Sportful Fiandre Light WS W Jacket

The Sportful Fiandre Windstopper Women's Jacket is good looking and versatile, and works well as an extra layer for every season, but a couple of simple omissions are a bit disappointing given the price.

The Fiandre  is longer than a lot of other jackets on the market, presumably to provide extra protection from spray off the road. Unfortunately, because there isn't a substantial gripper on the bottom hem, the jacket tends to ride up when on the bike, so that extra length is a bit wasted. The sleeves are a sensible length, though, and the cuffs sit nicely round the wrists with enough stretch to get gloves under or over, depending on your preference.

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The fit is shaped for a woman's curves, and is sized as you would expect from Sportful's size guide. The main body is made from a light and slightly stretchy Gore fabric, which gives a lot of comfort and flexibility.

The high neck is lined in a fleecy material, and very soft and comfortable it is too. Doing the zip all the way up to the neck adds an extra element of warmth and protection without being restrictive.

The Gore Windstopper fabric paired with the YKK waterproof zip certainly keeps the wind out well and is impressively waterproof in light rain. Sportful doesn't claim that the jacket is fully waterproof, and it isn't, but the thin fabric is very breathable making it ideal as an extra layer for riding in any season.

It features two large rear pockets with plenty of space for snacks to keep you fuelled on long rides. There is also a side pocket, which Sportful says is for easy access and is the perfect size for most smartphones. This is great in concept, but proved fiddly to get into while riding. After feeling as though my phone was about to fall out on every descent, I eventually moved it to the rear pocket and felt far more comfortable with it there. I'd like to see a zip pocket instead, to keep at least my keys and a few coins for the coffee stop secure.

A big bonus of the jacket's light weight is that I found I could fold it into some of my larger jersey pockets if I wanted to remove it mid-ride. This only adds to its versatility, meaning you could use it regularly until the summer months, and knowing the British weather, it would probably come out even then.

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Overall, I loved the design of the jacket and found it lightweight and breathable as the manufacturer intended. However, considering the £160 price tag, I was expecting more from the fit and would love to see a gripper on the hem and a secure pocket added to the rear.

Verdict

Very versatile jacket, but adding one or two simple features would make it so much better