Chapeau! Mistral Jacket review

British company Chapeau! look to provide a quality mid-weight winter jacket that will keep you comfortable and warm whether you are on a long winter ride or chilly commute to work. It is certainly stylish, but does it perform as well as it looks?

Cycling Weekly Verdict

It isn't a soft shell, it isn't a hard shell. What is it? The Chapeau! Mistral jacket unique. It is neither waterproof nor windproof, but it is breathable. This jacket will be best suited for cold weather riding when used in conjunction with other layers. The styling is great and will sell the jacket to some riders, but the garment is ultimately let down by the material properties.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Stylish

  • +

    Durable Fabric

  • +

    Breathable

  • +

    Generous bum flap

  • +

    Ideal for Capt. Scarlett fancy dress

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Poor Water resistance

  • -

    Not Windproof

  • -

    Price

  • -

    Very cold when wet

  • -

    Slow drying

  • -

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.

Chapeau! are a British company and design their products with the less than fantastic UK climate at the forefront of their minds. Whilst many companies tend to target their high end clothing at the slim fit, performance orientated racing snake, Chapeau! realise that the average cyclist is not 3% body fat or racing at World Tour level and consequently the fit of the Mistral is "regular".

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The Mistral (Centre) seeing action in Tuscany.
(Image credit: Jesse Wild/Cycling Weekly)

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