Sunderland Anton Gilet Review

Sunderland Anton Gilet Review

The padded sleeveless gilet can be a handy garment in certain conditions, with the key areas of consideration warmth, weight and bulk.

Most gilet wearers are looking for something to keep their core warm on days when the elements don’t demand the extra protection on the arms that a biting wind or heavy rainfall would.

The best golf vests not only allow you to swing more freely but also keep key muscles in the upper body warm, allowing them to function better with less risk of cold-induced strain or injury. So how did the Sunderland Anton gilet stack up?

How tall am I/what is my build?
I'm 5ft 9ins and not the slimmest member of the Golf Monthly team.

What do I normally wear - does it come up big/small?
In tops and waterproof outerwear I vary between Large and XL depending on the brand and how vigorously I'm pursuing some sort of exercise regime at the time! After discussing sizing with the Sunderland team, they were confident Large would be the one to go for.

How did it fit/feel/perform?
The first thing you notice when you take it out of the packet is just how light it is. It really does weigh next to nothing. ‘Featherlight’ would not be an exaggeration.

Put it on and walk a few paces and you’ll quickly realise that its capacity to keep your upper body unbelievably warm knows no bounds.

It’s so warm to wear that it’s perhaps a little hard to see many days when it would be the ideal upper body garment.

What we mean by that is that when it’s cold enough to wear it, you’ll probably want something thicker than a thin mid-layer on your arms. But wear this over a thicker mid-layer or jumper and you could get very warm indeed, which might appeal to some golfers more than others.

Any padded garment risks being bulky to store, but that’s not an issue here as the Anton gilet folds down very compactly for storage in the main pocket of your golf bag.

Any extra details you noticed?
The stretch panels on the side allow plenty of freedom to move and turn, and the elasticated stretch armholes and hem are an excellent addition. Both work really well to prevent chill winds getting in and undoing all the good work of the warmth generated.

And you can really seal out the elements around the neck by zipping it right up to the chin guard if you so wish.

Can you wear it off the course?
Yes, no problem, although if you were going for a walk and looking to keep up a good pace throughout you may find it gets a little too warm on all but the chilliest of days, and you'd probably be looking for a little more arm protection then anyway.

How does it come out after the wash/do you need to iron it?
No issues there – stick it on a hanger straight out of the washing machine and the Sunderland Anton gilet will look as good as when you last wore it.