Galibier Female Specific Route Jacket

The Galibier Female Specific Route Jacket is a classy looking and exceptionally well-made top for cold conditions. However, although it performs well in terms of insulation, its poor breathability and lack of water resistance are a little disappointing, and its tailoring won't suit everyone either.

For more options, check out our guides to the best waterproof jackets and – for drier days – the best windproof jackets.

> Buy now: Galibier Female Specific Route Jacket for £53.44 from Galibier

We've had a real cocktail of conditions for testing, which has been ideal for finding out if this jacket lives up to Galibier's claims of what it's all about on its website: wear this and 'braving cold and wet conditions becomes effortlessly manageable'.

While I'd agree with the former, its ability to stand up to even light rain is minimal. Galibier actually rates it 1/5 in the technical section for 'waterproofness', which makes the worded description a little misleading. Though it can handle road spray, the jacket didn't stand up to more than five minutes of very light rain. Thankfully, when it did get soaked it didn't feel too weighty.

Galibier also states a 6-15°C window for the jacket in its technical section, which is a big ask of any jacket (though the list of features below that says it's 'suitable for temperatures ranging from 3-13°C'). Regardless of the ambient temperature, I never sensed any wind chill – protection here is first rate – but there's a real price to pay for this in terms of breathability. A moderate effort – what some might call zone 3 – in double-digit temperatures led to a serious moisture build-up inside the jacket.

Ideally I would have lowered the zip, but the jacket's loose fit up top (more on that in a minute) led to cold air rippling down over my shoulders and torso – not great when you have a saturated baselayer. If I kept the jacket zipped up, it simply felt clammy – I was unaware of the extent of sogginess that lay beneath.

I rode several times in the early hours to see how the jacket fared in lower temperatures – more recently we've had 4-5°C first thing. Provided I rode with a consistently steady effort I didn't sense moisture building up, and I was comfortable in terms of body temperature. A few degrees more, though, and the build-up of sweat commenced. In short, I think the 6-15°C window is not great guidance; 3-13°C is heading in the right direction, but 2-8°C might be more appropriate.

While it's not the performance I'd look for in a jacket to wear on my road bike – its breathability simply isn't good enough for faster riding and group rides – it could be useful for commuting, stowing in a pannier for a touring trip, or for a varied day on the gravel, with a view to removing it and packing it away. Its lightweight nature – it's a mere 270g – and low-bulk fabrics make it very portable.

Fabrics and construction

To say I was impressed when I pulled the jacket out of its packet would be an understatement. The royal blue fabric is eye-catchingly bold, and its ribbed texture looks stylish and feels robust. The seams and finishing details – zipper garage, embroidered logo, thoughtfully sized zip toggle (much appreciated, especially for the colder rides when I'd donned my lobster gloves) and reflective trims at the rear – are all first class.

The deep elastic band (with grippy silicone trim) at the rear looks smart, too. It's positioned below a panel of perforated, reflective fabric, which is very welcome, because although the blue is bold it's still not great on dull days.

Because the jacket is short in the body, the pocket openings sit high up the back which makes access challenging, particularly while riding. I even found that if I had my phone in the middle pocket for a longer outing I acquired a red patch on my spine, as it was sitting much higher up my back than it should have been.

The pockets aren't super deep (16.5cm), though their width compensates somewhat, and the top edges have no elastic trim, so contents don't feel as secure as with some jackets I've tested.

There's a zipped one for valuables if you are worried about keys, cash or cards.

Niche tailoring

Galibier says the cut is designed around a female form and it can be worn 'as a standalone or layered'. It might fit some riders well, but I found the jacket notably short in the body, with minimal coverage for my lower back when I was on my road bike.

And while it was being baggy around the chest, shoulders and upper arms, it was comparatively tight around the forearms, and even more so around the wrist (not always a bad thing in cold weather).

As I said earlier, the over-generous fit at the shoulders meant that if I lowered the front zip more than about 10cm, the jacket ballooned. And while sizing down might address the fit up top, I could then be left with an even shorter jacket, and forearm seams that get over-stretched.

So, for me personally, the fit was all wrong. It could suit a large-chested lady with a short body, but if you are not so generously endowed up top and have a longer-than-average torso, you may be disappointed.

Value and conclusion

While I wouldn't recommend this as a training jacket, for touring and commuting it's quite a bargain at £53.44 (if it fits you). Okay, it's not a 'performance' jacket, but you could buy six of these and still spend less than you would on Le Col's Hors Categorie Jacket. Even Gorewear's Everyday Women's Jacket, which is more comparable to the Galibier in terms of performance, is three times the price, and Altura's Nightvision Storm, which I reviewed back in 2020, has gone up to £100 (though it impressed me more than the Galibier).

Overall, I think the Route Jacket is a reasonable choice for touring or bikepacking adventures, as well as casual commuting. Its stylish design, which seems tailored for a more upright cycling position, combined with a practical colour and some excellent reflective detailing, make it appealing for functional bike journeys or sedate days in the saddle when you're really not exerting yourself and its lack of breathability won't be such an issue. Its lightweight design is a bonus too. Just be aware that the fit won't suit all; in my opinion it'll be better suited to those with a bigger-than-average bust and shorter-than-average body.

Verdict

Light and packable but limited in scope and the fit won't suit all – though the price is very appealing