Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Santini Photon 3.0 Jersey with 3/4 sleeves

8
£119.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Very good lightweight and breathable performance-orientated jersey in a close fit that won't suit everyone
Weight: 
137g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The Santini Photon 3.0 3/4 jersey is a close-fitting lightweight jersey with a high level of breathability and three-quarter length sleeves that are designed to improve aerodynamic efficiency. If those three-quarter sleeves don't do it for you, the same jersey is available with short sleeves.

First of all, those three-quarter length sleeves. They're designed 'for a greater aerodynamic effect and UV protection', according to Santini.

> Find your nearest dealer here

UV protection? They cover up your arms more, so that's pretty much indisputable.

Santini Photon 3.0 jersey with 3-4 Sleeves - riding.jpg

Aerodynamic effect? We've not tested this jersey in a wind tunnel so I can't give you a definitive answer, and we've not heard of any three-quarter length sleeve wind tunnel testing (let us know if you have), but any advantage is going to be marginal.

Santini describes the Photon as a 'second skin' fit. No kidding! I take either a medium or a large jersey, depending on the brand. I took a large here – correct for my chest size according to Santini's size chart – and it fits closely everywhere. It's a squeeze to get this jersey on so the fabrics are permanently under slight tension resulting in no flapping and hardly any wrinkling – which, of course, is exactly what's intended.

Santini Photon 3.0 jersey with 3-4 Sleeves - back.jpg

The collar is as close fitting as the rest of the jersey with a circumference of just 34cm. That means that it's slightly stretched when I have the zip done up to the top. I guess that could feel uncomfortable if you have a broad neck.

Santini Photon 3.0 jersey with 3-4 Sleeves - shoulder.jpg

The ends of the sleeves, like the waist, are held in place by little silicone dots. I found these to work really well, especially the sleeve ones. I did wonder whether the sleeves would start to edge northward when my arms got sweaty but they've stayed in place perfectly throughout testing.

Santini Photon 3.0 jersey with 3-4 Sleeves - sleeve 2.jpg

The Photon is made mostly from a fabric called Artico which is a polyester/elastane mix. It's very stretchy lightweight stuff that breathes well and dries super-fast.

Santini Photon 3.0 jersey with 3-4 Sleeves - shoulders.jpg

The sides and underneath the arms are different; they're made from a lightweight mesh fabric that's 'enriched with antibacterial and anti-odour carbon fibre'. They certainly let air flow in and out but, as usual, they're minging by the end of a sweaty ride.

You get three pockets in the lower back, the tops of the ones on the sides slightly slanted for easier access. Reflective binding at the top of the pockets helps with nighttime visibility.

Santini Photon 3.0 jersey with 3-4 Sleeves - pockets.jpg

The front zip is high quality and flaps at the top and bottom prevent it scratching your neck or shorts.

Santini Photon 3.0 jersey with 3-4 Sleeves - hem.jpg

Value? Well, £120 isn't cheap, but it's not crazy-expensive for a top-end jersey, and I'd say the performance justifies the spend. (It's also available for less online, as you can see from the links below.)

> Buyer's Guide: 15 of the best summer jerseys

Overall, the Photon is lightweight and breathable and comes in an extremely close fit that isn't going to be right for everyone. If you're happy with that, this is a really good performance-orientated jersey.

Verdict

Very good lightweight and breathable performance-orientated jersey in a close fit that won't suit everyone

road.cc test report

Make and model: Santini Photon 3.0 jersey with 3/4 sleeves

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

This jersey is best suited to racing or at least serious training rides.

Santini says this: "A second skin jersey offering incredible lightness and breathability with 3/4 length sleeves for a greater aerodynamic effect and UV protection. Made of Artico fabric and enriched with antibacterial and anti-odour carbon fibre inserts on the sides, Photon 3/4 is equipped with anti-slip grip on the sleeve cuffs and waistband to keep it always in position. At the rear, the triple pocket allows to carry with you all you need and the SMS reflective logo ensures maximum visibility and safety on the road in the dark.

1 3/4 SLEEVES - Longer sleeves for maximum aerodynamics and to protect the skin from UV rays

2 BREATHABLE AND LIGHTWEIGHT - Made of Artico fabric, with cooling effect and with inserts in lightweight antibacterial and breathable carbon fiber

3 GREAT FIT - Elastic and silicone grippers on the waistband and sleeve cuffs for enhanced fit

4 TESTED BY THE PROS - In collaboration with the professional athletes of the Lotto NL- Jumbo team

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

Santini says this about the Artico fabric: "Artico is a new fabric made from polyester microfibres. It's soft to the touch, has two-way elasticity, is breathable and dries quickly. Its structure makes it a very compact material on which it's easy print sharp images with no blurring."

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

It's designed to be a "second skin" fit, and that's what you get. It's close-fitting verging on tight. If that's not what you're after, look elsewhere.

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

It's not cheap but it's not crazy-expensive for a top-end jersey.

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

It goes in the machine with the rest of your cycling stuff and comes out smelling fine.

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

Really well. It's designed to be close fitting, lightweight and breathable, and it is.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The silicone grippers hold the sleeves in place perfectly. I like a non-flappy fit too, although this is taking it to the extreme!

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Fluoro yellow doesn't do it for me! It's available in black too.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

£120 is a lot to pay for a jersey (at least, it's a lot to pay for a non-foul-weather jersey) but the Photon is a high-end option that puts in a performance to justify the spend.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 43  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

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: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

Latest Comments