B'Twin Ultralight gilet review

The B’Twin Ultralight gilet provides light protection form wind and rain and packs down small, all for a very good price

Cycling Weekly Verdict

At less than 20 quid, it’s hard to find much wrong with the B’Twin Ultralight gilet. The fit may not be perfect, but it provides great protection against wind and light rain and packs down incredibly small.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Packs down exceptionally small

  • +

    Very light

  • +

    Windproof

  • +

    Great value

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Poor, baggy fit

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

If you’re after a no-fuss gilet that won’t break the bank but will still keep the chill off on the ride out to the club run on a Saturday morning, then the B’Twin Ultralight gilet could be for you.

>>>Cycling gilets: a buyer's guide

Of course, for less than 20 quid, you can’t expect perfection, but for the money you can’t be too many complaints. If you’re just using B’Twin Ultralight gilet for the first half hour or so of rides then it does a great job at keeping cold winds at bay, with the tarpaulin-like ripstop nylon construction proving utterly windproof. It also provides a degree of water resistance – at least enough to keep you dry through the morning drizzle.

Buy now: B'Twin Ultralight Gilet at Decathlon for £19.99

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The B'Twin Ultralight gilet packs down into an attached rear pouch
(Image credit: mike prior)

The other great thing about the B’Twin Ultralight gilet is that it more than lives up to its name, with a size large hitting the Cycling Weekly scales at a very impressive 65g – nearly 30g lighter (and £100 cheaper) than the Huez Starman, previously the lightest gilet that we’d tested this year.

>>>Review: B'Twin 700 Carbon road shoes

This minimal weight means that this gilet packs up incredibly small. When folded into its own rear pouch it not only easily fits into a jersey pocket, but even fits into the palm of your hand, leaving plenty of space for bars and gels in your pockets.

However if you’re looking for a gilet to keep on for more than half an hour or so then it might be worth looking at more expensive options. This is because the fit on the B’Twin Ultralight gilet really leaves a lot to be desired. There is far too much loose material at the chest and the arm holes seem to have been designed for a rugby player rather than a cyclist.

Buy now: B'Twin Ultralight Gilet at Decathlon for £19.99

For more details visit the Decathlon website.

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Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.