The Boardman Mens 9 Series Gilet is an impressive lightweight, windproof gilet with a great fit, which packs away easily and performs solidly for the price. It is ideal for cool starts or descents, though it lacks the premium feel of its more expensive competitors.
The Boardman gilet is designed for transitional conditions or keeping the wind off you on descents. In other words, any time you might need a bit more than just a jersey but don’t want a full-on jacket. It’s designed to be packable enough to carry in your jersey pocket, and it has a windproof front panel and lightweight mesh rear to help with breathability.
Straight out of the bag, the gilet feels well made. The front is constructed from a thin, slightly crisp windproof polyester a bit like a rip-stop fabric, but a little thicker. This does a good job of keeping out the wind although it is has no insulation, so it’s very much designed to keep off the wind rather than keeping you warm by itself.
It does this very well, I used it to give some wind protection while descending on warmer days over a summer jersey and also used it over a more insulated winter jersey too – and in both situations it worked well.
At the back is a large mesh panel that does a good job of preventing sweat buildup with excellent breathability. It is great for if you’re putting in an effort knowing that you will need to descend shortly afterwards as it does let heat build-up escape effectively.
There are some nice design elements too. The zip is rugged and works well, giving you some flexibility when it comes to ventilation – especially on climbs where you might want a bit of breeze without taking the gilet off completely.
There’s backing behind, which protects against wind coming through the zip.
Boardman has also included a couple of reflectives, with a tab on the side and a small logo between the shoulder blades.
One of its best qualities is how well it packs away. Folded or rolled, it fits easily into a standard jersey pocket – or even half of one – and doesn’t bulk up your back. That makes it ideal if you’re heading out in uncertain conditions who don’t want to be committed to carrying or wearing a full jacket for the duration of the ride.
The fit is good, offering you decent freedom of movement. As you can imagine there isn’t any stretch in the windproof material, but the mesh at the rear offers some, so it will easily fit around anything you’ve got in your pockets without impacting fit. The rear is dropped too, to provide coverage to your rear when riding on the drops.
The arm holes are also shaped nicely – not too loose or tight, so there were no issues with chafing. Small silicone grippers around the hem help to keep everything in place even if you have packed your jersey pockets full.
It has no pockets of its own, but two pass-throughs allow you easy access to your jersey pockets underneath without lifting up the gilet.
Value
The gilet’s £45 RRP makes it good value for the quality and performance it offers.
The Gorewear Ambient Vest costs more than twice as much, though that price premium gives you a 30g lower weight and it packs down even smaller, but the performance is broadly similar.
The closest we’ve tested recently in terms of price is the Altura Airstream Men’s Windproof Gilet. It’s a fiver dearer but at 136g it’s weightier than the Boardman and doesn’t pack down quite as small.
Our best cycling gilets buyer’s guide rounds up more of our favourites from around £30 to nearly £200.
Conclusion
The Boardman Series 9 Gilet blocks wind effectively, breathes well and disappears into a pocket when the sun comes out. It may not be flashy, and it lacks some of the finer materials of more premium options, but for the money I think it’s very hard to fault – and a solid choice for club rides, commutes and weekend adventures. It makes a quality companion to Boardman’s 9 Series Bib Shorts too.
Verdict
Fuss-free and practical, and it packs down very well – and all at a very appealing price
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Boardman Mens 9 Series Gilet
Size tested: Large
Tell us what the product is for
Boardman says: “The Boardman 9 Series Gilet provides a lightweight shield against the wind, making it an essential addition to your cycling gear. Featuring a windproof front panel that effectively blocks gusts, this gilet also boasts a breathable mesh rear panel that offers ample stretch and ventilation for comfort. Accessing your essentials is a breeze, thanks to its unique rear pocket access. Plus, when it’s time to tackle a climb, the gilet is easily packable, allowing you to stow it away until you need it again for the descent.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Lightweight and packable
Windproof front to protect from wind chill
Silicone gripper to hold in position as you ride
Jersey rear pocket access
Breathable stretch mesh back panel
2 way zip to increase ventilation at top or bottom
The materials at this price point are not going to be up there with the more premium options, but what is there is solid and well stitched together.
Does what it needs to without fuss and packs down neatly. Just what you want from a gilet.
I chucked this into my jersey pocket for many rides alongside keys, coins, tools etc and it doesn’t look any worse for wear, which is always a good sign.
Lacks stretch across the front of the gilet, but despite that the fit is good and allows for a full range of movement, and the silicone grippers help to keep everything where it should be.
The large I tested fitted as I would expect.
While not as light as some of the more expensive alternatives, the gilet’s 95g weight is still pretty light (roughly the weight of a medium-size apple…).
Good breathability thanks to the mesh back and the cut meant there was no chafing or rubbing.
At £45 I think this represents decent value; it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of more premium options but it performs really well and keeps the wind out.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Easy – it’s a gilet so you don’t need to wash it much, but I chucked it in a wash for the review with no adverse impacts.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well, it is easy to pack away in a jersey pocket and it keeps out the wind when its on your shoulders.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Its no-fuss simplicity.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
You could have more stretch in the windproof material if you’re being picky, but at this price I wouldn’t expect that.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The Gorewear Ambient Vest comes in at over double the price at £99. And while the Gore is 30g lighter and packs down smaller, their performances are broadly similar.
The closest we’ve tested recently in terms of price is the Altura Airstream Men’s Windproof Gilet. This is a fiver dearer but it’s little weightier at 136g and doesn’t pack down as small as the Boardman.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
Well-priced and well-thought-through packable gilet that does what it needs to without fuss.
About the tester
Age: 35 Height: 6 ft Weight:
I usually ride: CAAD13 My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,
