Group test: men’s lightweight jackets

I knew the ever-changing weather conditions of my home is southern Scotland would be a great place to test lightweight, packable jackets. Sometimes the weather holds and this additional layer ends up as an unused but reassuring safety net nestled in my jersey pocket.

Other times a band of rain rolls over the hills and it quickly becomes essential. It’s not just protection from the rain, either. An extra layer can be invaluable when the temperature drops – hence why we’ve reviewed both rain and wind jackets here.

1. Sportful Hot Pack Norain Jacket

Price: £140 (£84 at time of writing)
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL (tested)
Colour: Orange SDR
Weight: 162g
Available from: Saddleback

The quality of the material immediately stood out on this jacket – it feels great to touch with minimal annoying rustling noises. I love the soft, stretchy fabric at the end of the sleeves, which gave a lovely snug finish over my gloves.

The fabric is used for the shoulder and side panels, giving a really comfy fit. Overall, it feels super high quality and not as lightweight as it proved to be when I weighed it! The orange colour is perfect for me – it stands out without feeling garish.

Tested on a chilly day, the jacket felt comfortable and gave me plenty of warmth when paired with a long-sleeved jersey and base layer. Even on a steep descent with a cold wind whistling around my ears, the wind protection was admirable.

The only drawback was I found it extremely difficult to stuff into its own back pocket as intended (previous versions of the jacket had a separate stuff sack). I’d probably end up trying to find a small stuff sack of the appropriate size.

Verdict: A high quality, comfortable and impressively lightweight jacket with difficulty of packing away the only nagging detail.

2. Primal Alitios Etheros Rain Jacket

Price: £160
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL (tested), 3XL
Colour: Black
Weight: 258g
Available from: Primal

This is the most substantial of the jackets I tested, so the additional weight is not surprising. The material feels substantial yet really soft to touch, and it has just enough stretchiness throughout to give a really comfortable fit. It has excellent, roomy pockets and there are nice little reflective details on the sleeve and back.

When tested, I found this jacket offered excellent protection against wind and rain, as well as breathability. I’d definitely value this jacket on a foul weather day when I’d wear it from start to finish. You could also stuff it into a larger jersey pocket, although because it isn’t specifically designed to be packable it’s noticeably bulkier than the other jackets tested.

Verdict: Offers fantastic protection against wind and rain on even the foulest of days.

3. Van Rysel Long-Sleeved Road Cycling Rain Jacket Racer Ultralight

Price: £39.99
Sizes: S, M, L, XL (tested), 2XL
Colour: Smoked black
Weight: 154g
Available from: Decathlon

When I opened the packaging, I was staggered that what I was looking at was a £40 jacket. This jacket is super lightweight and the quality of materials feels much more expensive than the price tag. The slightly shiny, translucent material won’t be to everyone’s taste – my jersey was clearly visible underneath, so it may work better paired with a darker layer underneath.

Out on the road, the fit felt good, if not quite as comfy as some of its much more expensive competitors. It offered good protection against the elements, including a chilly breeze. When stuffed away into the integrated pocket (which takes a little bit of work!), it’s small and easy to stow away.

I’d have no hesitation to recommend this as a handy waterproof to take along on every ride, particularly for people who don’t want to fork out for a high-end option.

Verdict: Excellent value lightweight waterproof to stick in your jersey pocket for any ride.

4. Castelli Aria Shell Jacket

Price: £135 (£94.50 at time of writing)
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL (tested)
Colour: Belgian blue
Weight: 112g
Available from: Saddleback

There’s no getting away from it, this wind jacket is on the shiny side! Although not visually to my taste, the material feels high quality, and with mesh panels on the underarms and sides, is incredibly lightweight. It’s extremely easy to stuff into the integrated pouch, and is so light that you’d barely notice it nestling in a jersey pocket.

I found the fit to be a little tight, even though I tested the largest available size. I’m 6 foot and about 100kg (I’d describe myself as ‘broad and a bit chunky’), so there will be a lot of cyclists excluded from buying this due to a lack of larger sizes.

Out on the road, I immediately noticed a loud flapping from the shoulders when riding at faster speeds. Despite playing with the fit, I couldn’t get the material to sit in a way that it didn’t flap – perhaps because the fit was a bit tight for me. With a good fit, I think this would offer good level of wind protection on a clear day.

Verdict: Very lightweight wind protection, if you can get the right fit.

Overall verdict

A lightweight jacket is an extremely handy option to have, particularly if you’re cycling without anywhere to store things beyond your jersey pockets or a small saddlebag.

The Van Rysel jacket from Decathlon offers superb value for money and can be heartily recommended for people new to cycling or those looking for a more affordable option (as long as you’re OK with the see-through material!).

I personally loved the look and feel of the Sportful jacket, so much so that I could probably overlook the difficulty in packing it away.

I’d recommend the Primal jacket for those really foul days when a great jacket could be the difference between going out on your bike or staying at home – but it’s probably less suited to shoving in a pocket in case of the odd light shower.

The Castelli wind jacket feels a bit more niche to me in terms of purpose, style and fit. However, if you know the brand fits you well and are looking for a very lightweight layer, it could be a good option.