X-Bionic Biking Winter SphereWind Light Jacket

X-Bionic describes its Biking Winter Spherewind Light jacket as "light and simple"; it's not either, especially. It is a really good quality outer layer, though, and performs well through a useful range of temperatures.

The jacket is mostly a wind and showerproof polyamide construction, the exception being the back panel which is X-Bionic's 3D-BionicSphere. This is a complex knitted fabric panel whose job is to both manage sweat, cooling you down, and also keep you warm when you stop. It features a series of outer and inner channels in a sort of concertina formation; they're designed to wick sweat away, channel air over evaporation surfaces when you're moving, and trap air and keep you warm when you stop.

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They're effective, too. It's the same tech that's used in the excellent Energy Accumulator baselayer and if you run the Spherewind Light jacket as a single layer then the jacket regulates itself very well. The 3D-BionicSphere does its thing, and the internal surface of the rest of the jacket has a sort of waffle construction that's comfortable against the skin, as are the flatlocked seams. The underarm panels are a Roubaix-style fabric that's not windproof, so heat can escape there.

As a whole, it's effective enough that I've used the jacket on its own in temperatures well down into the single digits and up to about 13-14°C without either overheating or freezing to death. So in the South West, where we're based, that's a fair chunk of the year covered...

If it's colder than that you can layer up underneath. Paired with the aforementioned X-Bionic baselayer, the SphereWind Light is warm enough for pretty much any UK conditions, especially on faster rides where you're putting out more heat. It works with other baselayers just fine too; it's best with the X-Bionic one but that's probably more down to the fact that it's an exceptional baselayer, rather than any particular benefit you get from using the garments as a system. X-Bionic is (naturally) keen for you to layer up your 3D-BionicSpheres, but from what I read on its website about the system the main benefits come from when it's next to the skin.

If it rains, the Spherewind Light will shrug off a decent amount of water. It's not a taped-seam hardshell, but in drizzly conditions or when it's showery it's a good performer. It's pretty windproof at the front too, so even when it gets wet it remains warm to ride in.

> Check out our guide to the best waterproof jackets here

In murky conditions our black and orange one, with bright orange panels on the sides and plenty of reflectives on the arms and body, is the pick of the three. At the back you get three elasticated pockets, of which the larger middle one is big enough to swallow the large Sticky Pod I tend to throw all my bits and bobs in. The smaller side pockets are ideal for gels and such, and there's a zippered (but not waterproofed) pocket too which will swallow a 5in smartphone.

X-Bionic pitches the jacket at both mountain biking and road biking, and the cut is somewhere between the two. It's a nice snug fit with no flappy bits and the tail is slightly dropped, but there's not quite enough length in the arms for a stretched-out road position; they could do with maybe another inch.

The other issue with the arms is the knitted cuff, which in the rain soaks up a lot of water. If you're wearing a long-sleeved baselayer that water can get transferred to your inner layer and you end up with damp arms. It's not a deal-breaker, but a longer arm and redesigned cuff would solve it. The cuffs, and the neck, feature X-Bionic's ribbed diffuser construction which creates air channels, allowing air and moisture to escape.

> Check out our guide to the best windproof jackets here

Overall I enjoyed wearing the Spherewind Light and I've done so a lot, in the varied riding conditions we've had. It'll still be a useful layer well into late spring and early summer round here, on those nondescript days when it's a bit wet and not especially warm. It's certainly a considerable investment, but it works and it's built to last. If you have shorter arms than me (I'm not unusually gangly), or you're in more of a touring position on the bike, the fit might be right for you as well.

Verdict

Good quality outer layer that's a strong performer in UK conditions