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dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight SS Jersey

8
£90.00

VERDICT:

8
10
If you're after ultra light and ultra ventilated and you don't mind ultra transparent, this jersey is brilliant
Excellent ventilation
Superlight
Leaves almost nothing to the imagination
Weight: 
77g

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dhb's Aeron Lab Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey is ultra a lot of things: ultra light, ultra minimal and ultra breathable, but also ultra short at the front and ultra transparent. If you're looking for a super minimal, high summer performance jersey and you don't mind your upper body on show, then this might well be the jersey for you. It doesn't cost the earth either.

Check out our guide to the best summer jerseys for more options.

This jersey is made from a 94% polyester, 6% elastane mix at the front, and 100% polyester at the back. It uses three different kinds of mesh fabrics made from this material combined for optimum comfort and ventilation.

Breathability

The ventilation through these mesh fabrics is out of this world; it feels like you might as well be wearing nothing. That is also the case in terms of transparency, though – it leaves almost nothing to the imagination. You need to feel confident about having your upper body on show to wear this jersey. I have worn it on solo rides but not in a group, though I probably would for cycling up an Alp in 35+ degrees, which is where this jersey would be ideal.

Zwift racing in the weather we're having at the moment closely mimics that sort of weather, but is more easily available for the UK-based reviewer. I can confirm that it is ideal for that, too. With my usual fan setup, I would normally expect to see a puddle of sweat on the floor; none at all with this jersey on.

Features

This jersey is ultra minimal; you won't find silicone grippers or zipped pockets, all in the name of weight saving. At 77g for the size medium we have on test, it is indeed seriously light.

You do get the usual three pockets at the back, and in the middle one there's what dhb calls a 'hidden envelope' to stash your valuables – the envelope being lighter than a zip. There's also a radio hole in the middle pocket.

2023 dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey - pockets.jpg

The pockets are tall enough for a normal iPhone, but probably not for a plus-sized one.

The one-way YKK zipper works well – even one-handed – and the dropped neckline is nice and comfortable.

2023 dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey - collar.jpg

The jersey is currently available in the moss we have on test and 'port royale', a sort of burgundy red, and sizes XS through to XXL.

Fit and cut

This is a performance jersey, and the fit is spray-on. There is a lot of stretch in those mesh fabrics, though, so the jersey doesn't feel restrictive at all.

2023 dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey - back.jpg

I'm 178cm and weigh 78kg, and based on my chest and waist measurements, dhb's sizing guide puts me at the small side of medium. Medium is what I'd normally go for and fits fine; I could probably squeeze into a small if I had to, but the medium is plenty tight enough on me.

The sleeves come down quite low, for the aero, almost all the way down to the inside of my elbow.

2023 dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey - sleeve.jpg

Although there are no silicone grippers on the sleeves or waist, the jersey stays put. I didn't miss grippers at all.

The jersey does come up quite short in the front – about an inch higher than any of the other performance jerseys I have tried. On me, that's about an inch below my belly button, and when worn with my Assos Cento shorts, there's a gap between the top of the shorts and the bottom of the jersey when I'm standing up. These are the 'lowest' shorts I have, and the only ones where there's a gap.

2023 dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey - hem.jpg

As this jersey is aimed at elite athletes (which I'm not, for the avoidance of doubt), many of whom will be taller but with the same upper body measurements, this might be more of an issue for some.

Value

At £90, the Aeron Lab Ultralight is not cheap, and if you were into your puns, you could say you get very little for your money, which is kind of the point of this jersey.

But you can easily pay more for a performance jersey: MAAP's Evade Pro Base Jersey, for example, which Steve tested last month, costs £165, Santini's Redux Speed jersey is even more at £190, and 7mesh's Skyline jersey, which I tested a couple of years ago, is sky high at £200.

You don't need to spend this much, though. Van Rysel's Road Cycling Jersey Racer currently costs £39.99 on the Decathlon website, and according to Stu, who scored it 9/10, is a 'light, highly breathable race jersey designed with an aero fit'.

Conclusion

dhb's Aeron Lab series is its top-spec apparel. The Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey is indeed superlight and extremely well ventilated. That's great for when you're going up an Alp in hot weather, but remember to pack something windproof for the way back down, where the wind going straight through might be less desirable. It also works well for indoor training.

2023 dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey - shoulders.jpg

The use case for this jersey is fairly niche, though, especially given that it's almost completely transparent and comes up quite high at the front; it definitely won't suit everybody. But if you're regularly out in hot weather and are happy to sacrifice a bit of modesty in return for light weight and super ventilation, this might well be the one for you.

Verdict

If you're after ultra-light and ultra-ventilated and you don't mind ultra-transparent, this jersey is brilliant

road.cc test report

Make and model: dhb Aeron Lab Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for

dhb says: "We've used best-in-class construction techniques to combine three innovative mesh fabrics and create our Aeron Lab Ultralight Short Sleeve Jersey, which will keep you cool and comfortable in testing temperatures and on punishing gradients. Incredibly lightweight and fast-wicking, this is an exceptional jersey for elite athletes.

"Like the rest of our Aeron Lab collection, this jersey has been built for riding fast and fits like a second skin. However, the added stretch of the fabrics and a dropped neckline ensure optimal comfort, while inside the middle pocket we've fitted a hidden envelope to keep your valuables secure without the weight of a zip."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

dhb lists:

Ultralight high summer jersey

Three innovative mesh fabrics

Laser-cut sleeves

Dropped neckline

Three drop-in pockets

Hidden envelope pocket

Radio hole

Choice of Canyon dhb SunGod

Main: 94% polyester, 6% elastane; Back: 100% polyester

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

This is the lightest, fastest-drying jersey I've used.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

All good so far, but the mesh is very thin, and I don't think it'd take much for a bit of Velcro or something else with a sharp edge to pull a few strands of fabric out of place. I have to say this hasn't happened yet, though, despite me not following the care instructions.

Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight:
 
10/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

£90 isn't cheap, but it compares well with similar lightweight jerseys.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

The care instructions say: "Wash in net bag. Machine wash 30 degrees C. Wash dark colours separately. Do not bleach. Do not tumble dry. Do not iron. Do not dry clean. Do not soak. Do not use fabric softener."

I didn't use a net bag and bunged it in with the rest of the wash on 40 to no ill effect.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

As a superlight, ultra-breathable jersey, it's perfect.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The breathability and lightweight feel.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

It's really quite transparent.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's easy to find similar jerseys that cost significantly more, from the likes of MAAP, 7mesh and Santini (though Van Rysel's offering is less than half the price). At £90, and often less if you shop around, it's good value for a jersey as well-engineered as this one.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes, in the right conditions.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, if I did the kind of riding it's designed for often enough.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes, if they did the kind of riding it's designed for.

Use this box to explain your overall score

This is a very good jersey, and I think the price is justified by the amount of design and engineering that has gone into it. It won't be right for all conditions, or for everybody in the right conditions, but for those it suits, it's great.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 1.78m  Weight: 77kg

I usually ride: All of them!  My best bike is: Ribble Endurance SL disc

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo cross, commuting, touring, club rides, mtb, Zwift

Add new comment

7 comments

Avatar
simonmb | 1 year ago
0 likes

The emperor's new clothes have arrived. 

Avatar
Brauchsel | 1 year ago
2 likes

I worry about the sunburn element to these kinds of jersey. Am I meant to wear a base layer (negating the lightweight/breathability benefits), or cover my upper half in sunscreen (expensive, gross, and I can't reach all my back anyway)?

Not that my top half is anything to display to the world anyway, but I don't fancy getting home looking like a side of gammon.

Avatar
wycombewheeler replied to Brauchsel | 1 year ago
0 likes
Brauchsel wrote:

I worry about the sunburn element to these kinds of jersey. Am I meant to wear a base layer (negating the lightweight/breathability benefits), or cover my upper half in sunscreen (expensive, gross, and I can't reach all my back anyway)?

Not that my top half is anything to display to the world anyway, but I don't fancy getting home looking like a side of gammon.

I'm sure Assos marketed some tops witht he USP of not endinging up with tan lines as they light ligh through.

Amazed that they never considered that the only thing worse than a jersey tan line would be a bib shorts tan line.

These look similar.

Avatar
Brauchsel replied to wycombewheeler | 1 year ago
0 likes
wycombewheeler wrote:

Amazed that they never considered that the only thing worse than a jersey tan line would be a bib shorts tan line.

And malignant melanoma coming in a close third. 

Avatar
EraserBike replied to Brauchsel | 1 year ago
0 likes

You're right, these types of jerseys require all over suncream. I remember one of the Sky pros talking about it when they first got ultralight mesh jerseys. They ended up with a killer sunburn which they weren't expecting.

Avatar
Toffee | 1 year ago
3 likes

I like that there's no photos of any of the review team wearing it.

Avatar
OnYerBike replied to Toffee | 1 year ago
0 likes

To be fair, that does seem to be road.cc's default for clothing reviews. 

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