This is the sort of heavyweight layer you’d wear right the way through your ride rather than stashing in the bag for emergencies.
Made from Madison’s own three-layer soft shell fabric, with a microfleece inner and water-/windproof laminate outer, the Elevate is significantly warmer than most other gilets on the market.
While the bulky fabric is a bit of a pain to pack, it excels in chilly, damp conditions where it’s too warm or dry to opt for the full waterproof but you still need something to top up the insulation.
Breathability is reasonable given the weight of the fabric, the cut is slightly square so there’s plenty of paunch space and the nice high neck makes a grand draught excluder.
We’d have appreciated a little more length in the body and a snugger cut around the arms, which gape under pack straps, as well as mesh backs to the chest and hip pockets to allow more ventilation options for when you heat up.