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review
£210.00
VERDICT:
Wonderfully warm and breathable winter jacket, if a little pricey
Weight:
551g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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With the Sportful R&D Zero Jacket, you'll never be able to use the excuse that it's too cold to ride outside, as the excellent Polartec Alpha insulation it's made from keeps you comfortably warm when the temperature plunges below zero.
Earlier in the autumn I tested Sportful's updated R&D Light jacket and was highly impressed with its performance. This R&D Zero Jacket is essentially a beefed-up version for much colder weather but employs some of the same materials and design features. Basically, if you want a jacket for combatting the coldest weather, this is the one to go for; if you rarely go out unless the temperature is no lower than, ooh, about 5 degrees, the R&D Light is a better bet.
> Find your nearest dealer here
The R&D Zero gets its toasty warmth from the highly impressive Polartec Alpha material, which is used to provide a full wrap of protection from the elements, used in the main panels and the arms for extra insulation. Alpha is a very light and low-bulk synthetic down and is startlingly good at providing adequate protection from the cold without restricting breathability or freedom of movement. It's combined with Sportful's WindWick LT outer face fabric for wind and water resistance, and NoRain Thermal inserts on the sleeves and back panel.
Sportful claims the jacket is good for a temperature range of 0 to 10°C, but I found I could go much lower – such as the -5°C temperature the other morning. Brrr, that was a chilly ride. Not for my torso and arms, though – this jacket was just marvellous in those conditions.
That was wearing a baselayer underneath, admittedly a chunky North Face winter one too. But it's a long way from the days when I used to wear at least three of four layers in a desperate effort to keep warm on cold rides. You can tailor the baselayer to suit different temperatures, going to a lighter one for warmer temps, and you can layer up if you feel you need more insulation, but I've not yet ridden in cold enough temperatures to warrant an extra layer.
Now it's all very well the jacket keeping you warm when it's cold, but if it's not breathable then things get can very sweaty and clammy as soon as you hit a hill. Fortunately, the Zero offers impressive breathability, and even when riding at a brisk tempo or doing hill repeats the going never got uncomfortably warm. I think that's helped by the fact that you can get away with just wearing a baselayer. There are two side ventilation ports if you do feel the internal temperature increasing, and opening the main zipper obviously dumps a lot of heat quickly.
What the jacket doesn't do is keep you dry in the rain. The outer fabric offers a level of resistance against the rain, and there is NoRain Thermal fabric on the back, but really it's not designed to keep you dry when the heavens open. A short downpour is okay, it'll shake off a light shower, but anything heavier and more sustained and you might want to think about pulling on a rain jacket.
> Read our guide to the best waterproof cycling jackets
The fit is really good too – that's a size small in the photos by the way – and the shape around the shoulders and upper arms is perfect. There's generous length in the sleeves and the double cuff design is a neat way to ensure a tight seal with your gloves to avoid draughty wrists. The lie-flat elastic hem is lined with a silicone gripper tape and it keeps the waist in place, and the pockets don't sag even when loaded.
If you don't want to let the cold stop you riding, then this R&D Zero Jacket really delivers impressive warmth, allowing you to continue for mile after mile in comfort. It's well constructed with an exceptionally good fit and some nice details, which are all factors that go some way to justifying that price. It's definitely an investment, but it'll reward you with ample insulation and decent breathability for deep winter rides.
Verdict
Wonderfully warm and breathable winter jacket, if a little pricey
road.cc test report
Make and model: Sportful R&D Zero Jacket
Size tested: Small
Tell us what the jacket is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Sportful says:
The ultimate winter jacket for those who want warmth with high breathability and thermal versatility for cold winter riding.
Concept:
An evolution from our innovative R&D jacket, with a unique combination of fabrics and strategically placed breathable insulation. The layers work together to move moisture away from the skin while keeping the body comfortably warm and dry. This jacket with a tailored fit is surprisingly warm but also comfortable for fast riding.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the jacket?
WindWick LT outer fabric is elastic, highly wind resistant, water repellent and very breathable
Full Polartec® Alpha® 60g insulation for breathable warmth
NoRain Thermal fabric inserts on sleeves and back for water-resistant breathability
Internal cuff for excellent warmth and fit
360° reflective accents
2 side zipped ventilation pockets
3 external rear pockets
Internal front zip flap
Lie-flat elastic hem with light silicone grip
Rate the jacket for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the jacket for performance:
9/10
Rate the jacket for durability:
8/10
Rate the jacket for waterproofing, based on the manufacturer's rating:
6/10
Rate the jacket for breathability, based on the manufacturer's rating:
8/10
Rate the jacket for fit:
8/10
Rate the jacket for sizing:
8/10
Rate the jacket for weight:
7/10
Rate the jacket for comfort:
9/10
Rate the jacket for value:
5/10
Priced at £210 it's an expensive jacket, certainly for Sportful, a company that has long offered extremely well-priced cycle clothing. There aren't many companies using Polartec's Alpha insulation at the moment: Sugoi does in its £150 RSE Alpha Bike Jacket, which makes the Sportful jacket look a bit pricey.
How easy is the jacket to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
It's been washed plenty of times just fine.
Tell us how the jacket performed overall when used for its designed purpose
For cold winter riding, jackets don't get much better than this.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the jacket
The warmth, fit and comfort.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the jacket
Apart from the price, it's hard to find anything to criticise.
Did you enjoy using the jacket? Yes
Would you consider buying the jacket? Yes
Would you recommend the jacket to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your score
It's exceptional: incredible warmth and comfort but the high price might make you look twice.
About the tester
Age: 31
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, cyclo-cross, commuting, touring, mountain biking
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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Add new comment
24 comments
I've had this jacket for two years now. I looked around and found it for £150. And I've got to say even in 2019, it's still worth every penny. I'm actually pleased in a way when I see that it's going to be a really cold one as it means putting the Zero on. I've been out in 'feels like' minus temperatures and the jacket holds up easily. It also feels really comfy, nicely fitted yet room to manoeuvre. It also absorbs moisture really well too.
I know I'm writing this review quite late, but recently I decided to upgrade to the Intensity jacket. However, I've returned that as it doesn't offer the same positive stuff as the Zero in my opinion!
Good review for what looks like a decent jacket. Personally I don't like wearing cycling jackets and try and wear long sleeve merino jersey and gilet when needed.
That being said, I think a lot of us are still looking for that jacket that is warm but feels like wearing a jersey. I have the rapha pro team jacket from a few years ago, thats pretty close to being as good as I have found in terms of a jacket that is light and warm with a very good fit. But I've also got the Rapha soft shell, while this is warmer I just don't like riding in it - feels bulky, probably isn't any bulkier than most, but it feels like I'm riding in casual clothes.
It would be good to see more head to head style reviews if this is possible. I wouldn't have an issue spending £210 on a jacket if I thought it was offering something different than what I already have.
I know its probably hard to do editorially, but I'm thinking what may be helpful would be to see how this jacket at £210 fares against the Pearl Izumi Elite Pursuit Jacket which has an RRP of £120 but can be had for a lot less. I know it was different reviewers, but just might make interesting reading. For example the Pearl Izumi is significantly lighter and cheaper and the reviewer found it warm enough in snow flurries and found he didn't need a waterproof over the top, so a like for like ride with the two jackets would be really interesting.
I was just about to comment that I haven't seen any Polartec Alpha jacket, cycling or otherwise, with an rrp of under £150. Can't rule out overcharging but if so it's an industry wide problem not Sportful's. Remarkably Rapha's new Brevet insulated jacket is £150 however unless Rapha have a radical new pricing strategy I highly doubt the specs are the same as this jacket, though who knows.
As someone else said Polartec Alpha isn't a 90s fleece yet accounting for this possible mistake what puzzles me is the original dude saying you could go in Halfords and buy "something similar for a fraction of the price". When did Halfords start selling fleece's nevermind insulated cycling jackets? Besides, I believe Sportful were first to market with PA in a cycling jacket so a premium charge is expected, and with innevitable discount the price is pretty average.
FWIW, I bought a Polartec Alpha jacket from a mountaineering brand three years ago for close on to £200. It has been a brilliant cold weather riding jacket and had I not had it, I'd be buying this Sportful one.
You can buy this jacket for £166.45 anyway, which is a bit more reasonable.
I think we can all agree- it is a jacket for cycling.
Happy christmas and ride safe
I bought one of these a couple of weeks ago - far less than the list price in a flash reduction luckily. I have mixed feelings about it.
+ves...
very light, great fit, feels like you're not wearing it, warm, side zips
-ves...
its NOT 100% windproof and you really notice it on cold descents or windy days! Its probably 80% windproof and as a result you can feel a chill at times. Gore Windstopper is MUCH more windproof and so I dont find this quite as warm as the review suggests.
I'm disappointed in the breathabiity - my baselayers are pretty soaked on the chest and arms after a cold ride with a bit of tempo time or hills. You dont really feel it until you take it off, but I was hoping for better. Its better if you just have a short sleeve baselayer and I've been comfortable at 3-4 deg with a summer merino base, but its doesnt seem to be quite the magic offering they suggest.
I like it enough not to return it as having a well fitting and really light weight winter jacket is great, and it feels loads better than my traditional winter jackets, but its not the perfect solution sadly.
I have read both posts and agree that an item for sale should be judged on usability but also on price, this is only my thoughts but a jacket costing £210 should have 5 stars and if it’s not then it is a big fail because to most of us that is a lot of money and therefore the jacket should be exceptional.
I think we need to get cycling clothes back into some kind alignment with the real world, £200 to £300 for a jacket is just out of the realms of most people.
David mentions the price. More than a few times. And gives it 5/10 for value for money - which is a substantial reason why it gets 4 stars not 5. I'm not sure where you're not being told what you want to be told. Ultimately, it's up to the buyer, either they're happy to buy a jacket at that price or not. You're obviously not. And that's fine.
Most people are free to choose from the hundreds of other options that cost way less, surely?
Personally I'd never buy this, I'm sure it's excellent but it's waaaaaay more than I'd be prepared to pay. But the fact that it exists doesn't bother me either.
Your bugbear seems to be with the existence of expensive products, for which I can offer no remedy, other than to say perhaps reading reviews of expensive products probably isn't going to help your anger level much?
I don’t have a bugbear on expensive items of clothing, as I said it’s my thoughts that an item should be judged on price and i would have given it a lower scoring based on cost , as for the anger I don’t think that you are in a position to judge me as you don’t know me personally and as I am aware this is a democratic society were I am allowed my opinion without being judged personally or otherwise
Rapha don't have a lifetime warranty, they have a 12 month warranty.
I gave this jacket a close inspection in Evans last week (bored - getting my ride-to-work Brompton serviced, otherwise don't go there) and can only say that this jacket is WAY overpriced. Let's face it, if you want polartec go to Halfords: you'll get something similar for a fraction of the price. Essentially Sportful is looking to charge close to Rapha/Castelli/Assos money for a jacket that is way below the respective offerings of these companies in terms of technical capability and quality....I actually queried the price-tag. As for your overall rating David, how can you give a jacket like this an 8/10 rating when it gets a generous 5/10 for price? This makes no sense. Surely the rating must be given in the context of price.
But you haven't ridden in this jacket, have you? I have and have been so impressed with the insulation and breathability that I felt the performance helped to justify the admittedly rather high price tag. There also aren't many bike companies using this relatively new Polartec Alpha insulation at the moment as well so there's not a lot to compare it to
No - because I'd have to part with GBP210 to do so which is an astonishingly high price for a polartec jacket that looks like it came from Decathlon.
Did / would you buy one and how many do you think they'll sell for that price? Sportful is a brand that offers innovation at a price point. This jacket falls wide of the mark in both those categories.... which still leaves the question of how you justify an 8/10 performance with a 5/10 price tag? These are not compatible ratings in my view. To give it some context, this has been awarded only i/2 star less than the GBP 129 Endura FS260 Pro SL windproof. Surely, against that benchmark this jacket should be rated closer to the 5/10 on price alone.
Ah, if you read David's review in full, you'll see he (as all our reviewers do) answers both those questions with a yes. We are in the business of giving you our honest opinion on whether you should buy something, having tested it in different conditions very thoroughly, using experienced reviewers, widely regarded as the best in the business. That's what were here for, take our advice or not, your choice. Alternatively if you want to set up a website for people who want to know what you think of items having looked at them in a shop, you're very welcome.
Merry Christmas
I think you have Polartec in your head as the late 90s early 2000s fleeces that were sold in every outdoors store for not much money... Polartec have come a long way since then... NeoShell is one of THE best softshell products on the market and Alpha is probably one of the best for thermal insulation... as for Sportful charging close to Rapha - guess what Rapha's top insulation jacket has in it... that's right, Polartec Alpha.
To be honest if you think servicing your bike in Halfords is a good idea and Rapha is more 'technical' than Sportful - this makes no sense.
Hmmm....that's a headline....Road.Cc slags off Halfords. Well done. As you'll see when you re-read the above, I was getting my Brompton serviced (for free) at EVANS - but no, they don't get to touch my road bikes either before you insinuate that their servicing is in some way poor. So, are you buying one? Thought not....
You are a bit confused. I don't think Sethpistol writes for Road cc.
If the product is not for you, that is fine. I am still interested in the views of somebody who has ridden in it..... and they did make it very clear it was an expensive jacket.
Maybe it will be cheaper in the sales!
Please don't forget you are not just paying for the material and design but also their super customer service and life time warranty for their products.
If sportful charge the same as Rapha I will always choose rapha.
Apologies for mixing up your visit to Evans with your suggestion of Halfords, not going to slag off Evans workshop since I've never used it or known anyone who had, Halfords deserves it since I've spent many hours correcting their terrible work. I don't work for Road.cc so you don't have a sensational headline. As someone else mentioned, getting Polartec Alpha products in Halfords would be unusual.
In regards to buying one, I have it's predecessor - the R&D jacket, which is very good, hence reading the review to see if this one is even better...
Is it expensive? Relatively, but you can spend infinite amounts of money on just about any product without necessarily improving on quality these days. Take high fashion accessories for example - is a Mont Blanc pen any better than a Parker? Unlikely. Here at least the cost is in relation to the materials used and the technical nature of the product.
I don't think I have a single Sportful product that I've been disappointed with, whereas I can't say the same for Rapha, Craft or Assos.
Price rating works on a sliding scale, so 2= poor value (think non-waterproof jacket that costs £300) 8= amazing value (think super high-quality softshell jacket for £30). So 5/10 suggests that although the price may be high, it is about what you would expect for a jacket of this quality.
I also agree 100% with Dave's point on wearing it to ride. There is a jacket that I am currently reviewing that when you first look at it, you would think it wouldn't be able to protect you well at all, once worn out on the bike you realise how good it is. It's why we review kit over several weeks/months, so it's looked at more thoroughly than first impressions alone.
You know that Sportful and Castelli are basically the same company, and share the same factory, right?