Chapeau! Thermal Jersey Midnight Blue

The Chapeau! Thermal Jersey is the only thermal one the company makes, but it's certainly made it count. With retro styling and a more relaxed fit, this simple design oozes quality.

"Staying warm isn't cheating, it just makes sense." That's Chapeau's reasoning behind this new jersey. I can see its point: being snug inside a nice soft jersey on a crisp winter's day is one of the best things about winter riding.

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Chapeau! has designed its jersey to be worn over a baselayer, and says, "You needn't worry about feeling constricted." To test its wicking ability, I took the jersey a little out of its comfort zone and into some cyclo-cross training. The intense efforts caused much perspiration, but the jersey handled it very well, leaving me feeling very comfortable.

Sizing is really good: the stretchy Lycra material is shaped nicely on the chest and shoulders, giving a close but unrestrictive fit. Moving down, the hem is relaxed, with grippers on the rear to prevent any movement. I found that the jersey was very comfortable, with a well-considered fit while riding. The front hem of the jersey is slightly higher than the rear; it's not as extreme as some, so there is a little excess fabric to fold when on the bike, but this meant that when I got to the cafe there were no horrified looks. I have rather long arms for my torso, but I still found my wrists covered.

One of the very nice details on this jersey is the zippered security pocket. It stowed my phone and cake money easily, with room for ID cards and more cake money. Lovely.

The main pockets themselves are roomy with adequate space for bars, gels, two tubes, a pump and even some gloves. Most of that would usually go in my saddle bag, but it's good to know that a long day's extra essentials are accommodated. With less in the pockets, items like my mini-pump felt a little insecure, but for road riding this wasn't an issue.

Getting sunburn in winter isn't my greatest concern, especially in the UK where we're more likely to get frostbite. But in consideration for those in Mallorca and southern Spain, Chapeau! has included UV protection. Sadly, the road.cc testing budget didn't stretch, so I can't confirm it.

Chapeau! has also included discreet reflective detailing. As with all reflective detailing, I'd never rely on it totally, but it's a nice touch. Every little helps and so on.

Durability has been good so far, too. I put this through a few muddy cross training sessions, with the white stripes getting covered. After a good wash and tumble dry, they were back to white.

> Buyer's Guide: The best winter cycling jerseys

As for value, a quick look through road.cc's long-sleeve jersey reviews shows you can buy cheaper – dhb's Classic Long Sleeve Thermal Jersey Marl, for example, is nearly half the price – so it's looking a bit pricey. Some might like a little more technical wizardry for their £99, but you do get a very well made jersey with quality fabric, great styling, superb fit and the ability to wear it in a variety of conditions.

So, yes, it's expensive, but the Chapeau! Thermal Jersey is a very adaptable spring, winter and autumn option. It's well made, with retro styling and a superb fit. The only real drawback is that price tag.

Verdict

Great fabric and a superb fit, but rather pricey