Chapeau! Red Echelon gilet review

We've tested the Chapeau! Red Echelon gilet through some seriously cold conditions, but how does it hold up?

(Image credit: mike prior)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

Ultimately, this is an expensive piece of clothing, but it has pulled its weight with impressive performance on some seriously cold rides - it just needs a slight tweak in fit and it'll be a perfect gilet for the cold months.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Good fit on the waist

  • +

    Two useful zipped pockets

  • +

    Windproof and warm

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Cut around the arms could be better

  • -

    Could be more breathable

  • -

    Expensive

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

Chapeau! was founded on the basis of creating kit that isn’t necessarily the cheapest, but will always offer the best value for money. So, with the Red Echelon gilet costing £109, does this hold up? For the most part it's a gilet that fits really well. However, while it has a slim fit I did find it a little baggy in the chest area when in the hunched cycling position.

>>> Chapeau! Repel bib tights

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