Santini Women’s Coral 2.0 Winter Jacket

The Coral 2.0 Windproof Winter Jacket is Santini's offering of an outer layer for very cold days. I didn't find it substantial enough for the lower end of the suggested temperature range, but it certainly offers excellent breathability and has a genuine women-specific cut.

• Pros: Warmth without bulk, practically positioned zip pocket
• Cons: Short in arm length and body, rear pockets sit too high

The Coral 2.0 jacket is a step up in protection from the recently reviewed Coral 2.0 jersey, and is marketed as being warmer but also boasts some other decent features that the jersey doesn't offer. To start with, it's colourful where it really matters – on the rear. This orange model on test is really bold and sure to get you seen, which is handy as in terms of reflectives there's only one single, small, central vertical strip over the pocket area. There are also blue and purple ('water' and 'violet') options too.

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The three roomy rear pockets stretch well to accommodate bulky inner tubes, a mini pump, cool tool and stacks of food. Unfortunately they sit too high up; getting into them while riding, even sat upright off the bar, is a struggle.

There is a fourth, zipped, pocket situated on the left side of the jacket, like you'd find on a non-cycling top. It's brilliant for keys and money; I was thankful that I didn't have to try to retrieve these things from the depths of the awkward rear pockets.

The jacket is made up of varying thicknesses of Gore Windstopper Fuga fabric which, as the name suggests, has superb wind-stopping properties. The rear panel has a percentage of elastane added to it, and although it has the same fleecy lining as elsewhere, it's much thinner and stretches a lot more.

There are also dimpled panels that sit just below the collarbone. They don't reach under the arms but seem to be there to promote airflow to the armpits.

All of these panels and fabrics are cut and constructed to give a really snug fit. As Santini says, it's 'anatomically designed for the female form, a tight fit is assured.' As it's so stretchy, the jacket really does mould to and hug your body shape, with no flapping or loose material. Even when down on the drops there is minimal bagginess.

For me, the jacket came up a bit short in the torso and arms, and consequently didn't offer the protection here that I would expect from a winter jacket. The sleeves were an issue if combined with gloves that were also on the short side, leaving skin exposed. They are also very tight around the forearm and cuff; hold onto to your undervest when you pull the jersey on otherwise it'll be halfway up your arm.

The base of the jacket has really effective jacquard (elastic band in simple terms) to hold it in place when riding. I thought if I pulled it down hard enough it might stretch and hold the jacket down to cover my lower back, but no such luck. The jacket is noticeably stretchy, and hasn't lost any of its elasticity during the test period.

Santini cites a temperature range for the jacket of -8 to +5 on its website, but watch its 'how to dress for Winter' video and it gets a 0-10°C rating. The latter is much more realistic, though still a little optimistic. In temperatures of 2-3°C I was just warm enough. It was noticeable how quickly I cooled off if I did take my foot off the gas, or stop for a mechanical.

I'm convinced this was down to the thinner back panel that promotes airflow and breathability. It does indeed allow you to breathe – I never once felt sweaty or too hot – but it isn't as warm as some winter jackets I've used, such as Sportful's Luna Softshell Jacket. It seems like warmth has been sacrificed for breathability. Its stretchy nature does mean it is easy to layer up under it, though. I would put its optimal range at 3-10°C.

> Buyer's Guide: 14 of the best winter cycling jackets

On a positive note, it's great in damp conditions. Water beads up on the fabric and rolls off. Yes, persistent rain will begin to penetrate, but the Gore fabric comes into play and I felt no wind chill.

Overall, the Coral 2.0 Jacket is packed with positives: it's windproof, water resistant, exceptionally breathable, a bold design and a super cut. If the short body and sleeves suit you, its £134.99 price tag looks decent value. Its technical performance certainly outweighs the high pocket issue that I had.

Verdict

Good performance in wintry weather, with a very feminine race cut, just don't believe the claimed temperature range