Castelli Espresso Air Jacket

The Castelli Espresso Air Jacket is based on a different set of requirements than most other winter jackets: it’s designed to be warm and very breathable, but not to be waterproof. And it does what it’s designed to do very well, and if you don’t ride when it rains, or you’re happy to carry a waterproof for when it does, this jacket could be ideal for you.

Fabric

Castelli’s Espresso Air Jacket is made from its new Ristretto fabric, which we wrote about in a bit more detail in December. In summary, Castelli did a bit of research and found that lots of people simply do not ride in the rain.

That freed up Castelli to specify a fabric that could focus on warmth and breathability and not worry about being waterproof. And so Ristretto was born, a warm, fleece-backed windproof fabric that feels super cosy next to your skin.

I’ve always thought it a compromise for a garment to try to be good at both, and it’s nice to see Castelli taking this on board.

This Espresso Air Jacket does have a non-PFAS DWR – that is, a ‘forever chemical’-free Durable Water Repellent – coating, but if you’re likely to encounter anything more than a light shower or a bit of road spray, you’d best bring a waterproof to go on top. I don’t know about you, but if there’s a chance of rain in the UK, I’d have a waterproof in my back pocket anyway, so to me this hardly seems like a compromise.

Breathability

The Espresso Air really is the most breathable jacket I’ve ever worn. It’s more like a long-sleeve jersey in terms of breathability – except it’s warmer and more windproof than you’d expect from a jersey.

Because it’s so breathable, even if you do get a bit sweaty up a climb, when the road flattens out, that sweat is dealt with fairly quickly. And herein lies the secret of keeping warm. In winter, I find myself feeling cold particularly after an effort, when your core gets sweaty, your baselayer is probably saturated, and you feel that windchill a lot more, even with a wind- or waterproof layer on top.

This jacket is so much better for this than anything else I’ve tried, certainly more breathable than for example Gore’s Windstopper fabric.

Temperature

Another byproduct of this breathability is that you can wear this jacket in much warmer weather than you might expect, especially if you’re not pushing the pace. Castelli’s temperature rating suggests 0-10 degrees Celsius, but I’ve used it halfway through the teens quite comfortably on more sociable rides.

For me, it’s been pretty much the perfect jacket to wear in the dry weather we had in March and April, where throughout a longer ride you’d experience that full range of temperatures.

I was using it with just a short- sleeve lightweight baselayer, and you could easily further extend its use with something a bit heavier underneath.

Features

Getting in and out of this jacket is easy. You get a high-quality one-way YKK Vislon zip (not the two-way zip that Castelli says it is), which works well at keeping the wind out, even without a windflap.

The zip garage at the top keeps your chin un-chafed.

The wrist cuffs are a simple stitched fabric return affair, and just the right tightness to keep wind out but to allow you to tuck gloves underneath.

The waist hem has a silicone gripper around the whole perimeter, working well at stopping the jacket riding up.

There are reflective details on the shoulders and below the three rear pockets, though I wouldn’t rely on them to be seen in an urban setting.

Those pockets work well, and easily swallow a phone, with an inner lip to stop items coming out too easily. There’s no zipped pocket, which is a shame.

The Espresso Air is available in deep bordeaux (as reviewed), light black, Belgian blue and vivid orange.

Fit and cut

Castelli describes the fit for this jacket as regular. I won’t exactly describe the correct size as ‘relaxed’ on me, though it’s certainly not race tight. As it happens, we initially had a size large on review, which worked fine, but the fit of that one was genuinely relaxed.

We had issues with the waist gripper hem coming loose on that large, so as part of sending it back for a replacement, I requested a medium. Turns out the glue that holds the waist gripper on hadn’t fully impregnated the fabric on the pre-production models, and Castelli assured us this will not be an issue on the production jackets. The replacement jacket has been absolutely fine.

Sizing

I’m usually a medium, and surprisingly – considering Castelli’s an Italian brand – I expected it to size up smaller, which is why I went for the large. The medium is bang on. Castelli’s size chart confirmed Medium as what it would recommend for me based on my measurements (176cm and 76kg).

Value

While £225 is a lot of money to pay for a jacket, that price does put it in good company.

Notably, in Castelli’s range of cold weather jackets, almost every other jacket is more expensive.

Compared to other brands, it’s easy to spend this kind of money, or more. Santini’s Vega+ Winter Jacket is warmer and more waterproof but far less breathable and it’s a bit pricier at £240.

Velocio’s Men’s One Jacket is also more waterproof than the Castelli – and more expensive again at £276.

As ever, though, you don’t have to spend this kind of money. The Galibier Tourmalet 4 Jacket costs just £83.22 and majors on waterproofing, while the same company’s GrandTour Jacket is £82.34 and has warmth as its main strength.

For more options, check out our best cycling jackets buyer’s guide.

Conclusion

As I mentioned, you shouldn’t consider this a waterproof jacket. If you don’t ride when it rains, or you don’t mind carrying a waterproof jacket if there’s a chance of rain, then this jacket is well worth considering. It’s unparalleled if you’re after a jacket that is warm, windproof and very breathable.

Verdict

Warm and super-breathable – just don’t expect it to keep the rain out

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