Lusso Stripes Gilet

The Lusso Stripes Gilet takes the basic concept of keeping wind at bay and turns it into a technical and performance tour de force, for reasonable money. You'll be doing some pocket-swapping, but what price silence?

Hailing from Manchester, close to the Peak District and not far from the Irish sea, Lusso knows a thing or five about changeable weather. I've previously reviewed a number of Lusso items with a bent towards the damper end of the cycling environmental spectrum, and found them eminently capable. The Stripes gilet picks up that venerable heritage of preparedness, looks outside at scudding clouds over a wavering garden shed barometer and says, 'Let's be having it then'.

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At 116g the Stripes gilet isn't the lightest, but then it's packing three full-size back pockets plus a fourth zipped one, a silicone gripper hem, underarm mesh panels, zip garage and a lazer-cut front hem. All that tech adds weight and bulk, so this isn't the scrunch-to-a-squash-ball ultralight you're looking for. What it is, is fit for purpose.

Lusso claims the Stripes Gilet is 'thermal'. I'd argue if it's not fluffy it's not thermal, but your definition may vary. While we can dither over 'thermal' it's certainly utterly impervious to wind, and does a pretty good job against a decent passing shower to boot.

Where the gilet excels for me is in the fit – it's like the proverbial glove on my 74kg frame. With a 38in chest and 33in waist the Medium's sizing is bang on. This means there is zero flap, at any speed. None. Silence. Which is quite some achievement in a class of garment noted for its flappability when made from thin, water-resistant fabrics.

The high neck is again very snug, and the arm elastics are tight but not restrictive on the bike, keeping breezes at bay, while the underarm mesh panels allow a bit of venting. Although the rear isn't a mesh panel, I never felt like autumnal Scottish Highland temperatures couldn't be controlled by use of the zip. This probably isn't the gilet for a warmer day – there are lighter, more vented options around with their own specificity. As the saying goes, there's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing – and I'd say you need more than one gilet.

All that snugness and wind-cheatery means if you leave anything beyond a fiver in your jersey pockets you'll notice. The Stripes' pockets mirror those of a high-end jersey, making it less a pop-it-on-pop-it-off garment and more one you'd wear for a few hours at a stretch, regulating temperature using the zip. You're best to transfer the contents of your jersey to the gilet and back again, those pockets being deep enough for an iPhone 5 in a waterproof case on the outside, and a tool roll with tube/mini-pump in the centre. The gilet itself rolls up into a jersey pocket with a bit of attention, but the volume means there's not room for anything else.

The highly contrasted look works for me, being visible, racy and flattering. There's no fewer than six Lusso brandings, but being white-on-black they don't look too out of place and it's good to see Lusso confident enough to step out of what was historically quite muted designs.

> Buyer's Guide: 9 of the best gilets

I'm rarely stuck for critique of a product, but the Lusso Stripes Gilet has me beat. It's packed with tech, performs faultlessly, looks the business, fits in a pocket and at RRP is mid-range in price for the performance. Plus it's made in the UK, with a heritage stretching back 25 years. The most beautiful cycling products do one job and do it very well, while not suffering in other aspects. You may not find the print quite to your liking, but just close your eyes and listen to the sound of no fabric flapping. Golden.

Verdict

Packed with tech, a super-snug fit, and looking the business – this gilet is an excellent choice