Has anyone used jackets made from Gore Windstopper? Just wondering what type of temperature range they're good for and how well they breathe and get rid of sweat.

Personally I don't like them. Lots of people do. So you'd be wise to get it from some place with a nice return policy.

For what reason?

Nashbar or REI, can't beat those.

Also what do you use? I've never figured out my winter layers...

I have used Gore Windstopper jackets. They do not "breathe and get rid of sweat".

Gore fabrics allow water vapor to pass, not liquid.

Once you start to perspire heavily it will hold in the liquid. Perspiration has no way to evaporate. This is very dangerous in cold condition. Pit zips and other ventilation can help but it does not change the fact that Gore Windstopper fabrics are not designed for heavy volumes of liquid perspiration.

One who does not perspire much might get away with a Gore Windstopper fabric during heavy exercise but I think they are horrible products for all but light rain protection during more casual rides.


-Tim-

The stuff doesn't breathe as well as other options, so it can get clammy. Personally, I really hate that feeling. Typical winter conditions in Seattle are 45 F and raining. Also, I use other stuff that works better for me, and costs less.

Agree 100 %.

Personally, I use: an Arc'teryx Accelero wind breaker jacket (almost every day, 6 months a year), a merino wool base layer, and if it's below about 40 F I'll wear a light insulation layer in between and a wool buff over my ears. If it'll get below freezing I bring a down jacket and wear it outside the windbreaker.

Gotta experiment a lot with the mid layers and temp and weather conditions.

You might not need a full shell. I use a jacket that has Windstopper stuff in the front and fabric in the back. I can add layers for colder temperatures. It works well (when it's dry).

Whoa, time for a counterbalance post... I absolutely LOVE my Gore Power 2 Windstopper Jacket. Use it at 58 deg and below, down to about 40. Almost never above that range, have a superlight jacket for temps above that. The Gore is great material, very nicely lined, very well tailored. Has held up well to laundering, breathes vapor, not sweat. Very good insulating factor. Would definitely buy again, I think the worksmanship and the material are well above par.

I think some folks are confusion Windstopper with Gore-Tex.

Windstopper is a non-waterproof material, GoreTex is the waterproof material.

I have a Windstopper jacket and use it in road rides below 55 or so, it's comfortable and breathes fine. I ride with a Canari very light taffeta nylon jacket above 55F or so. I like the Windstopper in colder temps as it does a better job of reducing windchill at road riding speeds. I'll also use the WS jacket on mt. bike rides below 30F

I'm wondering the same thing: I find my Gore Windstopper is a great jacket for an outer layer and I don't find it holds moisture the way Gore-Tex does. Of course, it doesn't pretend to be waterproof either and it's probably best worn in somewhat cooler conditions.

I have a Windstopper jacket that I'll use down to 20° (I really don't like to ride below that temp) with a merino mid-weight layer or two. Arms can get a little clammy if they're bare (short sleeve base layer only), but it's a fairly minor complaint.

My experience is that Windstopper does not breathe enough or at all. It does not allow moisture to pass in sufficient quantities to prevent perspiration from building up. That is my experience.

I own two Windstopper products and am not confused.

I have an older Gore Windstopper jacket that doesn't breath well and a couple of Castelli jackets made partially of Windstopper that do breath well. Issue might be that there are four types of Windstopper fabric:

There are four basic categories of WINDSTOPPER® fabrics:


• WINDSTOPPER® Active Shells are the lightest, most packable garments, offering total windproofness, maximum breathability, and water resistance. They keep you comfortable for enhanced performance during highly aerobic activities.

• WINDSTOPPER® Soft Shells offer total windproofness and maximum breathability, combining the comfort of a soft mid-layer and the water resistance of a shell in one garment. They keep you comfortable with the freedom of movement you need for enhanced performance in a wide range of activities and weather conditions.

• WINDSTOPPER® Technical Fleece provides more warmth and comfort than non-windproof fleece with less bulk by combining total windproofness and maximum breathability. It's effective as a mid-layer or outer layer, keeping you warm and comfortable in cool and windy conditions.

• WINDSTOPPER® Insulated Shells provide lightweight warmth by combining total windproofness, maximum breathability, and water resistance. They are designed to keep warm air in and the cold wind out, while allowing perspiration to easily escape. They are ideal for cold and windy conditions.

From here: FAQ - WINDSTOPPER® Products

Waterproof/windproof and breathability are inversely proportional. The more you have of one, the less you have of the other.

If something breathes well then it does so in proportion to the amount of garment that isn't windstopper.

I have a Windstopper jacket that I've used for years. I'm guessing it's a "Windstopper Active Shell" after reading the above post. I wear it down to 40 degrees F, but it's overkill in the 50's if it's not windy. Not super breathable, but it has elastic drawstrings on the waist, so I can let some heat escape if I need to. I bought it on sale at Nashbar eight or nine years ago, and it's still in great shape. Definitely a quality product, but maybe not for everyone, especially if you sweat a lot.

I have a Gore Phantom 2.0 (windstopper soft shell). As stated above, as a wind stopper, it works great. I wear it down to the 30s (layered with thermal underneath) and up to the low 50s. Above that it gets too hot, although you can zip off the sleeves on that model. For rain, I use a Showers Pass rain jacket.

Is it already time in the season to start talking about jackets? Well that's depressing.

I have 2x Castelli Trasparente that use Gore windstopper X-Lite in the front and shoulders, and a permeable fleece material on arms and back. You can blow through the back easily, the front with difficulty. Their famous Gabba jersey is windstopper front and back, which would help if it's raining or you have a harsh tailwind.


Trasparente falls between a long sleeve jersey and jacket, fine up to ~60F by itself and ok down to 30F with a good baselayer. highly recommended!

Not here in NorCal...supposed to be 95 today!

I also have a winter riding jacket, from LL Bean, with the "Active Shell". It was designed for higher exertion activities.

In mid-40's temperature I wear 1 base layer beneath it. Mid-30's, 2 base layers, and low to mid-20's 3 base layers.

The jacket. Breathes quite well and allows any perspiration to wick.

Best regards

Can't speak to Gore bike gear but can speak to Gore products and outdoor activities in the winter. I try to dress so I'm barely comfortable while excersising. My ski gear consists of single layer wool undergarment and Gore shell into the teens and sometimes lower. From my experience, if you are sweating significantly you might be over dressed.

Gore + wool is a great combo...at least for skiing.

I have the Gore Soft Shell and love it. It is good with a long sleeve base layer underneath to 25 degrees with no wind. With a t shirt under can wear up to 50. It breaks the wind but nothing is waterproof in that you still sweat and get wet a bit. I am a runner too and use the jacket for that. It is basically like my old Frank Shorter gortext jacket but the shell is softer and not so nylon like if that makes sense. Paid around $120 for it one of the best items ever bought for cycling.

I'm not a fan of Windstopper except for gloves unless you put out only modest effort and only need it for cool conditions.. The stuff doesn't breathe well and the temp range it's useful for is very narrow. On the other hand, I think Gore-Tex Active jackets are quite good for cycling, and the Gore One is excellent, albeit pricey. Two disclaimers:

1) I am a Gore-Tex product tester and receive consideration for sharing my views.

2) I haven't tested a Windstopper product for a few years so they may have improved.

I don't even know how many Gore products I own, but one I personally use and delivers excellent bang for the buck if bought on sale is the Oxygen 2.0 Active jacket. It's light, aero, easily stuffs in a jersey pocket, and is useful in temps from the 20's and up.

If you go to the Gore website they have an explanation about how Goretex works and about breathability of Gore fabrics. Really strenuous exercise can produce enough moisture to overwhelm the ability of the fabric to pass water vapor molecules through it. Then you get wet from the inside.

I have one of the Gore Windstopper neon green visibility active shell jackets. It really works to stop wind from wicking heat away from you. If you ride in a low humidity environment when you do get even a little damp the wind can really be chilling. I use wool sweaters of various thicknesses underneath it as it cools down in winter. I bought mine at a garage sale for a couple of bucks so I have no reason to complain about anything. It was a good buy.

Gore-Tex and other breathable fabrics are nice but they're not magic. Nothing is going to keep you dry if you'd be wet even with bare skin. Likewise, they all require vapor pressure to work -- if the temp inside the jacket is the same as the temp outside the jacket and the relative humidity is 100%, nothing can evaporate.

This stuff is windproof, but if you ride in a low humidity environment, you might be happier with a windbreaker since they're generally lighter, cheaper, and breathe better. But the newest materials can get you a jacket that is as light as a windbreaker, will compress to the size of an orange, and be fully waterproof/windproof.

What works best depends a lot on how you ride. Generally speaking, the lighter your effort, the more things that will work for you.

These materials let vapor rather than water pass through, so they're not nearly as effective when you have sweat directly in contact with the garment. This means that if you use a waterproof breathable layer like Gore-Tex, you really need a base layer of some type for it to work properly. I tend to use a thin technical layer when cycling unless it's really cold in which case I add a thin merino layer. I use that same combination for mountaineering and kayaking.