Pros
- Very warm for its weight
- Excellent windproofing
- Packable with own bag
- Zipped centre pocket
Cons
- Back tends to get sweaty
- Bulkier contents droop from the side pockets
Price as reviewed:
£130
The Endura Pro SL Primaloft jacket is a lightweight outer layer with plenty of insulation. This is provided by quilted PrimaLoft insulation in the front and rear panels. The front-facing parts of the arms are padded too. The side panels and the rear of the arms are much thinner, stretchy single layer fabric. All the face fabrics are windproof too.
So you get excellent warmth and insulation in the Endura Pro SL Primaloft jacket; I was comfortable wearing just a sleeveless baselayer underneath in temperatures around 10C. Typically in such conditions, I find my arms get cold, but this wasn’t the case with the Endura Pro SL Primaloft jacket. It was comfortable at lower temperatures too with a thicker, long sleeved baselayer underneath.
Endura fits a two-way zip, backed by a flap, so you can adjust ventilation, or keep zipped up for maximum wind resistance. The fit is close at the collar, waist and cuffs, so there’s no tendency for cold breezes to find their way in via the openings. But there’s enough room to layer up underneath. Despite this, the Endura Pro SL Primaloft jacket is not prone to windflap.
The large central rear pocket is zipped to help keep contents dry
With an insulated jacket, there’s a tendency for your back to get sweaty. I found this to be the case with the Endura Pro SL Primaloft jacket, despite Endura laser cutting ventilation holes between the baffles in the rear panel. But with the insulation and synthetic face fabric, I didn’t feel cold, either when riding or stopped.
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There are the usual three rear pockets in the Endura Pro SL Primaloft jacket, with the central pocket carrying a reflective logo and a reflective tab above its top. It’s much larger than the two side pockets, is trapezoid and has a concealed top zip. For a jacket likely to be worn in damp conditions, this seems a sensible arrangement to keep the pocket contents clean and dry.
But it does mean that any longer items like a pump need to be stowed in one of the outer pockets. These are angular and wrap around the side of your waist and they have laser cut venting/drainage holes at their bottoms. I found that my pump tended to droop out of the side a little: not a big deal, but you might want to carry your pump on your frame instead.
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For a piece with its degree of insulation, the Endura Pro SL Primaloft jacket folds up very compact and comes with its own stuffsack which packs it into a close ball. It isn’t going to fit into a jersey pocket, but for bikepackers and anyone carrying a bit of luggage, it would make an ideal layering piece for cold starts and high altitude overnights.
Verdict
For a jacket with its degree of warmth, the Endura Pro SL Primaloft jacket is lightweight and compact. The quilted front and rear panels are very effective, as is the windproof fabric used, making it comfortable down to low temperatures. The back does tend to get a bit sweaty though, despite the laser cut ventilation which it incorporates.
Details
Weight: 252g
Contact: www.endurasport.com
