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
Make and model: Santini Ombra Unisex Jersey
Tell us what the product is for
Santini says: "Such a cool jersey we decided to make it available for everyone in multiple colors! This unisex jersey has a great fit and it is so comfortable and stretchy that you will never want to take it off! Made of performance-fit Polartec®'s Power Stretch® fabric on front and back for durable shape recovery and Polartec®'s Delta on the sides for a fast transmission of sweat away from the body, this jersey guarantees incredible comfort, rapid drying and great breathability. Featuring a slim fit with elongated raw cut sleeves and internal silicon gripper at the waistband to keep the jersey always in position. Triple back pocket to store all you need for your bike ride."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Santini lists:
- Slim fit cycling jersey with elongated raw cut sleeves
- Developed with a unisex cut to fit both women and men perfectly
- Internal silicon gripper at the waistband
- Long covered zip
- Performance
-fit Polartec's Power Stretch fabric on front and back for durable shape recovery
- Polartec's Delta fabric on the sides for a fast trasmission of sweat away from the body
- Triple back pocket
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Very well made, with incredible stretch in the fabric.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Warm enough for cooler days, but its wicking and breathability meant I could use it on hot rides too.
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
All good on the fabric and stitching front, though the silicone zipper cover came off.
Rate the product for fit:
9/10
I was a little concerned because it's unisex, but it's impressive thanks to the stretch in the fabric.
Rate the product for sizing:
7/10
The large looked smaller than expected, but it was fine because of the stretch in the fabric.
Rate the product for weight:
7/10
Rate the product for comfort:
8/10
The stretch of the fabric combined with decent wicking and breathability make this a very comfortable jersey.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Easy – chucked it in at 30 without any issues.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well, it fits nicely and has impressive breathability and wicking.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The stretch in the fabric is incredible.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing really – the silicone zip cover fell off, which wasn't ideal, but I'm prepared to believe it's a one-off.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
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 is £109.99 (but does have a zip pocket).
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 overall score
This is an impressive jersey, managing to be both unisex and a performance fit at the same time. It's not something you see very often but here it works thanks to the stretch in the fabric. Beyond that, it is comfortable for even the longest and hottest rides – it's very good.
Age: 35 Height: 6 ft Weight:
I usually ride: CAAD13 My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,
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