Santini Women’s Beta Winter Windstopper Jacket

Winter is well and truly here, and aiming to protect you from the elements without the need for bulky layers is the Santini Women's Beta Winter Windstopper Jacket. It does an okay job, but doesn't quite live up to Santini's big claims.

• Pros: Lightweight, comfortable, attractive, weatherproof
• Cons: Not as warm as claimed, lacking a zippered pocket

At just 295g, the jacket feels much thinner and lighter than any other winter jacket I've tried. This, along with the slightly stretchy fabric around the main body, makes it flexible and not at all restrictive to wear, whether riding or warming up with a mid-ride coffee. I found it very comfortable to ride in and the elastic strip around the base sat nicely flush against my back without moving around or riding up.

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The sleeve cuffs are easy enough to tuck a pair of gloves underneath and leave no exposed skin or uncomfortable lumpy material. However, when riding without gloves on, the sleeves rode up my arms a little which was frustrating.

One other disappointing thing to note is that although the jacket features three reasonably sized rear pockets, the 'rainproof zippered pocket' promised on the website doesn't feature.

Size-wise, I tested a medium and would usually wear a small or size 8. The medium was a good fit, tapered to a typical female figure while leaving room for extra layers. The soft, fleecy collar comes up lovely and high and is definitely a nice bonus on especially cold days.

Santini gives this jacket an insulation rating of 5/5 and a recommended temperature range of -8 to +5 degrees. I was therefore disappointed to find that it didn't keep me especially warm and I needed two or three layers underneath when the temperature got below zero. The coldest I tested it in was a particularly early morning commute at -3°C. With a long-sleeved thermal baselayer and long-sleeved jersey under the jacket, I was just on the edge of being uncomfortably cold and wouldn't want to wear it in anything colder.

At the upper end of the temperature scale, though, I think Santini could be more generous. The breathability is fairly impressive, especially for a wind and water-resistant jacket, and I was happy with a light jersey underneath in around 8-10°C.

In strong wind, the jacket again disappointed me somewhat against Santini's 5/5 wind resistance rating. While the Gore Windstopper fabric is effective in lighter or moderate winds, anything stronger left me feeling the wind chill straight through the jacket. This wasn't entirely unexpected from the thin, lightweight fabric but was a bit disappointing nonetheless.

The zip guard does help to keep the wind from coming straight in via the zip while also preventing rubbing or chafing around the neck.

Riding in light rain and moderate showers, water will bead on the surface of the jacket to begin with and didn't start to permeate the material for at least half an hour, or longer in lighter conditions. In heavy rain I was pretty much soaked through within 10 minutes. The material used on the sleeve cuffs is particularly susceptible to water soaking through quickly, often leaving me with chilly wrists when I didn't have gloves underneath. Bearing in mind that the jacket is only water resistant and not waterproof, though, I'd say it does a reasonable job of keeping the rain out and once the rain ceases, it is very quick to dry.

> Read more road.cc reviews of women's cycling kit here

Aesthetically, I think it's an attractive jacket, with its simple black design and several small logos and reflective details on the rear. I like the contrasting bright orange of the zip guard, which adds a splash of colour when the jacket isn't fully zipped.

Despite the looks and the showerproofing, for £139.99 I do think you could get more for your money, especially in the warmth department. It reminds me in both weight and performance of the cheaper dhb Aeron Long Sleeved Jersey, which I tested a year or so ago. That's currently on sale for £70, with an rrp of £105. Personally, I also loved the recently tested Rapha Core Winter Jacket which, while a little thicker and less water resistant, could be worth checking out too, for £120.

Verdict

A good concept for a light winter jacket, but could be more protective on cold, windy days