Giro Ambient Jacket review

The MTB-specific Giro Ambient Jacket is a robust three-layer, fleece-backed windproof softshell jacket with a helmet-compatible hood.

Fitting well, with a nicely flexible feel, it has been designed to meet the demands of cold and wet winter rides.

It delivers good levels of warmth and resists water ingress effectively, but gets hot quickly during bigger efforts.

Giro Ambient Jacket details and specifications

Weighing in at 404g (size small), this jacket is constructed from a four-way stretch fabric backed with thermal fleece intended to aid insulation.

Features include two zippered, well-sized hand pockets, a generous dropped hem, a high collar and an over-helmet hood.

Internal Lycra gaiters complete with thumb loops line the sleeves and are claimed to add warmth.

With waterproofing and breathability ratings of 10,000mm and 10,000m2 respectively, Giro promises the Ambient Jacket to be a ‘cosy wonder of warmth’.

Giro Ambient Jacket performance

I put the Ambient to the test across a temperature range of 2 to 12°C, in typically varied Scottish Autumnal conditions on commutes and trail rides.

Performance was top notch, with the jacket functioning best on rides at 2 to 5°C, with light to moderate rain and wind.

Overheating on climbs was an issue for me above 5°C, however unzipping fully was enough to release the excess heat and avoid breaking into a sweat below this temperature.

Waterproofing was impressive and even after 90 minutes of continuous rain, my internal layers remained free from water ingress with just a light sweat clinging to my baselayer.

Four laser-cut holes are located in the armpits. However, they offer little in the way of ventilation, being so small and few.

The helmet-compatible hood has a squared shape to the seams, which makes them stick up unless you stretch the hood firmly downwards over the helmet.

This allows for an impressive freedom of head and neck movement, meaning I could wear it comfortably while riding trails and forget I had it on.

Women’s sizing starts at a small, which fits more like a UK12 than otherwise suggested on the size chart.

How does the Giro Ambient compare to the Decathlon Rockrider MTB Jacket?

Both jackets are designed specifically for the rigours of winter mountain biking. Both feature a four-way stretch softshell with fleece interior and a quality finish, plus DWR coating for shedding light rain.

The addition of a hood and the women’s specific tailoring of the Ambient are important details to consider.

Also of note is the addition of underarm breathable stretch panels and vent flaps on the Rockrider, which enables air circulation, an aspect of performance where the Ambient falls short.

Giro Ambient Jacket bottom line

The Giro Ambient is a toasty-warm jacket that excels in the cold and passing showers.

Its hood and generous, zipped pockets are additional plus points.

However, minimal ventilation may be an issue and could lead to overheating for people who run hotter.