Boardman Men's Relaxed Fit Jersey

The Boardman Relaxed Fit Jersey is a generally capable budget garment, with most of features we've come to expect and several appealing colours to choose from. However, sizing was a bit of a sticking point, and it faces stiff competition from store brands boasting more sophisticated yarns.

I have always interpreted 'relaxed fit' as meaning a looser cut, the sort that works well with non-Lycra shorts or 3/4s and other street-style longs. In this context, it simply refers to freedom of movement.

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Sizing is more comprehensive than most, ranging from XS right through to 3XL, and the chart is pretty comprehensive, covering sleeve length, chest and waist measurements. Even so, judging by our S/M – which felt a bit too snug around the chest and shoulders – I'd recommend trying a size larger than usual.

Materials

The jersey is a fairly basic but practical 100% polyester blend designed to wick sweat and other moisture efficiently, and felt less synthetic than I was expecting. Given the price, I wasn't surprised by a lack of sun protection and anti-bacterial technology in the fabric.

The seams sit flat, so no unsightly branding after a few hours, and the stitching is uniform and durable throughout. Ours has seen its fair share of trail action and remains unscathed despite brushes with brambles and similarly prickly foliage.

Up front we have a full length zipper, perfect for fine-tuning airflow or showing off your finisher's medallion. As ever, the zipper tag could be bigger, but wasn't a problem wearing mitts.

Pocket provision

Round the back we have the time honoured three-pocket terrace plus a zippered side-entry one for stashing cash/other valuables. A silicone hem hugs all but the most slippery Lycra, doing a decent job of preventing incremental creep no matter how frequently I alternated between hoods, tops and tri-bars on the open road.

The pockets offered dependable tenure to keys and smaller compact cameras, even across washboard tarmac or blasting along unmade roads, but they are surprisingly shallow by contemporary standards, which proved problematic with bigger smartphones, mini-pumps and 750ml bottles – the latter being ejected into a hedge during one 20-mile outing. Using a back bottle solved the issue during testing, but ideally the pockets need to be deeper/made from a more accommodating blend.

The tops did provide a reasonably secure mounting point for LEDs, though, and the cut ensures they're aligned at driver eye-level rather than pointing skyward.

Climate control

Its ability to help you maintain a comfortable climate is good rather than great; the Boardman is a heavier weave than the £10-more-expensive PBK Montagna, hence the familiar glow kicked in more intensely after 20 minutes in comparable heat/humidity.

Like for like, it takes longer to dry too, especially around the armpits and lower back. That said, given 20 minutes and a moderate breeze, things turn pretty arid, accelerated by dropping the zipper to half-mast.

Things did turn mildly funky at the close of long, steady miles, which wasn't the case with the PBK thanks to its anti-bacterial fabric. This was easily dismissed along with any ingrained grime, given a 30-degree machine wash.

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On the plus side, if you like to extend your summer kit through autumn and early spring then the heavier weight fabric will be an advantage.

Conclusion

The Boardman Relaxed Fit jersey is by no means a bad one, and a few years back this sort of specification and performance was what I'd expect from this end of the market. Indeed, a zipped pocket is still sometimes missing from higher priced jerseys. But some store brands are offering more sophisticated fibres with sun protection factor and anti-bacterials and sharper detailing for similar money, so it's facing plenty of competition.

Verdict

Decent budget jersey but facing stiff competition – and check the sizing