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review

Sportful Bodyfit Pro Wind Vest

8
£85.00

VERDICT:

8
10
High quality windproof gilet that keeps your torso insulated on windy days.
Weight: 
165g
Contact: 
www.sportful.it

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Sportful Bodyfit Pro Wind Vest is constructed with Gore Windstopper on the front-facing panels and Aero Stretch fabric around the back, so it's windproof where it needs to be and more breathable in places where you don't need protection from the wind.

Sportful call it a vest, but it's essentially the same as a gilet. Many gilets are very lightweight garments designed for emergency use, when the weather makes a turn for the worse, or for early morning starts. The Sportful is a step up from that type of gilet, it's a little heavier and as a result provides a decent level of insulation.

I've been finding the Pro Wind Vest ideal for the entire duration of recent rides, worn over a long sleeve jersey with a short sleeve base layer underneath. You get the full wind protection from the Windstopper panels which keeps your torso from getting chilly, without getting overheated arms that you would if you donned a jacket. The vest isn't waterproof, but in light showers the Windstopper fabric does keep a good deal of the rain from penetrating through to the inner layers.

Fit is the usual Sportful quality, so the medium is comfortably snug. The Bodyfit series is essentially the same clothing as worn by the Saxo Bank squad, just here you can choose more palatable colours than the kit the pros wear.

Talking of colours, if the trendy yellow is too bold for you, there are black and white options too. The yellow is used sparingly however and at this time of year a little extra visibility on grey days doesn't go amiss. There aren't any reflective details though, a couple of flashes around the back wouldn't hurt.

It's a very well finished top. The Pro Wind Vest is robustly made and has been very durable, the yellow even remaining clean after a good dose of riding on mud covered roads and through the wash a few times. The front is cut a little higher and the back lower, so it sits nicely around the waist when you're hunched over the bars. The collar has good height for keeping the neck warm and the full-length zip provides enough ventilation when you need it.

Small enough to roll up and pack into a jersey when you don't need to wear it, though it's perfectly breathable enough that it is comfortable for the whole ride, the Pro Wind Vest is the ideal addition to any cyclist's outfit for the time of year.

Verdict

A high quality windproof gilet that keeps your torso insulated on windy days.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Sportful Bodyfit Pro Wind Vest (2014)

Size tested: medium, yellow/black

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

A gilet is perfect for use on a bike, especially if you set off early in the morning before the air has warmed up. The windproof fabric keeps your body warm on the front where the chilly wind hits it without making your back too hot. They are light and easy to roll up and store when things warm up.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Front Windstopper® protection. Back in Aero Stretch allows aerodynamic fit and good breathability. Fit and construction as used by Team Saxo Bank Tinkoff. Minimal weight, easily packable in jersey pocket. High collar to keep the wind out.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

When you want more than a lightweight gilet, but don't want to switch to a jacket, this is ideal for the changeable weather of autumn.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

It's not as light or packable as a lightweight gilet, but it's breathable enough that you'll probably not take it off during a ride.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10

Extremely good comfort, the fit is first class.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Yes, it's not cheap, but if you do a lot of miles and want a hard-working gilet this is a good choice.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It's perfectly designed for autumn riding in the UK. Gives you the warmth and wind protection of a jacket without overheating arms when it's not that cold.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Pairs really well with a long sleeve jersey for the current temperature and weather conditions, a very versatile top.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

There are no pockets, which considering you can wear it for an entire ride is a slight inconvenience.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 180  Weight: 67

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, touring, mtb,

 

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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5 comments

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David Arthur @d... | 11 years ago
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Well as Tony says we are wanting to do on the bike shots with items like jackets, to show you all how they fit when stretched out on the hoods. Think it will be really useful

The item above is a gilet though so no sleeves to worry about, and regards how it fits when in the riding position, I did write this in my review: "The front is cut a little higher and the back lower, so it sits nicely around the waist when you're hunched over the bars."

Avatar
Tony Farrelly | 11 years ago
0 likes

Showing how stuff looks on the bike is something we do want to do more of and it is something we've done in the past

Avatar
I love my bike | 11 years ago
0 likes

A photo of somebody wearing it on a bike/in a riding position would be useful.

Avatar
David Arthur @d... replied to I love my bike | 11 years ago
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I love my bike wrote:

A photo of somebody wearing it on a bike/in a riding position would be useful.

How would it be useful to you?

Avatar
I love my bike replied to David Arthur @davearthur | 11 years ago
0 likes

How would it be useful to you?

Ans. It would show how items fit in use & not just when mooching around!

e.g. How many sleeves are too short or bunch at the front/inside of the elbows? Or sleeves designed for your arms at your sides & not forward to holding the handlebars? Or collars that are too high at the back, but gape at the front?

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