Review on 🧥 White Small Pearl Izumi Jacket by John Ghattamaraju

The PRO Aero jacket is a very thin, stretchy, WINDPROOF jacket. Good for weather above 45 degrees Fahrenheit with a matching pad. Goal: I want a packable jacket that blocks the wind, stays breathable and looks good (I didn't worry about waterproofing as I won't be riding in the rain). I found myself overheated in my warm tank top in 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit, but too cold with a combo of just a short sleeve tank top and a thin long sleeve tank top. I've considered hand warmers, but found that the weather isn't actually getting warm enough to justify taking them off and exposing your hands. So I was looking for a jacket that would block the wind, lock in warmth, and still be breathable while riding. I found the PRO Aero.Fit: I'm a 5ft 11in, 160lb athletic male and the medium size fits me like a glove. I've never had a problem with Pearl Izumi's clothing size. I'm average in everything else Pearl does, but there's still plenty of room for layering in this jacket. Please note that there is NO elastic/tape on the inside bottom of the jacket to prevent it from riding up on you. Function: I cannot stress enough that this is a lightweight jacket to be used as the last piece in a layering system. . It is NOT meant to keep you warm, but to SAVE you. The Pearl Izumi softshell technology is incredible. The material is very elastic and feels comfortable. Many reviewers point out that this jacket doesn't have excellent water resistance and unfortunately I believe them. I have no "wet" experience with this jacket but I will say that if you hold this jacket up to the sunny skies you can see through it. Having not put a water bottle in my mouth, I can say that it 100% repels small amounts of water. As far as wind resistance is concerned, I give it four stars. With an MSRP of $125, I would really like this jacket to be fully windproof. I understand that Pearl's product description says the PRO Aero Softshell fabric "provides optimal wind protection", but I'm just disappointed that it's not windproof. For example, the Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Jacket costs $90 and offers full wind protection. Of course, the Elite Barrier isn't a tight-fitting, stretchy softshell fabric, but a more affordable version of a lightweight windbreaker. Finally, the PRO Aero's product description label states that it has 4.5 stars out of 5 for wind protection and 4 stars out of 5 for ventilation. In terms of ventilation, there are nice mesh vents under each glove box to help regulate body temperature. Conclusion: I find this jacket a great alternative to hand warmers at 50 degrees. It's a jacket that stays on while you ride while being breathable and windproof. Pearl is one of the most stylish cycling items out there and this jacket is just further proof of that. I think this jacket would also be a great addition to my running wardrobe. Update after 2 rides: Car ride: 44 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. I was wearing a Pearl Short Sleeve Jersey, a Pearl Elite Thermal Long Sleeve Jersey and a PRO Aero Jacket. My hands were cold the whole ride because of the wind. My core was warm and adjustable. I think I've pushed the boundaries of this cold weather jacket with the layer on top. On the other hand, the jacket is definitely stretchy enough to accommodate multiple layers and still feel great. Mountain Biking: 47F warms up to 55F degrees in about 2 hours. I wear the Pearl Transfer Lite Longsleeve under a regular Pearl short sleeve tank top and then the PRO Aero. The perfect combination! Generating a lot more body heat when mountain biking, this jacket really shined. It kept you warm by blocking the wind. The constant 20-mile wind on my previous road ride really crept into the PRO Aero, but at slower mountain bike speeds it blocked the wind well. I felt very comfortable throughout the trip. I was really surprised to find that my 2 bottom layers were decently soaked in sweat because the PRO Aero did a great job.