The Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket is an excellent choice for cold and often wet winter weather.
The Polartec Windblock outer and Alpha insulating fabrics combine to great effect, while the cut is almost figure-huggingly slim. The jacket feels as though it offers a significant barrier to the elements.
While it’s one of the more expensive deep-winter jackets I tested in the northern hemisphere’s 2024/2025 winter season, it’s certainly one of the best.
Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket details and specifications
The Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket is an evolution of the brand’s previous Vega Multi Jacket.
Here, the brand has opted for a thicker outer-face fabric in the form of Polartec Windblock, with two Polartec thermal lining fabrics used inside.
The most noticeable is the fluffy Alpha insulation, used around the neckline and across the front of the chest. The back and arms use a patterned fleece-like fabric (called Alpha Direct), which is said to feel more comfortable against the skin.
The fabric’s membrane has a 5,000mm water column rating – enough to be considered waterproof according to Santini, although the PFC/PFAS-free DWR (durable water repellent) treatment is intended to deal with showers before the membrane is pushed into action.
The cut is slim, bordering on figure-huggingly tight, but the sizing is true – I tested a size large (suitable for 100-104cm chest sizes) and was comfortable wearing it over a cycling baselayer.
It’s available in eight sizes (XS-4XL), so there are plenty to choose from to get it right for you.
There are three pockets at the rear, each with a drainage hole, while there’s a zipped pocket on the right of the chest.
The main zip features a garage to prevent under-chin chafing, although it’s not backed by a draught excluder (the front-facing part is windproof). It’s a two-way zip, so the bottom can be opened up to aid breathability and cooling if needed.
The jacket features reflective strips across the pockets, down the right-hand side of the chest and across the left shoulder. Looks are subjective, but I like the slightly asymmetrical aesthetic.
The waist hem is held in place by a taped silicone gripper.
Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket performance
Given the Vega+ uses technical fabrics from a brand as well-regarded as Polartec, it may come as little surprise that it performs well when faced with typical wintry conditions.
The Windblock outer layer feels more shielding than most (including the Neoshell fabric found on the Sportful Total Comfort Jacket) because it’s thicker. While it's slightly less breathable than thinner fabrics, this pays dividends when faced with really chilly winter winds.
It’s also usefully water resistant – water beaded off effectively and the fabric didn’t let moisture in, even on a soggy ride home from work.
The insulation is applied intelligently too. While Polartec Alpha is excellent, the Alpha Direct lining used on the back, arms and lower portion of the front doesn’t feel like a downgrade in terms of warmth.
I found condensation built up a little more readily than with the fluffy Alpha front panel, but I had to be working really hard to feel the difference.
In reality, the differences are slight, and I’d be feeling damp anyway if I were working that hard. That said, I liked that the fluffy lining was used at the neck – any concerns that it might prove itchy were unfounded.
The benefit is the jacket fits more like a second skin (as opposed to a distinct liner and outer layer). Given the fit is slim, it keeps excess fabric bunching to a minimum, and the waist hem and wrist cuffs are tight enough to give a sense of a seal.
The dropped tail is nice and long, while the front isn’t cut overly high, unlike the Rapha Men’s Pro Team Winter Jacket (£230 / $300 / €260), so it’s reasonably comfortable to sit in when you arrive at a café stop.
Should you not wish to stop, the pockets are spacious and the flanking pair are tapered with a lower cut at the edge to aid access – something I appreciated when reaching for an energy bar.
Of course, it’s an expensive jacket, but I think it delivers performance that's practically as good as the excellent Castelli Alpha Doppio ROS (£350 / $399.99 / €319.95), which is a chunk more expensive again.
Is the Castelli £110 / $99.99 / €69.95 better? I’m not convinced.
How we tested | winter jackets
I tested this group of winter jackets through November and December 2024. While these months have been unseasonably warmer than average, I chose the coldest days to test thermal insulation and the warmer days to assess breathability.
Testing temperatures ranged from -2ºC with freezing fog to a balmy 14ºC, and included the usual unpredictable mix of light drizzle and heavy showers. This put the DWR treatments and any waterproof membranes to the test.
I also assessed cut, overall fit and sizing, as well as details of the design such as cuffs, collars, and pocket size and access.
Jackets on test
- Rapha Men’s Pro Team Winter Jacket
- Gore Spinshift Thermo Jacket
- Sportful Total Comfort Jacket
- Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket
- Assos Mille GT Hashoogi Winter Jacket S11
- Van Rysel Men’s Winter Road Cycling Jacket Endurance
- Endura Men's Pro SL 3-Season Jacket
- Altura Men’s Endurance Blast Jacket
Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket bottom line
The Santini Vega+ Winter Jacket is one of the best deep-winter jackets I’ve ever tested.
The fabrics work extremely well – especially the Polartec Windblock outer layer, which feels like a significant barrier to the elements, especially cold wind. The fit is performance-oriented without feeling overly racy, and it offers plenty of length where you need it.
It begs the question, how many of us really need to spend upwards of £300 for the best winter jacket performance?
Product
| Brand | santini |
| Price | 250.00 EUR,240.00 GBP,300.00 USD |
Features
| br_gender | mens |
| Features | Sizes: XS-4XL Colours: Black, purple (tested), navy blue, dark green, neon orange-pink Fabric: Polartec Windblock; Polartec Alpha & Alpha Direct lining |
