Sportful Tempo Jacket review – a strong mid-market option and is currently on a huge discount

A good winter jacket is warm – but not hot, water resistant – but breathable, and spacious – but not flappy in the wind. It’s a difficult garment to get right with perfection rarely managed. Sportful’s Tempo jacket comes quite close. This jacket is described by Sportful as a three season jacket which excels in autumn and spring. Essentially, it’s great for all but the very coldest of days. That said, I’ve worn it down to three degrees with a base layer and jersey underneath, and it performed excellently. 

You can see how it stacks up against other options in our best winter cycling jackets buyer’s guide; it is one of the best winter cycling jacket that I have ever worn. The jacket is versatile, appropriate for faster winter training rides and longer easy rides where you might need to be a bit warmer.

Sportful Tempo Jacket: fit

With jackets like this, you generally have the option of sizing up or down, depending on your fit preferences. I tend to sit between a medium and a small and opted for the small here as I prefer a more aero, supportive feeling. 

The jacket fits quite tightly, but I've had no issue taking it on and off while on the bike. I can fit two layers underneath quite easily still and the material is quite stretchy. If you prefer a more relaxed fit with your winter kit, you could consider sizing up.

Sportful Tempo Jacket: breathability and wicking

The most impressive feature of this jacket is the combination of breathability and warmth that has been achieved. The front of the jacket features ‘GORE-TEX INFINIUM’, with the back of the jacket being constructed from a breathable brushed polyester. 

The idea being that the front of the jacket is designed to prevent wind chill, whilst the breathable back prevents you from overheating. It works rather well making this an excellent jacket for hard efforts on a cold day.  

Sportful Tempo Jacket: weather proofing

This jacket is great for the wind and good in the cold. It’s not particularly waterproof, although, to be fair, it doesn’t claim to be. Nevertheless, the Sportful Tempo is still waterproof enough to keep you from getting too wet during brief, lighter showers. On dry, cold days the Tempo is a perfect garment, if it’s raining properly, bring a waterproof shell or wear a hardshell. 

Sportful Tempo Jacket: durability

So far, after many washes, the jacket shows absolutely no sign of wear. The fleece lining is still soft and the seams remain intact. The jacket also dries very quickly, if you ride a lot and only have the budget for one or two winter jackets - this can be a very useful feature.

Sportful Tempo Jacket: comfort

You’ll want to wear a base layer with this jacket as a minimum, as the zip will feel a little cold on your skin. Other than that, though, it’s a very comfortable garment. The fleece lining is soft and feels nice over a jersey or just on your skin. Due to the wind chill blocking front layer and the breathable back, comfort from a temperature regulation perspective is excellent too.

Sportful Tempo Jacket: the ride

The jacket was good in a number of situations. It worked during interval sessions and I was able to get by without overheating too badly in the efforts, and not getting too cold in the recovery.

When paired with the right layers, it was comfortable between three and 13 degrees celsius (37–55°F) on longer steady rides. It seems to be withstanding my washing machine and dries quickly. It’s a high quality, versatile and well made jacket perfect for most days between September and April, provided it isn’t too wet.

Sportful Tempo Jacket: value and conclusion

Priced at $200.00 / £160.00, this is significantly cheaper than a Castelli Perfetto yet performs remarkably similarly. At this price, it’s at the lower-middle price point for this style of jacket, but with the quality of some of the more expensive options. 

The Tempo jacket is only $30.00 / £25.00 more expensive than a dhb Aeron winter soft-shell but is more versatile due to the breathable polyester on the back. In all, this is a very good winter jacket from Sportful that’ll keep you warm for most of the winter.