Endura MT500 Polartec jacket review: a warm and breathable mid-layer with two minor flaws

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The Endura MT500 Polartec jacket is designed to be a warm mid-layer for winter use.

Thanks to the fabric working so well, it not only helps you stay warm, but also breathes well when you start working up a sweat.

That means, despite this being a solid option for really cold days, it’s not limited to those when the mercury won’t budge above 0ºC, assuming you nail the layering.

What’s more, thanks to the strategically placed panels used through the front, shoulders and front of the arms, it’ll keep you drier than expected too, making that £150 / €179.99 you’ve dropped work a little harder.

There’s some room for improvement, though. I’d like to see the cuffs fit more snugly around the wrists, as well as a drawcord for the hem to prevent it shifting around while riding. But I’d argue these aren’t deal-breaking gripes.

Endura MT500 Polartec jacket details

Endura offers the jacket in an impressive six sizes (S-3XL).

As the name suggests, the MT500 is made from Polartec fabric. This fleecy fabric features a grid pattern (most prominent on the inside), which is designed to not only keep you warm, but also boost breathability and wick sweat away from your skin.

There are stretch-woven panels across the front of the jacket and upper sides of the arms to help keep the cold out, as well as ward off rain showers.

The cut is fairly well fitted, with a dropped rear hem to help keep your lower back warm, as well as asymmetric cuffs to ensure your wrists are covered sufficiently.

There are two zipped hand pockets squirrelled away into each side, plus a larger chest pocket, meaning there’s useful storage when you're on or off the bike.

If things get really chilly, there’s a hood that’s designed to fit under your helmet, although there’s enough stretch for it to go over it should you wish.

Endura MT500 Polartec jacket performance

I opted for a size small, which fitted me really well. While it sits suitably close to the body, thanks to the tailored fit, I could still comfortably add multiple layers underneath for really cold days.

That said, you can easily wear a waterproof jacket over the top for torrential downpours, without things feeling tight or restrictive once you’re layered up.

There’s plenty of length in the sleeves – I never once suffered from cold spots around my wrists, even when my arms were stretched out while riding.

That said, the cuffs are a little looser than I’d have liked, meaning they don’t always stay put and required adjustment from time to time.

Ideally, provided there was still ample stretch, I’d like these to be a little closer-fitting, but it’s far from the end of the world.

At the rear, the hem drops sufficiently low to keep your back warm when sat down reaching for the handlebar. It doesn’t have a drawcord to help cinch it down, though.

This isn’t a major drawback, but there were occasions when it shifted around a little, riding up slightly.

In terms of warmth, the MT500 Polartec is impressive. The panels across the chest, shoulders and on the front of the arms really help keep any windchill out, while the fleecy fabric underneath feels snug and warm, helping to lock heat in.

The Polartec fabric is not a one-trick pony. Not only will it keep you warm, but it breathes well when you're working hard too. This was especially apparent on climbs, when I never felt stifled or unpleasantly warm.

In fact, I was impressed by just how hard I could work on cooler days before I had to even consider reaching for the front zip to shed some heat.

As an outer layer, the MT500 Polartec does a better job than expected of fending off showers.

Don’t get me wrong – you’ll still get wet in a torrential deluge, but when it comes to lighter showers or riding on puddle-strewn, splashy trails, it’ll do a decent job of keeping the worst of the wet out.

While a jacket such as this excels on days when the temperature is hovering around the 0ºC mark, I’ve worn it with just a baselayer below on milder double-digit days if there’s a cold wind and some rain to deal with.

In these instances, it impressed consistently, especially when riding an electric mountain bike.

Endura MT500 Polartec jacket bottom line

The Endura MT500 Polartec jacket offers a great level of insulation from the cold on chilly and windy days.

It can cope better than you might expect as an outer layer too, boosting its value and making it a great bit of kit for more than freezing cold days on the hill.

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