Santini Ombra Unisex Jersey

The Santini Ombra Unisex Jersey is a good-looking top that sits comfortably on the skin, and its breathability and wicking prowess mean it performs really well in warmer weather.

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

> Buy now: Santini Ombra Unisex Jersey for £90 from Santini

Santini has worked with Polartec on the Ombra, which feels like a weird thing to write about a summer jersey. Another oddity is that it's a unisex design – something you don't see often for casual jerseys let alone the close-fitting performance cut here.

The reason it can be unisex is that it is made from Polartec's Power Stretch fabric across the front and back, which offers a considerable amount of stretch. It really does fit around the different lumps of bumps of both the male and female form. For context, I can easily stretch the fabric so it is two to three times its original stretch and it will ping back into shape as soon as I let go.

What is even more impressive is that the jersey has non-stretchy mesh running down the sides – Polartec's Delta – which shows just how much stretch there is in the Power Stretch fabric.

In combination, both materials make this a jersey that performs well in the heat. It wicks well and is impressively breathable – I used it on some very hot rides and never felt I needed something more lightweight.

If you need to get more air in there's a full-length zip down the front of the jersey, which did have a nice zip pull that was easy to find without looking – though its silicone cover fell off after a couple of washes, which is a little disappointing. It didn't really have an impact on the jersey, but is less than ideal.

As you can imagine for a jersey with a considerable amount of stretch, it is designed with a close aero cut in mind and has the obligatory elongated sleeves to match. These are also made of the Power Stretch material, which meant no restriction on my biceps despite also being made to fit women.

At the back of the jersey are three mesh pockets which are more than large enough for most ride requirements. There isn't a zipped pocket, which isn't ideal but is possibly understandable on a lightweight summer jersey (though others manage it – Gore's Spinshift Breathe, for example).

Silicone gripper along the hem kept everything in place whether I had something in the pockets or not, and there are a couple of reflective strips on each side of the pockets to help with low light conditions.

It's also available in six colours, if this one isn't doing it for you, and – catering for its unisex design – in eight sizes, from XXS to 3XL.

Value

Its RRP of £90 is about what I would expect for a high-quality summer jersey. It's £10 more than Altura's Endurance Men's Short Sleeve Cycling Jersey, though that has a more casual fit and less stretch, and isn't as breathable.

The Gore Spinshift Breathe jersey mentioned above is £109.99, though Rebecca loved the women's version (a full review of the men's is on its way).

Conclusion

Overall I was very impressed with this jersey. The Polartec fabric has possibly the most stretch of anything I've seen, which allows it to be both a performance cut and unisex. Breathability and wicking are also very good, and the price isn't bad compared with its rivals.

> Buy now: Santini Ombra Unisex Jersey for £90 from Santini

Verdict

Great summer jersey with innovative fabric for an excellent fit