The Castelli Espresso Vest performs brilliantly on big days in the saddle, with enough breathability to keep you dry as you grind up long, steep ascents and sufficient windchill protection to keep you warm as you whizz down the other side. There’s a Goldilocks ‘just right’ quality to this gilet that delivers a great fit and will keep you comfortable in a wide range of temperatures. And when you don’t need it, it’s light and rolls down small, so it can be stored easily in a jersey pocket.
Check out more options in our guide to the best cycling gilets.
The Espresso is constructed from a mix of light softshell panels at the front, and what Castelli calls ‘Air_O Stretch’ fabric at the sides and the back.
Slipping on the size large for the first time and zipping it up, those side and back stretch panels hugged the contours of my body for a sleek and aerodynamic fit. Well – as aerodynamic as I’m going to achieve. Breathe in – check yourself out in the mirror – and there is a really nice aesthetic to the design.
It comes in a range of snazzy colours beyond the Deep Bordeaux I’ve been wearing, including Belgian Blue, Sage Green, Winter Sky, Rich Red and a rather lovely Vivid Orange.
There is a women’s version, too, at the same price, but it doesn’t have the same range of sizes or quite the flamboyant colour range available in the men’s.
First ride out
The Espresso got its inaugural outing on a chilly morning ride, paired with a thermal Albion Long Sleeve Jersey. I would normally have added a jacket over the top for the first hour, but wanted to see how well the gilet performed. It did not disappoint. While my arms could feel the windchill, my torso was surprisingly snug. Those softshell panels do their job very effectively.
As the sun came up and the hills started to get progressively steeper, the excellent breathability of the material at the back lived up to its promise and kept me cool, dry and comfortable. When we had a mid-morning coffee stop, I could see sweat had built up, but I was pretty dry on the inside. By hanging the gilet on the back of a chair in the cafe, it dried in the time it took to down a latte and inhale an almond croissant.
On a day that went from 7°C in the morning to around 14 at noon, I stayed incredibly comfortable and, for the most part, totally forgot I was wearing this gilet.
As we picked up speed during the morning, the wide rear gripper material prevented it from riding up, and the stretch material in the gilet meant it moved with my body for really impressive comfort. There’s no flap, no noise; it feels like a bit of kit that’s designed for aerodynamic performance.
According to the marketing blurb it has a ‘tailored watt-saving fit’. I am afraid I can’t offer any Strava statistics to support that claim, but I imagine it could offer marginal gains for people who regularly talk about their wattage, cadence and resting heart rate.
There is a high-neck collar for additional warmth, and with the two-way YKK zip done right up, it feels exceptionally comfortable. You can zip down to vent when needed or pull the extra zipper up from the bottom to access pockets on your jersey.
But you don’t need to do this because the Espresso comes with three deep and accessible pockets that make it easier to access kit on the go. I am a big fan of this feature. The majority of gilets I own don’t have pockets and then I find it a real hassle unzipping to access kit stashed in my jersey.
These three pockets are made from the same Air_O Stretch material, are easily accessible on the go, and offer secure storage that is deep enough to cope with phone and wallet in one pocket, mini repair kit in another and a lightweight jacket in the last one.
Always a niggle
There is a tab at the top to protect your skin from the zip and offer a little additional wind-resistance. No one wants to get their jowls caught in a zipper but I struggled with this feature. It made it hard to zip it right the way up to the top one-handed when on the move, as the tab kept getting caught. It was even harder with a pair of full-finger gloves on. It’s not a deal-breaker but it did irritate a little.
While the construction and design is excellent, there was evidence of some untidy stitching on the inside of our gilet. I doubt it is going to cause any long-term issues and I am sure this was an anomaly on this test sample because stitching elsewhere looked fine, but it’s a little disappointing considering the price.
Another niggle is, I do a lot of night riding and I’m not sure that the single, very small reflective tab on the back really offers the kind of visibility I need to feel safe. So while I like the performance that the Espresso offers, I might end up packing an extra reflective tabard such as the Apidura Packable Visibility Vest (£45) for certain rides. That is going to take away some of the weight and breathability advantages on offer here.
Spring has sprung
As the weather started to warm up, I found myself using the Espresso in the 12-20°C range that Castelli suggests it is designed for. And sure enough, when I paired it with a short-sleeved jersey on a really warm day, it felt like it was in its element. It was so comfortable that I totally forgot I was wearing it.
It was only when riding towards the top of that temperature range that I felt the need to roll it up and slip it into the back pocket of my jersey.
In the one very light shower that I experienced during the test period, the Espresso didn’t hold off much rain, but it’s not designed to. It did, however, keep me warm and then dried out relatively quickly when the rain did pass.
Value for money
While £125 is a lot of money for a gilet, it is really good. Comfortable, practical, packable: it does exactly what Castelli says it is designed to do. And it looks good, which adds a little incentive to get out the door and ride more. I reckon it’s the best cycling gilet I have used, and while I might baulk at spending so much money, I do think this is an investment I could justify.
There are plenty of good three-season gilets that come in at a lower price, though, such as the Endura Pro SL Lite, which now retails at £109.99 and offers similar range of features to the Espresso. When George reviewed the older model in 2021, he gave it 8/10.
Stolen Goat’s Men’s Scratch Ibex Gilet costs £70 and comes in a fetching sunburst design, and if you want an even more affordable and effective reflective gilet for night rides then Shaun reckoned the Van Rysel Hi-Viz Cycling Gilet was very good; he said it didn’t pack down as well as others, but it had good wind and water resistance and breathability.
Conclusion
The Castelli Espresso is an excellent gilet that will perform well over three seasons and beyond. It delivers a great fit, extra warmth when you need it, and enough breathability to keep you comfortable all day long.
Verdict
Excellent design using materials that offer a mix of breathability, windchill protection and stretchiness for a superb fit
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Castelli Espresso Vest
Size tested: Large
Tell us what the product is for
Three-season gilet that comes with windproof front panels to keep you warm and breathable back panels to allow sweat and moisture to wick away.
Castelli says: “The Espresso Vest is made to pair perfectly with your favorite Espresso kit. But not only does it look great, it has all the performance you’d expect. The stretch woven fabric on the front keeps out most of the wind but allows just enough to pass through to keep you dry. We use the same fabric from the Espresso Jersey on the back for great stretch and comfort, so the fit of the vest is just right. We’ve provided 3 pockets for added storage and so you can easily access anything you might need quickly. The zipper on the front opens from the top and bottom for improved temperature regulation and to make accessing your jersey pockets easier. Elastic at the waist keeps the vest in place, and the reflective tab on the back adds extra visibility. All this amazing performance, plus it still packs down to stow away in a pocket if you don’t need it.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Castelli’s product blurb reads…
Stretch woven front to allow just enough air through to keep you dry and comfortable
Air_O Stretch fabric on back and sides for breathability, comfort, and perfect fit
3 back pockets
Top- and bottom-opening YKK® zipper
Elastic at waist to keep vest in place
Reflective tab on back for added visibility
It’s very well-designed piece of kit, although there was evidence of a few stitching quirks on the review model.
This performs particularly well in the 12-20°C temperature range that Castelli suggests it is designed for, although paired with the right bits of kit it can be your primary outer layer in colder temperatures. And you are likely to have rolled it up and stashed it in a rear pocket long before you hit the 20 degrees mark.
No concerns with durability during the test period.
The Air-O Stretch material at the sides and the rear offer a really exceptional level of fit.
I wore a size large, which was fine, thanks in part to the stretch fabric.
Lightweight and packable, it hardly bothers the scales.
There’s no ‘zip garage’ at the top but that wasn’t an issue. The high collar is exceptionally comfortable and the gripper at the rear and stretch fabric ensure that it moves comfortably with your body and stays in place.
There are plenty of cheaper three-season gilet alternatives, but the level of performance on offer here makes this a good investment.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
It requires a careful 30 degree wash and then drying out of the sun, according to the care instructions. It responded perfectly well in my washing machine.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
I thought it delivered really impressive performance and I enjoyed every minute of riding with it on.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The fit is really good – it feels good, keeps you warm and you can easily forget you are wearing it at times.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
There is very little to dislike here, but I must admit I’d be torn as to whether to use this on night rides as I really want a little more reflective detailing.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
This is comparable with other three-season gilets on offer from similar brands but there are plenty of alternatives around that are more affordable.
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
It’s excellent, and does exactly what Castelli says it’s designed to do – deliver extra warmth, good breathability and an impressively comfortable fit. I think it’s really made for people who want a faster day in the saddle and here it will not disappoint with great performance over a good temperature range. I really enjoyed using it, and there are just a couple of small issues that stop me from giving it full marks.
About the tester
Age: 0 Height: 180cm Weight: 83k
I usually ride: Specialised Langster (fixed commuter) My best bike is: Condor Fratello (new – Audax rides)
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, Audax
1 thought on “Castelli Espresso Vest”
I bought one of these from
I bought one of these from Merlin and liked it so much that i bought another in a different colour! Best thing about it is that it doesn’t flap about unlike the Rapha version it replaced.