Klim Carlsbad V3 Gore-Tex CE Textile Jacket - Asphalt / Strike Orange

I’ve had this jacket in cool grey size xl for the past 4 years. been on multiple European alps tours (usually June time), and commuting. Never let me down including 2 days of torrential rain in the Black Forest. I’m 5ft 11, 46-48 chest, 16.5 stone and XL fits perfectly with also room for some layers and fleece. The venting capabilities of this jacket are simply incredible. Been from 4degrees at the top of stelvio, then down in the valleys in the Dolomites at 30 degrees in the same day. 2 huge zip vents at the back, opening all the pockets at the front, and opening the cuffs/vents on the arms mean you get a huge volume of air flowing - plus being able to pin the collar back makes summer riding so comfortable. Close everything up, put on a fleece and it’s warm…best jacket I have ever owned. Arms are long, but I have long arms - and they don’t ride up when stretching forward. Am buying another for backup!

Brilliant pice of kit, well
Worth the
Money

Bought this jacket to wear over my heated keis jacket as it s quite roomy and flexible. Went down a size from XL to L and it fits perfectly. I did return the original jacket because when my wife sore the colour Asphalt and Orange she didn t like it !! So I changed it to cool grey. Anyway the jacket is very comfortable the collar is just right not too tight, still breaking in think it will only get better in time.
Not tested the waterproofing yet but I am sure it will be fine. Totally recommend.

I like the fitting around the shoulders and arms, roomy.
No downpours yet to test.
There is no insulating lining, so very cool, needy to wrap up a bit underneath it.

Took the jacket on a two day off road bike training course with BMW in Wales on 6th - 7th September 2025. Extremely wet Saturday and mixed Sunday, with heavy rain. The jacket was great for the Welsh weather and conditions. I tested the jacket with my wallet and phone in the external outer pockets and to my surpise were dry at the end of each day. I came off the bike a number of times with the armour provding great protection in the key areas. I purchsed the jacket and trousers as I'm planing on going to Columbia and Patagonia in Feb/March 2026 and have full confidence that both well be brillant for this trip. Good ventillation meant that I also stayed cool, when the sun did came out on Sunday. Great product!

Very well designed and thought out jacket, I way prefer the idea of supplying your own mid layer.
Only had one day in heavy down pours, and it did exactly as promised. size L, which is perfect fit for me 5ft 10, 44 inch chest, 75kg.

Build materials, design and quality of Klim textile products is superb. The venting on this jacket is a game changer. Haven't tried it in really wet weather yet, but fit and features suggest it will be fine for longer mixed weather rides. Pricey but worth it IMO. Delivered 'next day' after using SBS 'try before you buy' service; great.

Excellent quality and great for touring

This is the best jacket I have ever purchased. Currently putting it to the test in a very wet and windy Norway. It has not let a drip reach my mid layer.

Brilliant, whats not to like? A crazy amount of storage inside and out, excellent weather protection keeping heavy rain and wind out. Layer up properly and it’s warm and cosy albeit I have not used in winter months but I am confident it will stand up to the worst of UK weather. Lots of ventilation for those warm days, excellent protection all round.

Have used this jacket for 15k miles or so now. Used this jacket when it was -8C in winter with a Keis heated mid layer, and through to summer up to around 22-25C when it eventually becomes too hot to wear. The ventilation is decent but not a substitute for a summer jacket. Cuffs are a great size to accommodate heated gloves underneath them but tighten down to your wrists when using summer gloves. Plenty of storage options. AA rating means it should be good for motorway commutes. Not a single drop of rain has made it through even in 2 hour+ rainstorms. Main downside of the jacket is really the look of it for me. Not my first choice if I wanted something a bit more casual looking. I have never really use the feature that allows the Velcro neck fastener to pin to each shoulder out of the way in the summer. Jacket material is relatively flexible but not really that flexible so it folds to the side in a weird way that is uncomfortable for me. Definitely on the larger side for a jacket. I have a 38 inch chest and a small is still really big for me so easily accommodates layers in the winter but is quite baggy in the summer. Could be helped if it had some waist adjustment straps.

£750 is a lot to pay for a jacket with no insulated liner, which you'll need - this is only a shell so cooler temps will require something to keep you warm - Klim's Maverick down jacket is the obvious choice - I already had one so the lack of a liner didn't bother me. I've worn this for a few rides so far, a day in the NY moors at 12C (with the down jacket) and lots of rain (100% waterproofing confirmed), a few hours out at about 21C in the sunshine, and some commuting too. Good level of adjustability for different temps with the vents, which are better than I've seen on any other laminated jacket - in addition to the zipped vents, you can really open up the cuffs and pinning back the collar makes a real difference. I think you could get away with this jacket under 25C, if you keep moving, stop and without the airflow you'll quickly get hot. Everything about the jacket oozes quality - materials, zips, great pockets, armour feels secure, looks great too. Worth the investment if you can afford it - I've a few other pieces of Klim gear, all of which have proved worthy of the expense and sure this will be no different.

Needing to change my 11yr old Rukka suit. I therefore was looking at another Rukka, however , after recommendations from others I visited the Glasgow SBS shop and tried the Klim kit. I then ordered on line once I got home I’m 6’’, 42” chest and have a Guinness 6pack. So I bought a large which is an excellent fit whilst wearing a base layer, light mid layer and a Klim Resilience layer. Sleeves are a good length for me which makes a change. Not been in the rain as yet but certainly find it roomy & comfortable whilst on the bike. As usual excellent service from SBS when I ordered both the Klim Carlsbad& later the Resilience

This jacket is expensive but compared to bulky alternatives such as my old, bulky and almost waterproof Rukka suit this stands out in a class of its own. Sizing, although a lot is said about 'american sizing' I found Klim's size chart to be accurate. I'm 6'1 44 inch chest and the large is a perfect size and certainly plenty of room for winter under layers without being baggy in the summer months. As mentioned by others the jacket is stiff to begin with but I expect this to loosen up with use. Waterproof it certainly is and comfortable to wear off the bike. I don't ride a trendy 'adventure' bike but a road bike that I take all over europe on so if image is important to you this jacket does not mark you out as a dakar wannabe just a bloke on a bike that wants to stay dry simple as that.