La Passione Duo Winter Jacket

La Passione's Duo Winter Jacket is a classic windproof softshell that works well in single digit temperatures, and right down to freezing. It fits well, is very windproof, and at £126 represents decent value for money.

The Duo winter jacket is made from a fleece backed, three-layer membrane fabric on the front, back and the arms. The side inserts are made from a slightly different fabric with more elastane for greater stretch, though you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at it.

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What this means in practice is a jacket that's impressively windproof and feels lovely to the touch on the inside. La Passione has designed it to work in temperatures between -1° and 9°C.

As with all windproof softshells, you can't have absolutely windproof and perfectly breathable at the same time – there's always a bit of trade-off. The Duo falls nearer windproof than breathable; I found that on a dry day above five degrees, on intensive rides, I was getting sweatier than ideal. When it's breezier and/or colder, the jacket is perfect.

La Passione doesn't mention waterproofing at all, so as you'd expect, the zip is not waterproof and the seams are not taped.

That three-layer fabric does keep some degree of rain out, though – it's fine in lighter showers. You'll want a proper waterproof in any real rain.

Fit and sizing

I'm 178cm and my chest is 96cm and my waist 86cm. According to La Passione's sizing chart, that makes me a Medium. I'm usually a medium in anything non-Italian, so sizing is about what you'd expect.

I do like a snug performance fit, and that is certainly what you are getting here (add 77kg and an 86cm waist to my stats to get an idea of build). It's not quite super-tight race fit, but there's not much extra room. Unless you're shaped like our model, of course, who was supplied by an agency called... [checks notes]... Airfix. Hmm.

Features

The collar is just right, as is the length in the arms. There are two long, flexible cuffs that work well at keeping the wind out, and make it easy to fit gloves over.

The zip is full-length and non-brand, with a storm flap behind and a zip garages top and bottom. Some customer reviews on the La Passione website mention problems with the zip; it's been just fine for me.

Around the back, there are the usual three pockets, which work fine, but there's no zipped pocket. The gripper hem keeps everything in place, but the back is not dropped enough to protect you from road spray; no problem if you run mudguards, but it will be if you don't.

The Duo is available in the yellow and grey as tested, plus a two-tone orange and a two-tone blue. There's some reflective piping around the back, but it's quite minimal. I certainly wouldn't rely on it to be seen in the dark.

I personally think the 'Worth The Effort' slogan on the chest is a bit naff, but that's entirely subjective.

Value

The retail price for the La Passione Duo winter jacket is £126, and I think that's reasonable for a jacket that's obviously well made, is a joy to wear and keeps the weather out. It is currently on sale for £94.50, which makes it a steal.

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One thing worth mentioning is that La Passione fulfills UK orders from its warehouse in Italy, which means Brexit could affect delivery times, and potentially mean extra costs. All the new red tape is explained on La Passione's website.

At full price the Duo is cheaper than the Stolen Goat Mekon Climb & Conquer Winter Jacket at £149, though the Stolen Goat is warmer and much more waterproof. On the other hand, the Duo is considerably more expensive than dhb's Classic Thermal Softshell at £80, though that's not quite as warm or windproof.

On paper dhb's Aeron Deep Winter Softshell at £150 has the same qualities as the La Passione Duo, but reading Steve's review, I think the dhb has the edge when it gets near freezing.

Conclusion

As a properly windproof jacket for lower single digit temperatures, La Passione's Duo Winter Jacket works well. It fits me perfectly and I can't think of anything negative to say about it – the niggles I've mentioned can easily be put down as personal preference. At £126, it's good value. And at the current sale price of £94.50, it's cheap for what you get.

Verdict

Keeps you warm and protected in single digit temperatures – and is a joy to wear too