Winter jackets

With winter set in, now more than ever it’s vital that you have a quality winter jacket. A good winter jacket is the key to a good season’s riding; it’s the difference between an enjoyable winter’s training ride or early home time.

A jacket’s fit is an important consideration. Ideally, you want something that’s going to sit close to the body as a poorly fitting, baggy jacket leads to a frustrating riding experience. However, you don’t want it to be skinsuit figure-hugging — after all it’s likely you’ll want to squeeze a larger base layer underneath it. Insulation is the key role of any winter jacket and the best will stop the wind cutting through, featuring specialist windstopping technology in some form or another. It’s also a good idea to look for some form of water resistance. While few will offer full-blown waterproofing, many of the best offer decent resistance to wet weather, although it’s a balancing act between protection and ventilation — a jacket that causes you to overheat and sweat will just end up making you feel colder.

We’ve chosen six winter jackets, produced by some of the cycling industry’s best known brands and tested them thoroughly, scoring each jacket on its fit and its protective qualities. We’ve also rewarded jackets that have sweated the