Castelli Limitless Puffy Vest
Value: £210 / $249.99 / €199.95
Sizes: XS-3XL
Weight: 136 grams – Measurement S
Colors: Six
Pockets: Two
One of many big selection of gilets, or vests that I’ve been testing over the previous yr is the Castelli Limitless Puffy Vest. A light-weight gilet from Castelli that makes use of the at the moment in style Polartec Alpha insulation to spice up heat.
Castelli pitches the Limitless Puffy, which can also be obtainable in a jacket model, as a chunk that is designed for a variety of using from common highway rides to off-road adventuring, gravel, bike packing and so forth.
It is a trendy piece from Castelli nevertheless it does carry a heavy price ticket at £210 / $249.99 / €199.95 RRP, you’ll be able to decide it up cheaper on-line or in sure variations within the Castelli outlet, nevertheless it’s partially attributable to a few of the tech it options, which I get into under.
I have been using within the gilet for a while now, I’ve travelled with it and examined it using in a few totally different international locations, within the dry and moist and on and off-road in addition to at totally different using intensities.
The Limitless Puffy additionally options in our greatest biking gilets patrons information.
Design and aesthetics
The Limitless Puffy is obtainable in six totally different colors, my brilliant purple model seems to have been up to date to a barely darker ‘Bordeaux’ colourway however there may be additionally a brilliant yellow possibility in addition to some darker earthier tones to select from.
Castelli lists a temperature vary of 12C – 19C / 54F – 66F for the vest, however I’ve worn it in decrease temperatures than this, it will depend upon what you are carrying with it, and the way onerous you might be using.
Options-wise, the vest has three pockets in complete, two on the rear and a roomy zippered chest pocket on the left-hand facet. The 2-way zip is from YKK and has a pleasant easy-to-grasp Castelli puller on the primary zip, which you can too take away simply must you favor to.
The Limitless Puffy feels very gentle and tender. The skin is a tender and calmly rustly polyester which has a DWR coating. This types a double layer with the within of the gilet which options Polartec Alpha Direct insulating materials. Polartec Alpha is a well-liked materials in the meanwhile and is used on a lot of bits of equipment. The fabric options light-weight artificial fibres that resist moisture however provide good thermal properties while nonetheless being breathable. In easy phrases, it can assist preserve you heat with out overheating or turning into waterlogged from sweat.
Polartec Alpha fibres are light-weight and compressible, which suggests they do not forestall the gilet from packing down nicely. The Limitless Puffy will simply pack down into a light-weight jersey pocket and could be a welcome pal while you pull it on once more at a cease or if the climate turns. Its gentle weight additionally makes it a helpful possibility if you’re travelling or packing for a visit and wish to preserve bulk down.
Match-wise, the gilet is reduce very well in my view. It is not a brilliant stretchy, race-cut piece, nowhere close to as tight becoming or stretchy as one thing just like the Spatz BurnR2.
Neither is it saggy, which might put me off utilizing it on the highway, it has simply an ever so barely extra relaxed match, which I feel Castelli has performed an incredible job on. I can put on it over a highway jersey for a highway trip and it is wonderful, there’s maybe just a few extra creases and crinkles however for coaching or basic using this does not matter. It is also free sufficient that it’ll work nicely when you’re carrying it with a extra relaxed gravel or mtb outfit, even with saggy shorts and so forth.
The 2 pockets on the rear are additionally much less tightly cinched in and elasticated, which while being very efficient for pockets, on the highway makes gilets sit somewhat awkwardly at occasions when you might have them unzipped. The identical will be stated for the hem itself, it isn’t too tight. In case you put on the gilet off the bike on an extended journey or at any sort of cease, cafe, post-ride beers, in a single day keep and so forth, it matches very well, virtually like a daily gilet or vest would and this does add to the fashion and feel-good issue.
Efficiency
The Limitless Puffy Vest has carried out nicely for me throughout the board. Considered one of my first rides in it was in Italy on the Sram Pink AXS launch within the spring. I examined the DWR coating on a moist trip beneath two hours in size on the finish of the journey and was impressed with the DWR efficiency in what was fairly a moist trip. I might think about in time and after a lot of washes it will begin to put on however not less than out of the field, there is a good degree of safety there from rain or spray.
Consolation is great and the gilet all the time feels comfortable and cozy while you pull it on. Most of us have most likely ended up standing round at one level or one other on a trip getting chilly or getting somewhat shivery at a restaurant cease, maybe too early within the yr while you actually ought to have recognized higher and sat inside. Pull the gilet on for one thing like this and you may assume ‘Ahh that is higher’ It is nice for moments like that.
When it comes to precise heat and breathability, the Polartec Alpha is battle-proven and works very nicely. The little bit of additional room within the reduce means you’ll be able to match the gilet over a number of layers and put on it in actually fairly chilly situations or simply over a jersey in hotter climate to take the sting off with out getting too sweaty. As talked about it can comfortably match right into a jersey pocket which makes it very helpful.
The double pockets are roomy, however I discover them a bit free feeling if I am not carrying an excessive amount of in them, my mini pump tends to sit down horizontally and appears somewhat messy for instance. I feel I favor the match of a cosy three-pocket setup. I trip extra on the highway than the rest although. Alternatively, I respect what the looser pockets do for the informal match and the way in which the gilet sits. It is not been designed for a daily triple highway picket I do not assume. It is hardly a deal breaker both method however it might matter to you.
Worth
I feel at full value, the Limitless Puffy may be a little bit of a tough promote for lots of riders. I can hear clubmates say, ‘That is what I might spend on my winter biking jacket’.
If on the value level, you are specializing in the very best winter biking jackets or maybe greatest winter bib tights the same outlay for a gilet might not signify the very best worth.
Nevertheless, it’s a nice piece of equipment and could be very versatile. Maybe in case you have all the opposite important equipment bases coated you’d then go for it so as to add a bit extra versatility and construct out your equipment bag.
You will discover it on-line in varied gross sales for lots much less cash on some websites, I see the gilet on-line in the meanwhile in some gross sales with almost 50% off.
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Verdict
I can discover virtually nothing to fault within the Limitless Puffy, it is trendy, snug and nice to put on and brings wonderful versatile heat and breathability to the desk because of the Polartec Alpha materials.
In case you do a lot of various kinds of using at totally different intensities and like to hold an additional layer then you’ll like it. In case you usually trip on the highway and with somewhat extra intent, you could possibly most likely obtain the identical with a extra normal gilet with out the insulation or any variety of different equipment combos.
Lastly, let’s not overlook that it is simply good to have decisions. There is a heck of loads of nice equipment on the market to select from now, and that is one other sturdy possibility. In case you just like the look of it and fancy treating your self you will not be let down by the Limitless Puffy.
Design and aesthetics | A classy and efficient design with a variety of color and measurement choices | 9/10 |
Thermal administration | Glorious because of the Polartec Alpha materials and to a lesser extent the 2 method zipper | 9/10 |
Packability | Excellent, comfortably folds down and matches into a regular jersey pocket | 9/10 |
Consolation and match | Very tender, snug and nicely becoming | 9/10 |
Worth | I can discover little fault with the vest, however it’s a costly, will some riders obtain the identical with extra reasonably priced bits of equipment | 8/10 |
General | Row 5 – Cell 1 | 44/50 |