Sportful Fiandre Strato Wind jacket review

We’ve rated the Sportful Fiandre range when we’ve tested it previously. The Gabba-like fabric (Sportful and Castelli are sister brands) gives you warmth and water protection as well as insulation. What does the Sportful Fiandre Strato Wind jacket bring to the party?

Well, the main thing is those bright orange front panels (there are yellow and black options too). They’re windproof and textured, so you get a step up in core protection over the standard Fiandre. This makes the Sportful Fiandre Strato Wind jacket significantly warmer when the temperature is below 10C.

The wind protection doesn’t extend to the back and arms, so the Sportful Fiandre Strato Wind jacket doesn’t get sweaty once you get hot. It’s worth noting though that there’s significant windflow through the fabric on the arms. Wearing a short sleeved baselayer, my hands were quite chilly on early starts on cooler autumn days.

These features are must haves, and you'll find them on the best winter cycling jackets on the market. 

Once the day does warm up, there are two slit vents on the front that can be unzipped to add more airflow. I found that I needed to unzip at the collar too though, to stay comfortable in the mid teens.

The fit of the Sportful Fiandre Strato Wind jacket is close, as it needs to be for the jacket to work effectively. It’s not uncomfortable, but means that there’s limited ability to layer up underneath. The DWR surface water repellent treatment is effective, but you need to use delicate wash products like 2Toms Stink Free to keep it from wetting out.

Front visibility is taken care of with that orange fabric and there are reflective logos to boot. At the rear, the black fabric is highlighted with a reflective tab on the centre pocket and the orange windproof fabric extends over the shoulders, with the left side including another reflective Fiandre logo.

So the Sportful Fiandre Strato Wind jacket provides good one piece wind and wet protection. But there’s an argument for a separate gilet and jacket, for its extra versatility and the option to fold and pack the gilet if it does warm up significantly during a ride.