Ekoi Thermal Aerocomp Suit

The Ekoi Thermal Aerocomp might remind you of another one-piece winter garment, combining as it does a long-sleeved jacket with tights stitched together around the back, giving a faux-skinsuit. It's a neat idea that makes for comfortable and surprisingly practical winterwear. I'd take issue with Ekoi's description of the fabric as being windproof, though, and I'd prefer a design that wasn't quite so plastered with logos.

Racers have been wearing skinsuits since not long after Assos created the first in the late 70s, sacrificing practical details such as pockets and being able to get in and out easily in the name of aerodynamic advantage. Castelli was possibly at its innovative best when it came up with the Sanremo speed suit, and later the winter version, combining most of the advantages of a skinsuit with a healthy dose of practicality. And it's clear that French bikewear brand Ekoi was taken with the idea too – the Aerocomp is put together in a similar fashion to the Sanremo, with the tights and jersey stitched together around the back but not the front.

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The Aerocomp is a bit easier to get into than a full skinsuit, as the top half isn't attached to the front of the tights. When you're in, there's a couple of inches of overlap between top and bottom half at the front, enough to avoid draughts or the unwanted reveal. Toilet stops are even easier than when in bib tights.

I tested a medium, which was a fairly tight fit to get into but amply long enough and not restrictive once on. Ekoi doesn't have a size guide for this item – the website suggests calling them for advice – which isn't particularly helpful. I'm typically a medium for tops and a large for legs, so I'd say this sizes roughly in line with most non-Italian brands.

If you're going for a close fit, you may have to put up with the black outer layer revealing the white beneath in the areas where it's most tightly stretched – as is visible around our model's thighs (above). The collar is cut fairly high and close to the neck, as befits something for the colder months. It certainly stops draughts, but a zip garage would have made it more comfortable on the neck. There are zips on the leg openings, to make it easier to get in and out.

The fabric used is a Miti Lombardia, a chunky Roubaix-style material. Ekoi describes it as "windproof and breathable" but I'd have to say that only the latter is really accurate. I found the wind cut right through it when going quickly, and at anything less than 10 degrees out I needed a windproof baselayer to avoid the downhill chill. Certainly compared with something like the Gore Windstopper material used by Castelli in the Sanremo Thermosuit, it's much less effective at keeping the wind out.

Unlike the Sanremo, there's no real water resistance here, so this is definitely best worn on cool, dry days, ideally paired with something like this Craft baselayer. 

The Thermal suit uses Ekoi's own gel pad, with varying thickness and density. It's in the right place with the thickest parts located where you want them, right under the sit bones. I found it comfortable for three hours or so – I could ride longer without suffering particularly but I wouldn't put it on a par with my very favourite pads, which can keep me comfy all day.

Around the back are two large pockets, with plenty of space for food and general cargo. In general I find it easier to organise stuff when there are three pockets, but these are of a good size. There are no reflective details at all, which is a shame for winter clothing.

I think the aspect I found hardest to like of the Ekoi onesie was the aesthetics. The designers have really gone to town with logos, cramming as many as they can across torso, legs and arms. It's not even a particularly good logo (in my opinion), and I particularly object to the Aerocomp graphic with the 'e' borrowed from Ekoi and the inexplicable 1 inside the 'o'. At road.cc we don't generally factor aesthetics into our overall scores, though, as they are very definitely a subjective area, so you can make your own mind up about them from the pictures.

> How to get more aero without spending a fortune

What we have here, in summary, is a notably more affordable onesie than Castelli's. The concept might be similar but the performance of the fabric is not – there's no water resistance here, and less wind protection than promised. However, it's comfortable and among the most aerodynamic options for cooler months.

Verdict

Winter onesie that's more affordable than some, but without much protection from wind and rain