Endura Pro Primaloft Gilet II

The Endura Pro SL Primaloft Gilet II is designed to layer over a jersey or under a jacket, keeping your core warm while allowing you to carry everything you need in its generous pockets. Designed for longer rides, it'll pack away if your jersey has large-enough pockets too.

Back in 2017 Ashley gave the first incarnation of Endura's insulated gilet 9/10, praising its insulation, packability and race fit.

Basically nothing's changed in the warmth and fit regard – it'll still keep you warm when going fast, without flapping. This time round you get better pockets and a two-way zip. Looking at the photos from the 2017 review, it's considerably bulkier than before – it's now about a double-fist's worth of volume, so might poke out a bit when stowed if your jersey pockets are on the small side.

I found the sizing to be on the tight side – the Medium fitted my 38in chest pretty snugly, and it's advertised at 39-41in. (It's not me in the photos.) So if you like a tight fit, great; if not, you may want to size up. The fit under the arms is pretty close too – when standing with arms hanging down you can feel the elastic underneath, something to be aware of if wearing over a looser-fit jersey where the gilet could make it bunch.

The fit around the neck was reasonably loose – I could easily get a hand down the collar past my 14in neck. This was actually a good thing, as it aided breathability. The windflap-backed zip ends in a garage, with a wee stretchy panel to one side for some give if layered over a high-collar jersey or scarf, so there's no chance of any irritation there.

The zip is an oddment, designed to be zipped up from the bottom as per normal, but also to then be unzipped from the bottom up to aid ventilation if needed. This sounds great – unless you forget to push the zip's lower half all the way down and lock it in place by pressing the tab flat, in which case it can ride up and open unawares. How robust this design is remains to be seen over time, but I'd suggest a packable garment should be treated with some care anyway.

The pockets follow the traditional layout of most jerseys with three across the back, plus a zippered security pocket on the right. Again, being a packable garment they aren't overly robust or reinforced, so you'll want to go easy with the loads.

Also available in bright blue and 'Pumpkin', the tested black features reflective logos on the collar and centre rear pocket.

Worn over a merino base and thick jersey, the gilet kept me warm during a 5-8°C rolling climb from zero to 550m above sea level, being zipped up and down through the forest and out onto the tops as effort and wind speed dictated. It did absorb a lot of sweat, but didn't feel damp or chilly – this was through two layers, mind. No wind gets through, that's for sure.

Worn over the same thick merino jersey and base, and under a triple-layer jacket into 3-4°C and a strong headwind, the gilet didn't feel bulky or overly warm. I was able to control my temperature effectively by zipping up and down one-handed, and after two hours of 75% max heart rate effort including a 400m forest gravel climb, I got home to find it had absorbed exactly 15ml of sweat – three teaspoons. It felt damp, sure, but not uncomfortably so, and what liquid there was evaporated in a few hours.

> Buyer’s Guide: 53 of the best pieces of cycling clothing to keep you warm in winter

Recently Stu was impressed by the lighter and £20 cheaper dhb Aeron Polartec gilet, a slightly different beast relying on fluffy fabric instead of actual down-style insulation, with a higher-vis look. Sticking with Primaloft insulation, Jim liked the Alpinestars Denali Vest for a tenner less, but the pockets are of a non-trad-road layout.

> Buyer’s Guide: 10 of the best cycling gilets

Now, £120 is a fair amount of cash for a garment with no sleeves, no waterproofing and limited application outside of winter. But if you need serious core warmth in a fitted, layerable, packable form that can be worn for hours if needed, with pockets storing items needing access, look no further.

Verdict

Solid choice for serious core warmth, can carry decent amounts of kit all day, yet is packable into smallish spaces