Altura Esker Dune Insulated Gilet review

The Altura Esker Dune Insulated Gilet is the British brand’s body warmer offering, designed to keep your core warm when the temperature is low.

A windproof fabric is paired with a recycled-material insulation to keep your body heat in, while a DWR layer keeps the damp out.

Features such as the two-way zip and deep-drop rear ensured this gilet impressed when the temperature plummeted.

Altura Esker Dune Insulated Gilet features and performance

Altura has gone to Pertex for the outer fabric, with the wind-proof Quantum material making up the bulk of the gilet. This does a good job of keeping out cold breezes around the core of your body.

It’s backed up with a recycled PET insulation, which sits over the chest and around the kidneys. A soft brushed inner material – another source of insulation and comfort – finishes the garment.

It's no wonder the Esker Dune proved to be really warm, even in sub-zero temperatures.

The material has a slight four-way stretch, which helps with the fit because this is a moderately snug-fitting gilet.

This keeps flapping at bay, but those with a broader frame may find the fit a little restrictive, especially around the arm openings, if opting for their usual size.

Altura offers this gilet in sizes all the way up to XXXL, so if you’re on the border of two sizes, consider sizing up.

At the back, there’s a low dropped hem, which helps keep your lower back warm and protected from spray when you're leaning over the bike.

The DWR coating, which helps water droplets bead rather than soak in, performed well in testing, shrugging off splashes and light rain.

It’s the small touches

The two-way zip is a great premium addition to the gilet. The zip is a weatherproof one, on which the runner may not slide quite as well up and down, but it adds a premium feel to the garment.

It’s a shame, then, that on the very coldest test rides the area behind the zip felt a touch colder. A wider storm flap might help here.

There’s also a chest pocket, which is well-sized and located in a place that shouldn’t cause any interference with your riding.

The zip pull tags are long and easy to grip, even when wearing thick winter gloves.

Altura Esker Dune Insulated Gilet bottom line

While it may seem counter-intuitive, the best gilets can be an excellent choice for winter mountain biking, so long as the fundamentals are ticked off.

The Altura Esker Dune Insulated Gilet is warm, comfortable and effective in winter conditions.

A wider storm flap behind the zip would boost it to a full five stars.