Berghaus Aero Gillet
Price: £40
Features: Polartec micro fleece with stretch

When the winter really gets going there comes a temperature that’s too cold for a shell jacket and thin thermal, but you’ll sweat like a steamed pig if you try and squeeze a full weight fleece under your jacket.

That’s exactly where the Aero Gillet and the other perfectly armless garments we’ll be testing this week come in. They’re ideal for bulking up full winter insulation without immobilising or incinerating you, and can work as an outer layer on milder days.

The Aero gets it’s name from the snug fit afforded by the stretch side panels and twin hem locks, which wrap the fleece in right next to you, stopping draughts and leaving you enough room to move. The extra high collar increases the cosiness of the Aero massively and suprise, suprise it works really well with the equally high collars of Berghaus’s Helium and Paclite jackets. The mid weight fleece itself is plush and immeadiately warm but though it wicks quite well as a mid layer, any sort of a wind will blast clean through it.

This leaves the handwarmer pockets and the zipped pocket round the back as nice snug touches for when your shuffling round the house / tea shop pre / post epic but mean they’re not likely to see much action when you’re on the bike as some sort of shell is fairly essential.

Verdict: Lovely, warm, close fitting mid layer fleece that shifts sweat fairly well and seals necks luxuriously. Ideal for adding massive warmth for minimum bulk, but as it’s essential you run some sort of windshell on top it’s not as versatile as others.

Performance: 3.5/5
Value: 3.5/5

If you want to know more about Berghaus’s range of weather proof clobber then link up here.