Santini Redux Stamina Women’s Gilet

The Santini Redux Stamina Women's Vest Gilet is form-fitting, light, and packs down very impressively given the warmth it provides. Well-positioned wind panels give good defence, while allowing good breathability elsewhere. The price is very high, though.

The Redux Stamina is made in Italy from Ghisallo stretch-woven fabric, and its checkered lining is Polartec Delta, which is very effective at keeping you warm on chilly starts. The collar is cut high and feels wonderfully cosy thanks to the thermal lining.

A light windproof fabric has also been added to the chest area, across the shoulders and the top of the back. It's well-placed to provide defence against brisk winds, while also supporting excellent breathability across the lower back and belly for an all-round comfortable riding experience.

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The Redux Stamina has a slightly more relaxed fit than some, with a longer front than the Assos' UMA GT Spring/Fall Airblock Vest, for example. This increases its versatility for use in both racy evening dashes and all-day endurance rides, and also across the seasons as there's room to fit warmer layers beneath.

It's well-judged at the arm openings; no wind sneaks in here. Overall the cut is tightest around my chest, but still roomy enough for another layer, and loosest around my belly – it should accommodate a range of rider shapes. The fabric across the lower front and round the back is stretchy, which helps with the close fit.

The zip is robust and features a very sizeable tag, which genuinely helps with unzipping on the go. The 3.5cm wide elasticated band at the rear is half covered in silicone grippers – it's low profile and ensures the gilet stays put effectively.

Instead of pockets at the rear, there are two slots for reaching the pockets of your jersey underneath. There's enough stretch in the back panel to fit over fully-stuffed pockets, too.

This slot design is great for keeping the weight low, but I still find it a little nerve-wracking every time I return something like my phone, worried I'll stick it between the two layers by mistake and miss the pocket...

Although the gilet doesn't have an integrated stuff sack or rear pocket for packing, it easily scrunches to a very manageable size. As it's far from bulky I found myself taking it on every ride, even those with never-ending blue skies – it's nice being able to put it on when sorting out a mechanical issue at the side of the road.

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At just 89 grams, this is featherlight for its warmth. For context, the Assos UMA GT Spring/Fall Airblock Vest is 148 grams in the same size small.

I had the black version on test, and the large reflective Santini logo – plus a vertical stripe of microdots – give some visibility, but there's also the option of a brighter Granatina Orange for added visibility.

Value

Priced at £140, the Santini's is pretty much at the tippy top, of even the premium options. The Spatzwear BurnR Gilet is around the same price (£134.99), but arguably has greater versatility as it can be worn as a baselayer or midlayer too. The Assos UMA GT Spring/Fall Airblock Vest costs £130, but it's not quite as compact or light.

There are much cheaper options though, such as Galibier's Izoard Pro Gilet at just £53.48, though on the downside it's only just about packable enough.

Overall

The Redux Stamina is an extremely well-crafted technical layer you'll find yourself reaching for all the time – for all sorts of rides, across all the seasons. It's effective at keeping you warm, while also being breathable, and small enough to carry with you on every ride. The only real issue is the price.

Verdict

Impressively warm for its pack size and weight, while also breathable – if expensive