Bike Perfect Verdict
Portable, packable, surprisingly warmth-boosting, cold weather gamechanger.
Pros
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Almost immediate levels of additional warmth
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Easily packable
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Good warmth-to-cost ratio
Cons
- -
Could be a touch longer
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Albion is a British brand that is designing cycling kit specifically for the changeable and often unpleasant conditions that are forced upon us UK riders in winter. The brand’s Zoa Burner is a technical scarf that uses a combo of Pertex and Primaloft to create a packable option for boosting the warmth of your riding kit.
Keep reading to see how the Alboin Zoa scarf has become a cold-weather MTB, gravel, and bikepacking essential.
Design
The Zoa Burner uses a 100 percent recycled Pertex Quantum outer fabric which has Primaloft Gold Eco breathable insulation within it. The scarf is 127cm / 50in long which is enough length to wrap around your neck for a full revolution and feels not dissimilar to a sleeping bag.
There is a little built-in pocket at one end so the scarf can be neatly stored in your pocket. It can be stuffed away messily if you are in a hurry, although rolling the Zoa Burner achieves the most compact size.
Branding is minimal with a Pertex logo on one end and an Albion logo on the other, the latter an almost grippy texture which also helps the scarf stay rolled up in its built-in pocket.
Performance
I don’t need to tell you how a scarf works and the Albion Zoa Burner can be draped around the neck to give good windproof coverage down the front or wrapped twice around the next to properly plug draughts from sneaking down the neck hole of your outerwear. You could also go for a reverse drape if you wish for some protection down the back.
When Albion claims the Zoa Burner adds ‘instant warmth’ they aren’t kidding. The level of warmth you feel as soon as you wrap the scarf around your neck is surprising. It’s also very easy to pull out of its little built-in pocket and quickly throw on at the top of descent too, rather than wrestling to find arm holes in a gilet or jacket which is trying to be stolen by the wind.
While $37.17 / £35 might be a little expensive compared to even the fanciest of technical neck gators, the versatility and warmth it offers are impressive and more comparable to a gilet, which could easily cost far more.
Verdict
Albion’s Zoa Burner scarf packs down much smaller and lighter than a gilet but still gives coverage to all the important areas that need to be protected from the cold. The levels of warmth are impressive too and the effects of the Primaloft Gold Eco insulation can be felt almost immediately.
The Zoa Burner has become a piece of kit that accompanies me on every cold-weather ride ready to add a little extra warmth whether it’s at the cafe stop, on chilly descent, or weathering a surprise storm.
The scarf is available direct from Albion at Albioncycling.com.
Tech specs: Albion Zoa Burner Scarf
- Price: $37.17 / £35
- Weight: 46g
- Size: 127cm / 50in x 14cm / 5.5in
- Colors: Orange, Black
