Lusso Paragon Deep Winter Jacket

The Lusso Paragon Deep Winter Jacket is described by the brand as the only cycling jacket you’ll ever need for extreme winter conditions. With a recommended temperature range of -5 to 10°C, that does indeed cover the majority of what we’d typically see in the UK through the colder months – although readers in other countries might take issue with -5 being billed as “extreme winter conditions”. Lusso says that the jacket has been completely overhauled from the previous version, with new fabrics from its Italian partner Windtex delivering a big increase in breathability, in particular. Spoiler alert: it’s my new favourite jacket.

We’ve written plenty this year about cycling apparel moving away from using PFAS and other forever chemicals in a belated bid to offer more planet-friendly products – perhaps most notably in the discontinuation of Gore’s Shakedry products. If there’s a theme (at least in the kit I’ve tested), it’s that delivering the same protection and performance without the nasties seems to be quite challenging. We’ve seen big brands launching jackets described as “essentially waterproof” and “waterproof enough for most conditions”, and some of the PFAS-free stuff I’ve tested has been underwhelming. So are we forced to trade performance for sustainability?

If anyone should be able to buck that trend, it’s Lusso, which has been some way ahead of most other brands on the sustainability front, using recycled materials to make its kit since 2009. Sure enough, the Paragon jacket is almost entirely made from recycled material and is free of PTFE and PFAS.

Lusso, despite its continental-sounding name, is a UK brand that makes all of its kit, except socks, in-house in Manchester. Given that most kit these days (right across the price scale) is made in far-flung places, we should celebrate a brand that is still manufacturing on these shores.

The Paragon Deep Winter sits at the pinnacle of Lusso’s range of jackets – although having seen prices for high-performance jackets increasingly start with a 3, you might be surprised to learn that the RRP is £199.

So what do you get for your money?

The majority of the Paragon is made of a three-layer bonded fabric from Windtex, comprising a DWR-treated outer, a waterproof membrane with 15,000mm hydrostatic head rating, and a tufty sort of insulation inside, arranged in a grid pattern. Collectively, the layers deliver an impressive breathability rating (MVTR, to be precise, which stands for moisture vapour transmission rate) of 25,000 g/m2/24h.

Lusso says that the insulation is chosen to be super comfortable against the skin, while the gaps in the grid help with breathability. The black parts at the bottom of the torso and sleeves are made from a technical neoprene with a waterproof membrane, and are raw cut without a seam to maximise comfort and to play nicely with your gloves.

According to Lusso, this jacket is designed so that you can wear it with just a base layer underneath, and I’ve found it to be supremely comfortable even with only a sleeveless mesh one. The insulation feels cosy against the skin, and the membrane is highly effective at keeping weather out. On an unremittingly grey day, I wore it for six hours, half of which saw continuous rain. The temperature ranged from 6-9°C, and the jacket performed flawlessly, keeping me dry, warm and comfortable in thoroughly inclement conditions.

The extent to which it kept the rain out was a pleasant surprise, especially as I’ve been very underwhelmed by some other “waterproofs” in recent months. As the seams aren’t sealed, Lusso doesn’t describe this as a waterproof jacket, but a 15k hydrostatic head is big league – the same level of protection as the brand’s HardRain shell jacket (which we’re also testing at the moment).

The outer layer is treated with a PFAS-free durable water repellent coating, intended to encourage water to run off rather than soak in. This is probably the area where the comparison is least favourable versus “how things used to be with PFAS-based DWR” – it’s not long at all before water soaks into the outer layer in the rain. However, the membrane doesn’t let it any further in, and the outer layer has quite limited absorption, meaning that it does dry out when the rain abates.

Thanks to a good degree of stretch in the fabric, Lusso has been able to achieve a sleek yet comfortable fit without too many seams, and that’s clearly a good thing, seeing as seams are usually where water finds a way in first if they’re not taped. After the six-hour ride, I checked carefully to see how much water had made it in, and there was some dampness around the wrists – likely through a combination of ingress via the ends of the sleeves, and the intersection with the neoprene cuffs. My torso was largely dry, however, and even where there was some moisture, the high loft insulation does a cracking job of staying cosy and comfortable where many jackets start to feel clammy against the skin.

When the mercury drops, I found a long sleeved base layer still mostly sufficient if you’re pushing on, although right at the bottom of the temperature range I’d add a jersey as well, and here the elasticity in the fabric is helpful.

At any temperature, I was really impressed at how the Paragon dealt with sweat. The 25k breathability rating is decent for something offering this level of rain protection, and I suspect that the 12 small holes under each armpit make quite a difference too. They’re positioned so that rain can’t get in while riding, but moisture vapour can get out. The combination is highly effective, anyway – such that I could ride at pace with this jacket on towards the top of the recommended temperature range without any boil-in-the-bag discomfort.

So is this a jacket for “extreme winter conditions”? Well, yes it can be, keeping me perfectly comfortable on really cold days. I’d argue it’s more than that though. Most UK winter days aren’t sub-zero, and if you’re in the market for a jacket, the best case scenario is to find one which can cope with anything that you’ll face all winter. I was surprised and impressed at the extent to which this jacket remained comfortable as the temperature approached double digits.

By way of comparison, my benchmark jacket for the coldest of days has long been the Stolen Goat Climb and Conquer, which is a brilliant defence against sub-zero temperatures, but in which I get too hot at anything over about 5°C – hence it doesn’t get heavy rotation through the winter.

The fit is impressive too, with lots of details that have clearly been sweated over (in a good way). I liked how the dropped rear is shaped to stay in place without riding up or flapping around, and the cuffs are angled and quite a snug fit, meaning that there are no draughts around your wrists and it’s easy to get an overlap with your gloves.

Lusso only offers a single unisex version of this jacket, and its photography shows both male and female models wearing it. Although there is some give in the fabric, I am a little sceptical at how well the cut will work for a wide range of female cyclists.

At the front, I found the YKK Aquaguard zip and the neoprene flap behind it were highly effective at keeping wind and rain at bay. The three pockets at the back are unusually roomy, swallowing snacks and ride essentials easily. I did find the openings to be perhaps an inch higher than they ideally would be, making it just a bit of a stretch to get my hands in there, but it wasn’t a major issue. There’s also a good-sized zipped valuables pocket, although it’s worth pointing out that the zip isn’t a water resistant one. The main pockets all have drain holes at the bottom.

Visibility is taken care of by reflectives on the large iridescent logo on the rear, and the taping across the top of the pockets. At the front, the text on the breast is also reflective.

The neck is lined with a Roubaix fabric and is shaped at the rear to suit a typical road-cycling position. I found it very comfortable. There’s also – hooray! – a loop for hanging it up.

You can have the Paragon Deep Winter jacket in a range of colours likely to appeal to most people. We tested the Graphite grey, although I’d describe it more as a January sky colour than graphite. You can also have it in Cobalt blue and Crimson red, plus – for me the pick of the bunch – a green/gold Khaki colour. Lusso appears to have noticed that Scandi-minimalist is the de rigueur aesthetic these days, as seen on brands such as Pas Normal Studios, Universal Colours and Polestar. I think this is a great-looking jacket, and I like the clean and simple graphics used. It is quite a similar-looking thing to the vastly more expensive Mechanism Thermal Jacket from Pas Normal. Just a coincidence, I’m sure.

Lusso offers a free repairs service for the first year if you buy your kit directly from them, and after that they’ll replace zips or apply patches at a modest cost if you need them to, as part of their commitment to sustainable production.

To wrap up (it is a winter coat, after all), I was very impressed with the Lusso Paragon. I’ve ridden a lot in some pretty grim conditions while testing it, and have always got home with that slightly smug feeling of having been wearing the right kit.

The pricing is very competitive too. Yes, I know that £199 is not pocket change, but the Pas Normal jacket I mentioned (also made from Windtex fabric) is almost twice the price.

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We’ve tested the Rapha Pro Team Shadow jacket which also featured a grid-type insulation, and the Castelli Alpha 150 this winter. Both are priced over £300 and offer insulation and breathability with moderate water resistance.

Iwein also liked the £270 Santini Vega, praising its warmth. You’ll note that all of those jackets cost significantly more than the Lusso, which I think makes it a good deal at RRP, and a total bargain at its current discounted price.

When you factor in that it’s made in the UK and entirely from recycled, PFA-free material, it’s a real winner, proving that you can have top-drawer performance without using forever chemicals.