7Mesh Corsa Softshell Jersey

The 7Mesh Corsa Softshell Jersey is a featherweight, windproof, water-resistant top that offers exceptional weather protection for a garment so light. It's pretty pricey, though, and the pockets may or may not be to your taste.

• Pros: Hard to imagine a lighter top delivering a great deal more in terms of weather resistance
• Cons: Expensive and features a slightly odd pocket system

Taking the 7Mesh Corsa Softshell Jersey out of the box, I was initially taken aback by how little you get for your money. It is not a substantial garment – but that is, of course, the point. This is for those looking for maximal performance from minimal fabric.

> Buy this online here

On that score at least, it delivers. The Corsa isn't going to provide you with a great deal of insulation, but wind and light rain simply aren't going to get in.

It's made of Gore-Tex Infinium fabric and not much else. There isn't a plush lining or anything like that. You get a bit of fleecy felt material around the neck and that's about it.

Infinium is water-resistant not waterproof: rain will bead up and roll off the jersey in anything up to a steady drizzle.

It's impressively windproof. On one bracingly cold test ride I made the schoolboy error of stopping for a sandwich at the top of a climb immediately before a steep, fast descent. Sweat cool on my skin, I braced for full body shivers, but... nothing. The icy wind just skittered around me. I couldn't even feel it on my arms. There's no wind flap behind the zip, but this didn't seem to be a problem.

Breathability is maybe a little less impressive. At the end of a robust hour of vigorous riding, I was fairly damp within – but that was a protracted effort and I didn't touch the zip. On another occasion I was perfectly comfortable on a four-hour ride that took in steep climbs in single figure temperatures. Alternating between hard efforts and easy spinning, I neither overheated nor froze.

The pockets are rather interesting. Not only does 7Mesh go for two pockets rather than three, it also opts for quite wide diagonal openings. This gave rise to a certain paranoia that items might work their way out of the shallower side, but in practice this didn't seem at all likely. The angle also makes it pretty easy to reach in and rummage around, even in gloves.

7Mesh seems to have concluded that the design means water will get into the pockets and start to pool, so it has resolved that by adding laser-cut drain holes. An over-the-sink test revealed these holes to be wholly ineffective, until I noticed that the lasers hadn't actually done a full job and there were still little circles of plastic that needed to be popped out.

A bit of thumbing and it turns out the holes do work. I can see how this little oversight could have proved fatal for my phone, though, had I simply slung the jersey on for a wet ride without checking.

In terms of fit, the Corsa was a little tight across the chest and the 7Mesh guide wouldn't suggest I had the wrong size. As I career ever-deeper into middle age, the chest is rarely the tightest point of a garment, although it's worth emphasising that it was only noticeable when standing. On the bike, hands on the handlebar, the jersey fitted perfectly well. (It's not me in the photos.)

This is not a cheap product by any stretch, but it's not the most expensive: Shimano's S-Phyre Windresistant Jersey is £200.

You can certainly pay a lot less, though: the Kalf Club Men's Softshell Jersey is an excellent equivalent for £120 – although the Corsa is a certain amount lighter – and the dhb Aeron Lab Equinox Jersey, which is wind and waterproof in places, is £140.

The most obvious comparison is probably the Castelli Perfetto, which is the same price as the Corsa (up £10 from the one Ash tested in 2018) and also made of Gore's Infinium Windstopper fabric. The Corsa is a little lighter, but you'll obviously want to consider fit, looks and the pocket situation as well.

Verdict

Pricey, but offers great protection for something so thin