose fit can allow the wind to catch it. A loose collar or armholes can exacerbate the problem. In addition, a looser fit will allow airflow over your core, so you’ll cool down more.
In general, look for a close fit, although if you plan to carry items in jersey pockets, make sure there’s enough room for the gilet to fit over.
Pockets
The lightest gilets tend to forgo pockets to keep weight down and fit better in a jersey pocket. That means you’re going to have to use your jersey pockets for food and other items and unzip or pull up the lower hem of your gilet to reach them, which can be awkward when riding.
As gilet weight increases, there’s a cross-over where the gilet itself usually has pockets for your ride essentials. If you are looking to purchase an all-ride gilet, it’s worth checking that it provides space for your items.