Gore Wear Gore C5 & C3 Windstopper Thermo Trail Jacket Review (Men/Woman)

The Gore Wear Gore C5 & C3 Windstopper Thermo Trail Jackets are primarily softshell jackets for cyclists and mountain bikers. But is performs for hikers too. Read the review!

  • Price: € 230.00/ $199.99/ £169.99
  • Weight: Men (M ) measured 493.8 gr,  ladies (S) 270 gr.
  • Sizes: Men S-XXL, women XS-XL

Materials

The Gore Wear Gore C5 Windstopper Thermo Trail Jacket is made for 100% out of polyester, with a Gore Windstopper membrane inside. This membrane is 100% PTFE. The jacket can be washed at 40 °C with an anti-crease program, with normal detergent. After washing let it dry and finish with ironing or put it in the dryer to regenerate the DWR-coating.

The Gore WindStopper membrane makes the jacket windproof but still provides well breathability.
The Gore WindStopper membrane makes the jacket windproof but still provides well breathability.

Comfort

The Gore Wear Gore C5 Windstopper Thermo Trail Jacket is a softshell specially developed for cyclists and mountain bikers. Hikers will still appreciate this jacket. The jacket is fairly thick, making it particularly suitable for the spring and autumn. The Thermo Trail Jacket is soft on the outside, but also wonderfully soft on the skin. Due to its thickness, it is somewhat heavy and it is not really a small package in your backpack. 

The jacket has a reasonable stretch, but in terms of dimensions it is on the tight side. So choose a size bigger. The back is longer than the front and that prevents a cold lower back. Nice detail is that the back inside is provided with silicone studs. This prevents crawling up when you lean over your handlebars. A drawstring around the waist is missing. The sleeves are long enough and the elastic around the cuffs closes well. 

  • The back is longer than the front and that prevents a cold lower back.
    The back is longer than the front and that prevents a cold lower back.
  • A drawstring around the waist is missing.
    A drawstring around the waist is missing.

The women’s version is the Gore Wear Gore C3 Windstopper Thermo Jacket, which has no pockets on the back, but does have cuffs with thumbholes.

The women's version is the C3 which has cuffs with thumb holes.
The women’s version is the C3 which has cuffs with thumb holes.

Zippergarage

The long zipper on the front can only go one way, while it can also be useful in cold weather if you can unzip it from below. There is soft material at the throat, but there is no real zipper garage. Speaking about the zipper… it has a draft flap that goes over the zipper, but which opens often in crosswinds.

  • The collar of Thermo Trail Jacket is soft.
    The collar of Thermo Trail Jacket is soft.
  • The Gore Wear Gore C5 misses a real zipper garage.
    The Gore Wear Gore C5 misses a real zipper garage.

Pockets

The jacket has two pockets on the belly that are closed with a zipper. They are quite large. The pull-tab is a bit small in combination with gloves. Fact: The pockets are partly covered by the hip belt of the backpack, which is at the expense of usability. The pocket on the left chest and the two on the back have, just like the front closure, a pull tab, but with an extra piece of rubber. This works better. The chest pocket on the male version is strangely positioned: it is large enough for a smartphone of the Plus size, but it is almost on your shoulder. The pocket also has an extra ‘media pocket’ and a bushing for your headphones. In combination with a (bicycle) backpack, your smartphone is under the shoulder strap. The back pockets are great on the bike for a few energy bars. 

The pockets are soft on the inside to warm your hands.
The pockets are soft on the inside to warm your hands.

Hood

The jacket has no hood. The collar, on the other hand, is nice and high and closes well. 

Waterproof and breathable

The Gore WindStopper membrane makes the jacket windproof but still provides well breathability. Yet it is not as breathable as other softshells without a membrane. The membrane and the DWR coating also make it resistant to small leaks and splashing water from the tires. But it does not make the jacket waterproof.

With the DWR-Spray Test I used the male version of the jacket.

Sustainability

Gore Wear is not the company that is very open about the sustainability of the Thermo Trail Jacket. Both with the information on the jack on the hangtags and on the website, the word sustainable is nowhere. PTFE – Teflon, which the membrane is made of – is not environmentally friendly, but very durable. Whether the DWR layer is PFC-free is not stated. It is striking that the DWR layer has virtually disappeared after three washings. Gore is a member of the Fair Labor Association and EOCA. No Rank-a-Brand score.

Gore Wear is not very open about the durability of the Thermo Trail Jacket.
Gore Wear is not very open about the durability of the Thermo Trail Jacket.

Verdict

The Gore Wear Gore C5 Windstopper Thermo Trail Jacket is primarily a softshell for cyclists and mountain bikers. On the back the extra pockets of the male version are very useful for them. The jacket is nice and thick and windproof for the colder days. Breathability is good, but less than softshells without a membrane. The DWR layer has practically disappeared after washing the jacket three times. At the front the pockets are partially covered by the hip belt of a backpack. The chest pocket on the male version is placed awkwardly. Fit on the small side: buy a size larger. Information about sustainability needs to be improved at product level. The price of € 230.00/ $199.99/£169.99 is very high. I rate the Gore Wear Gore C5 & C3 Windstopper Thermo Trail Jacket at 6,4 points out of 10 total.

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