THE STRATEGY IS one of two 300$ jackets in this test and we make no apology for the winning spots they both hold. This isn’t high fashion, where price doesn’t necessarily equate to performance. This is a case of the best fabric – GoreWindstopper, once again – being combined with incredibly well-specified functionality and pattern cutting that must have been refined again and again to get just the right fit.
And with the 7mesh jacket, the fit is the thing that hits you first. Put it on and it simply disappears. Not in a so-tight-it’s-a-second-skin sort of way, because although the fit is slim, it’s not skinny. Rather, it just fits so well that there’s nothing to remind you that you’re wearing a jacket. There are two slanted-for-easy-entry pockets (use the opposite hand to access them – it’s counter-intuitive but works) and the seams are taped for optimum weatherproofing but otherwise the detail is pared back. What really matters here is that high-performanceWindstopper fabric and the clever construction that provides that immaculate fit. Turning the jacket inside out, we were blown away by the quality of the manufacturing – it’s unmatched by anything we’ve seen.
This carries our ultimate accolade of being a pure riding jacket. It never got too warm and is more comfy than most jerseys we’ve worn. If you have the budget to invest, we can’t recommend it highly enough.
Price 300$