Best cycling gilets 2024 — find the perfect option for the riding you do

The Galibier Izoard Pro is a well-made and impressively warm gilet that's just about packable into a jersey pocket. It's showerproof thanks to a DWR (durable water repellent) coating, and is an absolute steal

You get plenty of warmth courtesy of 49g/m (grams per square metre) recycled synthetic insulation. Both the front and the back are insulated, which can trap a lot of heat. On sub-10°C rides, reviewer Steve Williams found that he felt too warm on only the hardest of climbs. Once the temperature gets up to around 12-13°C, it’s best to leave the Izoard Pro at home.

The reflective herringbone stitching looks smart, and the big logo on the tail is great. The silver highlights on the main zip, on the front zip garages, and down the rear panel sides are strongly reflective under headlights, too. With a slim but not restrictive fit and well-shaped armholes, this gilet looks more expensive than it is.

The Super-Roubaix fabric used for the sides continues around the waist, and it all stretches to maintain a good, close fit all over.

The Cafe du Cycliste Maya unisex insulated cycling gilet – aimed at long-distance cyclists – is perfect for cold mornings, night rides, and those times when the temperature threatens to plummet and then spike over the day. It’s versatile and will pack down into a saddle bag or even the rear pocket of your jersey.

The Maya keeps you warm, offering a snug fit and insulated baffles of ethically sourced down at the chest and across the back. Stretch panels at either side help deliver a streamlined fit and excellent comfort, while soft fabric at the collar offers more comfort and keeps the YKK zip well away from your chin.

The scooped rear and the elastic gripper at the base ensure that your lower back is always kept covered, and the two-way zip allows you to fine-tune the mix of insulation and ventilation as you need it. In use, it proved to be durable, well-designed, and easy to wash and look after.

You can buy it in vibrant orange or a dashing 'Neon Pink', both models featuring reflective detailing to improve visibility at night.

If you can cope with the whopping price, this is a genuinely excellent piece of kit.

The Stolen Goat Men’s Bodyline Gilet fits really well, is windproof, and packs down small enough for you to forget it’s there until you need it. Flaps allow easy access to your jersey pockets, and it’s available in various colourways.

The Bodyline Gilet is a polyester and elastane mix that’s very stretchy and comfortable. It’s not a really tight racing fit – just figure-hugging, no-flapping snug. The stretch means it works over a winter jacket just as well as a thin summer jersey.

The front is windproof, with a breathable vertical mesh panel on the back. The windproofing is helped by a storm flap behind the YKK full-length zipper, and by the high, snug-fitting collar. You also get a layer of thin, soft fabric inside the collar for upping comfort levels, along with a zip garage. The arm openings are cut just right; tight enough not to let any wind through, but not noticeable when riding.

Stolen Goat doesn’t bill this gilet as waterproof or thermal but you do get some light shower protection.

All that's really missing is reflective detailing. Beyond that, the strong design and comfortable, stretchy fit make this a very versatile choice.

We’ve been impressed by both the men’s and women’s versions of Altura’s Airstream Windproof Gilet. They’re designed for changeable conditions, providing a good level of warmth on cold rides with enough space to fit a couple of layers underneath courtesy of a ‘semi-fitted’ cut. The price isn't bad either.

The front is absolutely windproof with a DWR (durable water repellent) coating that performs well in showers, but as the back is a very lightweight mesh affair, the Airstream isn't striving to be waterproof.

The cut is good, with gently elasticated armholes and a deep-drop tail with a silicone gripper keeping everything in place. A two-way zip allows you to undo the gilet from the top or bottom, to regulate your temperature and access jersey pockets.

A zipped pocket on the upper chest is ideal for keys, credit card, or cash, and it doubles up as a pouch for packing the gilet away.

As well as a reflective Altura logo on the front left shoulder, there's reflective piping across the back of both shoulders and in two full-length strips down each side, with a strip on the back of the tall neck too

The Endura Pro SL Lite Gilet II is a practical, windproof, waterproof and easily packable gilet that’s ideal for changing weather conditions.

Most of the panels are made from a nylon and elastane mix which gives a certain amount of stretch while maintaining waterproofing, with the centre of the back being a perforated fabric that allows for heat to escape. It's relatively close fitting without feeling tight, thanks to the stretch in the fabric.

This gilet offers very good windproofing to keep the chill off and a decent amount of waterproofing to keep the rain off your core in showers.

You get a good quality YKK zipper with a nice stiff cover which helps with windproofing. The large zip pull is simple to use with full-finger gloves.

There are three large open pockets and a zipped one for valuables at the rear, plus reflective details that help keep you visible in low-light conditions.

It doesn't fold down as small as some gilets, but you’ll have no trouble fitting it into a jersey pocket with space to spare for a pair of arm warmers.

If you want the ultimate in visibility, the Proviz Reflect360 Plus Gilet will get you seen. Slate grey in daylight conditions, it turns brilliant white in vehicle or street lighting thanks to the retro-reflectivity of millions of tiny glass beads that impregnate the fabric.

It’s incredibly effective. Reviewer Shaun Audane reckons most drivers in town registered his presence from a long distance while friends reckoned they could spot him at 250 metres out in the lanes.

The polyester main fabric is windproof and waterproof, and the rear is perforated so moisture can also escape. As a technical, training garment, the shell does an excellent job of blocking chill, and the fairly slim cut stops wind and rain sneaking inside.

The rear doesn't feature a traditional drop tail so you might find some jersey peeking out back there. The elastic gripper does its thing pretty well, though, Shaun having had no problems with the hem creeping up during a ride.

There are certainly more breathable gilets out there, but for getting you seen the Reflect360 Plus Gilet is brilliant – literally,