Albion Zoa Burner scarf review – cozy Primaloft neck warmer

A scarf, really? Here is why it has become a cold-weather riding necessity

Albion Zoa Burner scarf review
(Image: © Graham Cottingham)

BikePerfect Verdict

Portable, packable, surprisingly warmth-boosting, cold weather gamechanger.

Pros

  • +

    Almost immediate levels of additional warmth

  • +

    Easily packable

  • +

    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

Albion Zoa Burner scarf review

The scarf wraps around the neck with just enough length to protect the chest as well (Image credit: Graham Cottingham)

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.

Albion Zoa Burner scarf review

The scarf is available in black or a very bright orange and features minimal branding (Image credit: Graham Cottingham)

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.

Albion Zoa Burner scarf review

The scarf folds neatly away into a built in pouch (Image credit: Graham Cottingham)

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
Graham Cottingham
Senior reviews writer, Bike Perfect

Graham is all about riding bikes off-road, based in Edinburgh he has some of the best mountain biking and gravel riding in the UK on his doorstep. With almost 20 years of riding experience, he has dabbled in downhill, enduro, and gravel racing. Not afraid of a challenge, Graham has embraced bikepacking over the last few years and likes nothing more than strapping some bags to his bike and covering big miles to explore Scotland's wildernesses. When he isn’t shredding the gnar in the Tweed Valley, sleeping in bushes, or tinkering with bikes, he is writing tech reviews for Bike Perfect.


Rides: Cotic SolarisMax, Stooge MK4, 24 Bicycles Le Toy 3, Surly Steamroller

Height: 177cm

Weight: 71kg