Loffler Jackets

Fabric Tech & Weather Performance

The headline material across the Loffler waterproof cycling jacket range is Gore-Tex Infinium, a fabric that's often misunderstood. It's not a hard-shell waterproof - think of it more as an armour-grade softshell. Completely windproof, highly water-resistant, and far more breathable than any laminated waterproof membrane you've worn. On a sharp climb in the Brecon Beacons with your heart rate spiking, that breathability gap is enormous. Full waterproofs trap sweat; Gore-Tex Infinium lets it move. For the drizzly, rarely torrential reality of most UK riding, that's usually the right call.

Loffler's Transtex fabric works on a similar principle but is their own proprietary development. It's a bi-component knit that actively wicks moisture from the skin and transfers it outward, so your base layer stays drier under load. Pair it with a Gore-Tex Infinium outer and the system breathes as a unit rather than fighting itself. The Loffler windstopper jacket variants use Gore's Windstopper membrane directly, which delivers the same wind-blocking performance with a softer hand-feel - slightly more packable, slightly less structured.

Where Loffler genuinely separates itself is in construction. hotBOND technology uses ultrasonic welding to bond seams flat rather than sewing them. No needle holes. No raised ridges under your shoulder straps. It sounds like a detail until you're three hours into a wet February ride and the stitched seam on a cheaper jacket is letting water wick straight through. DWR coatings on the outer face shed light rain immediately, though like all DWR treatments, they need periodic reactivation - more on that below.

Reflective detailing on Loffler jackets is well-placed rather than token. Hits on the chest, lower back, and cuffs mean you're visible from multiple angles in low light, which is non-negotiable on narrow UK B-roads in November. If you're comparing alternatives, Endura jackets and Castelli jackets operate in a similar technical bracket - but Loffler's Austrian-origin cold-weather bias gives it a specific edge when temperatures drop hard.

Understanding the Loffler Fit & Range

Loffler uses two primary fit profiles across their jacket range. Active Fit is the one most riders will want - tailored enough to prevent wind-catching fabric flap, but with enough give across the shoulders and arms to stay comfortable through a full pedal stroke. It's not a race crouch fit; it works equally well in an upright sportive position. Slim Fit trims that tolerance further, suits a low, stretched-out road position, and is worth considering if you're running a long drop to the bars.

Worth knowing if you're new to the brand: Loffler runs to European sizing, which tends to be cut closer than UK high-street equivalents. Their Loffler winter bike jacket models - the heavier, more insulated options - build in extra room for a thermal base layer underneath, so they size more generously than the lighter shells. If you're buying a packable spring jacket and plan to wear just a jersey beneath, your standard size will fit cleanly. If it's a deep-winter piece and you're going base layer plus mid-layer, go up one.

The product hierarchy is logical once you know it. Lightweight shells sit at one end: minimal insulation, DWR finish, small pack size, designed for shoulder-season riding when you want insurance against a sudden shower. Mid-range jackets add Transtex or Windstopper construction for genuine cold-weather use into the mid-teens and below. The top-tier Loffler Gore-Tex Infinium jacket models are full-on winter pieces - drop tail for coverage in the riding position, articulated arms, hotBOND seams throughout - the sort of jacket you reach for when it's four degrees and the road is wet from the night before.

Are Loffler cycling jackets true to size? Generally, yes - the fit is accurate to the label, just closer-cut than you might expect from a UK brand. If you're between sizes, the winter models will accommodate a size up more comfortably than the lighter options will.

Layering & Care for UK Riding

Getting the most from a Loffler jacket means treating it as part of a system. On a cold January morning - the sort where your breath hangs in the air before you've unloaded the bike - start with a Loffler base layer in Transtex fabric directly against the skin. It pulls sweat away fast and doesn't hold moisture. Add a Loffler jersey over the top for insulation and pockets, then the jacket as the outer shell. That three-layer setup handles hard efforts and recovery sections without cooking you on the climbs or leaving you cold on long descents.

If the forecast is genuinely grim - prolonged rain rather than drizzle - adding Loffler overtrousers below completes the picture. Gore-Tex Infinium is highly water-resistant rather than submersion-proof, so in sustained heavy rain, a longer ride will eventually find its limits. That's not a criticism - it's the breathability trade-off, and for 90% of UK rides it won't matter.

Washing a Loffler cycling jacket correctly keeps it performing. Turn it inside out, use a liquid tech-wash (not a biological detergent - enzymes degrade DWR), and wash at 30 degrees. Skip the fabric softener entirely; it clogs the DWR and kills breathability. To reactivate the DWR coating after washing, tumble dry on a low heat setting for 20 minutes. If water stops beading on the surface mid-season, a spray-on reproofer applied after washing will restore it. Line drying alone won't reactivate the coating - heat is what does it. Store the jacket uncompressed where you can; keeping it stuffed in a sack long-term stresses the hotBOND seams over time.

One more thing worth checking before a long ride: zip the main zip fully and run your thumb along it. If the DWR on the zip tape has worn, that's often the first place water gets in. A rub of wax-based zipper lubricant keeps it smooth and adds a small degree of water resistance back to the closure.