Best winter cycling jackets 2025 — beat the chill with a warm winter layer

Castelli's Perfetto RoS 2 Jacket is a popular choice amongst road cyclists. It's a great winter investment as well as being a brilliant bit of kit for the autumn and spring months, which helps to justify the price. 

What we have here is enough insulation for the autumn and spring in a jacket that is easy to pair with a heavier baselayer and thermal jersey on those extra cold winter days.

The water resistance is impressive too, seeing off heavy showers and road spray, while the lightweight design and breathability means that mild conditions won't leave you a sweaty mess. 

 Gobik is a Spanish brand and clothing provider for pro team Ineos Grenadiers and their Unisex Thermal Armour Venta Jacket is an excellent winter jacket that copes well with the harshest of conditions. 

Gobike says that the jacket is suitable for temperatures between -5 and 10°C, and tester Ben said that it's warm and waterproof, has a great fit, and provides good breathability. 

Ben writes: "Upon opening the jacket, I was a bit worried about breathability because the Polartec Alpha lining looks incredibly warm. I needn't have worried, though, as the material and the vents did a good job of regulating my temperature."

The only downside is that it's only available in black. 

The Showers Pass Men’s EcoLyte Elite Jacket is one of the best waterproof, breathable, packable jackets on the market, making it a great choice for commuting in the British winter. 

It comes with great ventilation, a cut that suits all kinds of riding styles, and it's packable too. You even get a removable hood for those atrocious weather days and it's large enough to fit over the top of your helmet. 

In terms of construction, the outer face and lining are made from 100% recycled material, so it's got some eco credentials going for it, and so are the zips on the vents and rear pocket. The three-layer fabric is coated with a DWR (durable water repellent) finish which sees the rain water and road spray just bead off even in long, heavy downpours. 

Northern Irish brand Galibier has been quietly producing high-quality cycle wear at very competitive prices for some years now, and the Liberté jacket can certainly be added to the list of its successes. For the money, its light weight and insulation make it one of the best value packable layers on the market. 

It's made with 100% nylon DWR-treated main fabric and 40g of recycled insulation, which our reviewer felt was just the right amount for a lighter layer. 

In fact, here's our conclusion: "It's packable, warm, light and minimal without compromising functionality, with a great, practical fit for cycling and a price tag that doesn't make me cry out 'how much?!?'."

The GV500 Insulated Jacket is great on and off the bike when it's freezing or low single digits. It's not designed to be waterproof but it will shrug off light showers. It's also super lightweight and packs down to next to nothing when you need to stow it. 

The inside is a very bright safety orange but unfortunately, the main zip is not double-sided so you cannot easily turn it inside out (although I’m sure you could manage in an emergency). The orange side has no pockets, but at least you would be seen as opposed to blending in with the very nice, but super stealthy Action Man green colour.

Other features include two handwarmer pockets (one of which it can pack itself into), a double-ended zip, a snug adjustable hood and front and rear reflective markings. 

The Santini Adapt Multi - Jacket is a very lightweight jacket that can be worn in atrocious conditions. It's wonderfully warm yet also breathable, and very good at keeping out rain.

The fabric chosen by Santini for the Adapt Multi is Polartec's Power Shield Pro which represents the cutting edge of highly waterproof, thermally insulating and breathable material.

The design of the Adapt is a classic winter jacket – snug fit, high collar, generously-low hem at the back with gripper tape, and long sleeves to fully cover the wrists. The three back pockets are deep enough to swallow the largest of phones or a decent tool roll, and on the left pocket is a zipped pocket for valuables.

Altura's Grid Women’s Half Zip Softshell Hoodie is cosy, protective and versatile for all sorts of riding and outdoor activities, without looking too technical. 

The Altura hoodie is like a cross between a sweatshirt and a softshell jacket with a thermal grid fleece lining and is remarkably protective. It has a half zip at the neck, an adjustable hood with peak, zipped side pockets, a shaped tail and long stretchy cuffs. It also has reflective print patterns along the rear hemline, at the cuffs and on the chest.

It's windproof and warm enough to use with a fairly thin top underneath until the temperatures start to drop. When they do, there's room underneath for thicker baselayers, especially as the fabric is very stretchy. It was spot on even on very cold days around zero. The water-repellent treatment is very effective too, even keeping out heavy rain showers, though it's not claimed to be a waterproof jacket.

The Velocio Women's Alpha Merino Air Jacket has a fantastic warmth to weight ratio and works very well across a wide temperature range of dry weather conditions and light showers.

Tester Anna writes: "It fits wonderfully, feels delightful against the skin, and has excellent low-profile cuffs." Alongside the windproof and water-resistant outer, Velocio has used a merino wool version of Polartec's Alpha insulation inside the jacket, across the front, through the sleeves and around the collar. It's incredibly soft and snugly, making this jacket a delight to wear.

It's also still breathable enough for those fast and intense blasts thanks to the soft fleece-backed panel at the back. It's made from 100% recycled polyester, which is a welcome nod to sustainability. 

And, there's even a men's version of the Velocio Alpha Merino Air Jacket which also received a 9/10 rating from our masculine reviewer.