Scott AS Plus Insulation Premium Jacket

For £165.99 the Scott AS Insulation Premium Plus jacket really has to perform flawlessly and that is exactly what it does. Providing warmth, a brilliant fit and so much comfort it's become a firm favourite in the recent changeable weather.

Fit is the most important element of any item of clothing, regardless of how well it performs you want to feel good in it. This is what you get from the AS, all the details are correct.

A short front and dropped tail means that when you are on the bike there is no bunching around the midriff while your backside stays covered from road spray and the like.

The neck is a good height without being intrusive, anything too high can dig into your throat when in the drops or interact with your helmet strap. The Scott's sits just below these levels and offers a zip guard while still managing to keep the majority of the draughts out.

Pre-bent arms again prevents any rucking of material especially around the inner elbow and the sleeves, while long when standing are spot on once on the bike. Sizing around gloves can be tweaked at the wrist by way of Velcro straps.

Find the Scott AS plus jacket online here
Find a Scott dealer here

Keeping warm is what the AS is all about and to achieve this it uses Windstopper and Primaloft Sport in various panel sections around the jacket. Primaloft is a synthetic insulation that offers decent breathability with a bit of water repellency thrown in for good measure.

Scott have used it on the chest panels, upper arms and the back. Basically any part of the jacket that is going to be exposed to the wind. These positions work well as the rest of your body is sheltered the use of a more breathable fabric allows you to keep your body temperature relatively stable along with the use of ventilation zips.

Should it rain the Windstopper panels holds it at bay unless it's consistent or a heavy shower. You can see the rain beading on it until it becomes overwhelmed. If you do get wet there is no chance of you getting cold and the lightweight properties of the AS means it dries quickly too.

Scott give the AS a temperature rating of -5°C to +1°C but with some sensible layering you can get much more than this out of it. In fact with just a mesh baselayer underneath and the zips open I comfortable worn it in temperatures of around 15°C, any more than that though and it does get a bit hot.

Overall the AS is a brilliant jacket, it performs everywhere it's designed to and over a bigger temperature range than Scott would suggest. The fit is brilliant and being so lightweight it does feel like you've got a load of kit on when it's a cold day. In fact I'd in many parts of the UK I'd say this and a decent merino baselayer would see you through the majority of winter temperatures. Okay, so the price is high but it's justifiable. If you are looking to spend a decent lump sum on one jacket to get you through the majority of the year the hundred and sixty odd quid is a long term investment.

Probably the only fly in the ointment is that it's only available in black, not something that is ideal for use on overcast, dull winter eyes for some people.

Verdict

Brilliant performance, fit and quality for three season use. Colour options a bit limited for winter days though