Santini Magic Packable Waterproof Vest Unisex

The Santini Magic Packable Waterproof Vest Unisex provides excellent protection against the wind and rain. It’s a light, easily packable piece of kit that’s perfect for spring through autumn rides or those high-mountain days when the weather can change quickly.

> Buy now: Santini Magic Packable Waterproof Vest Unisex for £120 from Santini

The Magic Packable Waterproof Vest, which I’ll call a gilet from now on, is ideal for wet and windy days where you’d overheat if you were wearing a jacket.

The front of the gilet does a great job of protecting you against the wind. I tested this on some of my long local descents in cool conditions, and it performed very well. While I still felt a chill on my arms, my core stayed warm.

Santini claims it’s suitable for riders facing ‘extreme rain conditions’. I was sceptical, but in a sharp, heavy shower, Polartec’s Power Shield RPM material (10,000mm rating) performed excellently, far exceeding my expectations, and I remained largely dry.

The gilet has a breathability rating of 30,000g/m2/24hr, which means it delivers a good balance of waterproofing and breathability.

Despite the technical performance of the Polartec material, the fabric feels soft to the touch and never gets clammy, even on harder efforts.

Santini says this is suitable for temperatures between 10-20°C, though personally I’d probably lower that a few degrees at each end. I found it comfortable on mornings when the thermometer dipped under 10°C, and I was a little too warm when things hit 20°C.

On a club ride where I couldn’t easily remove it mid-ride – I have to admit I’m not the best at taking a gilet off at speed! – I found myself warm without overheating.

Sizing

The Santini Magic Packable Waterproof Vest Unisex is available in a wide range of eight sizes from XXS to 3XL. I tested the large (I’m 178cm and weigh 76kg), and it was in line with the size guide. It’s worth remembering that Santini has dedicated size guides for gender-specific and unisex clothing – make sure you use the right one.

At just 111g the gilet is not only very light, it also packs down into a small enough package to fit virtually any jersey pocket. That weight is so little that you pretty much forget you’re wearing it on those days when it warms up.

Fit

The gilet has a slim cut, with a close fit across my chest and shoulders, while retaining enough stretch to cover my overly laden pockets. The longer tail keeps your rear protected when you’re riding in the drops.

The excellent fit around the arms ensured that no wind gets through to your body that way. And with the zip all the way up, the fit around the neck is snug enough to prevent wind getting through there either.

There were no flappy bits when I was riding at a normal speed, but on fast descents at around 50-60km/h there was some flapping and noise, mainly on the upper back.

This has explicitly been designed to be a unisex gilet, and though the fit on my partner was good, it could have been better around her shoulders to be a true unisex fit (the size I was testing would have been the correct size for her too).

Extras

There is just one large rear pocket, which was fine for energy gels and the like, though I tended not to bother.

I prefer something like the pockets on the Castelli Espresso gilet that Matt reviewed recently, especially on days when you’re likely to keep the gilet on for hours.

The gilet fits in its own zip pocket and scrunches up into a very small package, about the size of a tennis ball.

The hem is elasticated but the gilet doesn’t have a gripper. And though it largely stayed in place well, I still think a gripper of some sort would help, though it might add a little weight, of course.

The double zip runs smoothly and easily, making it easy for you to get items from your jersey pocket while on the move.

The overall quality of Santini’s gilet – sorry, Magic Packable Waterproof Vest Unisex – is great, the stitching looks perfect and it looks as good as new after frequent washes.

It has been ideal for early mornings, where it has been cold at the start, then warmed up after a few hours.

As well as the burgundy on test, it’s also available in black, purple and cream.

The large ‘Santini Cycling’ lettering at the rear is reflective, and there’s a smaller reflective logo at the front, which I appreciated on the early mornings and late evenings when I did most of my testing.

And these are the times when the gilet came into its own, when it was cold starting out before it warmed up, at which point I could whip it off and stuff it in a jersey pocket.

Value

The Magic Packable Waterproof Vest retails at £120, which though expensive isn’t out of line with some of the other high-quality gilets we’ve reviewed.

Matt rated the Castelli Espresso very highly when he reviewed it, and it comes in at a fiver more than the Santini.

George thought the Gorewear Ambient Vest was an excellent piece of kit, and it’s a little less expensive than those two at £89.99.

Galibier does its usual job of delivering both quality and value with its Grand Tour Foul Weather gilet, which costs £69.25. Though as its name suggests, this is designed for more challenging weather conditions.

Check out our best cycling gilets buyer’s guide for more options.

Overall

The Santini Magic Packable Waterproof Vest Unisex provides excellent wind protection and waterproofing, and a great fit, in a packable, lightweight design. It’s an ideal choice for spring through to autumn, or for mountain riding where the weather can shift quickly.

The only real drawbacks are the flapping at high speeds and the single pocket, but those are minor gripes in an otherwise very good piece of cycling kit.

> Buy now: Santini Magic Packable Waterproof Vest Unisex for £120 from Santini

Verdict

Light and packable with excellent wind and rain protection

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