Cheap vs expensive cycling jackets - What are you paying for?

When it comes to cycling jackets, whether that's the best winter cycling jackets or the best waterproof cycling jackets, there is a huge range on offer covering full waterproofs to deep winter jackets. However some of these can really add up in price to several hundreds of pounds.

The Assos Equipe RS Johdah for example comes in £635, or $830 while the Van Rysel Winter Road Cycling Jacket is £69.99, just shy of 10% of the price by comparison. But just what does an increase in price actually get you when it comes to jackets? Is it all marketing jargon, named brand snobbery, or actual technical enhancements which make the performance markedly better?

Winter jackets

Given the above example, let’s start off with winter cycling jackets, rather than waterproof jackets. First off, the more insulated models which can be packable but tend to lack pockets or additional features and worn as an accessory. Then you have what might be seen as a somewhat heavy duty winter jersey with pockets, additional features, and can be worn with just a base layer underneath, or with a jersey too for an additional layer.

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When it comes to the more packable and insulated ones, those are the two main constituents that dictate the pricing. The likes of the Le Col Pro Insulated Jacket and Albion Ultralight Insulated Jacket are a couple of key examples and some that we have reviewed or I have used myself.

Neither of these feature pockets, but both include a two-way zip. This straight away is a common feature on higher end jackets and something that I love since it means you can access pockets in your jersey underneath and also have different options for enhancing breathability. Both are packable, to an extent. The Albion stuffs up incredibly small so that it can share occupancy of a pocket with spares, while the Le Col takes up the bulk of whatever pocket it’s in.

Other features that will influence price are if these include a DWR (durable water repellent) coating. Often these items do not, however the more expensive Le Col jacket does include one to provide resistance against showers, while the Albion does not.

The type of insulation used also has an impact on the pricing. Dedicated insulated jackets will often use a down inner between two layers, or synthetic insulation. Both are designed to trap air, a great insulator, and keep you warm. Cheaper jackets may forgo this in favour of being more of a windstopper, with a thin external membrane and no water protection.

Then Endura Pro SL Primaloft II blurs the line somewhat between these and more traditional winter jackets. It features pockets, breathable panels, but forgoes the packability. Other examples here are the aforementioned Van Rysel and Assos jackets, while the Castelli Perfetto RoS 3 is another popular choice.

These jackets tend to become more expensive, as a common addition to them is the use of water resistant or waterproof membranes to varying degrees. In the case of Castelli, it actually makes the jacket to be more breathable and better at moisture management, rather than focussing on weather protection. I personally like this for preventing build-up of sweat, but I run like a furnace, whereas my college Josh Croxton found the jacket to be not quite insulated enough compared to the Perfetto RoS 2.

Clever fabrics is why the likes of the Assos Equipe Johdah have such a high price. It’s more common for higher end jackets to include inner-gilet layers to help with additional warmth, but Assos takes this to a new level with proprietary fabrics galore which bump up the price. This is combined with an incredibly complex pattern, involving many more panels to be stitched together than on a basic model. This helps the fit and comfort, but adds to the manufacturing cost.

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Brands like Polartec, Pertex, and Gore-Tex are names you will often see associated with a jacket. These have been well established as effective brands for weatherproofing, so often more expensive offerings will feature these technologies.

We do of course have outliers such as the Van Rysel, but although it has great insulation, weatherproofing, and a host of pockets and features, it lacks breathability, which is where higher priced jackets often strike a far better balance. Given you still generate heat when you cycle, and a non-breathable jacket will store and build that heat to uncomfortable levels over time, this is still an important factor.

Waterproofs

This brings us onto waterproofs, which in the era of no PFAS chemicals have suffered somewhat when it comes to balancing breathability and protection. I still use my Gore-Tex Shakedry jacket even now, patched up and all, as a standard bearer for waterproof jackets. Those forever chemicals, nasty as they are in manufacturing, had an ability to maintain water repellency, and therefore breathability, that the market is still catching up on.

Interestingly some waterproofs use a mix of features that make them somewhat winter jacket like. Rapha has previously had an insulated waterproof jacket offering greater insulation. Meanwhile the Castelli Gabba R is highly packable but features external pockets for packing, albeit zero insulation in favour of aero gains.

Again a common denominator in higher prices items are the likes of dual-zips, potentially some external pockets, specific technologies for enhanced breathability or insulation, or smart fits that reduce fabric flapping and make for a more race-day appropriate garment.

Generally, a good waterproof will often sit around the £200 nowadays. The Gore Wear Spinshift for example is £224.99, and has good waterproofing, but it is not a close fit and therefore flaps a lot. Meanwhile the Castelli Ultra is breathable with a close fit, but lacks outright waterproofing.

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Nowadays with the lack of PFAS, waterproofing is not as effective as it once was. Indeed in persistent rain for a few hours, I have yet to find a jacket that stays waterproof, but the key is that it maintains body temperature via delayed saturation, wind proofing, and breathability so you don’t soak from the inside.

Again Polartec, Pertex, and Gore-Tex are key players here and are often seen on more expensive offerings. Pas Normal uses Pertex for example, while Castelli uses Polartec.

You will often find that cheaper waterproofs can result in a boil-in-the-bag sensation such is the lack of breathability, while also lacking additional features and outright protection. It is often the breathability where cheaper jackets suffer.

Meanwhile more expensive offerings will feature two-way zips, breathable panels, internally stitched seams, and have better overall fits.

A word on cycling kit pricing structure

It is important to note however that prices do not always determine the quality of a product. Indeed I’ve spoken to brands before that stated they saw an increase in sales once they increased the price of their kit, as at the previous cheaper price it was deemed that clearly it was not as good as the more expensive offerings.

Equally, some brands spend more money on marketing and sponsoring teams, so some of that cost is passed on to consumers. Gorewear is a brand I have always viewed as offering good value, but it’s marketing was poor by comparison to most. This is perhaps why the brand is shutting its doors soon for good. Meanwhile Castelli sponsors World Tour teams, while Sportful at present do not. They each use the same technologies, but Sportful is cheaper and often better value, although it perhaps lacks the technical excellence of some items such as the Gabba R.

The main point really is that more expensive doesn’t always mean better, and sometimes there is a case of diminishing returns. A £200 jacket might be twice as good as a £100 jacket, but a £300 jacket might only be 20% better again. Then a £635 jacket might be the best, but only by another 5% or so.

The key, really, is looking for what you need out of a jacket. Do you want insulation, packability, breathability, features such as external pockets and two-way zips? More often than not, to get a great balanced mix of these features, you pay more. Cheaper items may do one or several of these things well, but seldom manage to do all of them well concurrently. However for those daunted by £400+ price tags, you don’t need to spend that much to get a good quality cycling jacket for most needs.

Happily we've collectively spent many hundreds of hours testing foul weather gear here at Cyclingnews to produce all of our reviews and buyer's guides, so if you're unsure then have a read of some to get a real flavour of what to expect.