Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket

The Santini Vega+ winter jacket is very warm and surprisingly waterproof for a softshell. It's well made, looks stylish and has a racing fit. I like it a lot, though it's not cheap.

> Buy now: Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket for £240 from Santini

You'll like this jacket if you enjoy going out in the Silly Weather. I was pleasantly surprised how long it kept me dry on that particular ride in biblical rain; it pretty much kept up with the Actual Waterproof Santini Magic Rain Jacket that Dave was wearing. This one's fabric is only rated to 5,000mm, with a non-PFAS DWR coating. Just goes to show, what it says on paper doesn't always match real world performance.

Fabric

The main fabric used on the Vega+ is Polartec Windbloc, a windproof breathable fabric with a modest water resistance, with the panels thermowelded on the inside. On the collar and the chest there's a Polartec Alpha Direct inner lining for extra insulation. This feels a lot like the inner fabric used on Buffalo shirts, and like the Buffalo, can be worn without a baselayer in comfort.

Santini suggests the Vega+ is appropriate in temperatures from -8 to +5°C. This is, of course, highly subjective and depends on windchill, whether it's raining, your personal resistance to cold, the kind of ride you're on and what you're wearing underneath.

I used it pretty much exclusively with a lightweight short sleeve Smelly Helly type baselayer underneath. In heavy-ish rain, it was fine up to about 8 degrees; in dry conditions with windchill, I was completely comfortable up to about -5 degrees. I run a bit cold though – it's not unusual for me to wear a bit more than my riding companions.

This comfort is helped by the breathability of the jacket: there was less moisture buildup inside than I'd expect from a jacket that is this warm and waterproof.

In use, it matches the performance of my previous go-to jacket deep winter jacket, the Stolen Goat Climb and Conquer that I reviewed in 2021. The C&C probably has the edge when it gets a bit colder and it hits your wallet less hard; the Santini has a more tailored fit and is more stylish. Sadly Stolen Goat doesn't make the C&C anymore; it seems to have been replaced by the Fluid Alpine jacket, which I don't have personal experience of but Stu liked, though it sounds like it's less warm than the C&C was.

Features

To help you be seen in the dark, there's reflective detailing on the usual rear three pockets, as well as on the shoulders and the left arm. As it goes, it's quite subtle but effective; the balance between style and visibility has been well struck here.

You also get a waterproof-zipped chest pocket that is big enough to store a phone, though I don't know why you'd want to. You can also open the pocket for a bit of extra ventilation.

You get a quality waterproof two-way zip on the front with a zip garage at the top, which is something Stu felt was missing when he reviewed a previous incarnation a couple of years ago. Nice to see Santini has obviously taken our recommendations on board.

It's also nice to see a coat hook loop on the collar – saves me the job of sewing one on myself.

The cuffs are bonded, which Santini says helps retain the elasticity. You need the elasticity there, too, as the cuffs are quite tight.

Fit and cut

About that tailored fit... It's really quite snug. According to Santini, it's a slim fit (between classic and sleek). Based on that, I don't think a sleek fit would be for me. The slim fit is just right as long as you don't mind that racing fit feel.

The collar is tight and doesn't let weather in, and as I said above, the cuffs are tight too – you don't want to wear a watch, really.

Sizing

Santini garments are well known for sizing up a bit small. Looking at the size guide, my chest measurement suggests a M, while my waist measurement suggests going a size up.

A medium is what we have on test as that's my usual size. It fits, but it's full-on racing fit tight. Luckily, it's stretchy enough to accommodate the post Christmas extra tightness, and the stretch means there's no annoying bunching up even when you're in the drops.

Value

While £240 is a fair amount for a deep winter jacket, even for one as well designed as this one, it's not unusual to pay over £200 for a winter jacket.

We've recently reviewed Scott's RC Pro Warm Gore-Tex Windstopper Men's Jacket at £209.99 and Poc's Men's Thermal Jacket at £220, and you can pay more: Le Col's Hors Categorie Jacket will set you back £330 at full RRP (we reviewed the women's version of that one), and Assos has both the Mille GT Hashoogi at £265 and – full review imminent – the Equipe R Habu at £335 (still not the most expensive in its collection).

You don't have to spend this much; as I said earlier, the Vega+'s performance reminded me a lot of Stolen Goat's Climb and Conquer jacket, and its current incarnation, the Fluid Alpine Bodyline Jacket, retails for £160.

Find more options in our guide to the best winter cycling jackets.

Conclusion

Santini's Vega+ is a proper deep winter jacket that'll keep you comfortable in pretty much any winter conditions. I like the racing fit, but it might not suit everyone. For me, the premium price it attracts is backed up by its premium level performance, style and fit and is therefore justified (and it's not as premium as some, anyway).

> Buy now: Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket for £240 from Santini

Verdict

Excellent jacket for deep winter use, though the tight fit might not suit everyone