Rapha Mens Brevet Merino Jersey III

The Rapha Men’s Brevet Merino Jersey III is a lovely thing with a great fit, usefully large pockets and a thick, plush feel befitting its price. It’s pretty visible thanks to those stripes and reflective dots, while to me at least it still looks fairly low-key and stylish. If the price doesn’t scare you off, it’s a winner.

The Brevet is aimed at multi-day riding rather than full-on race performance, and as such it prioritises usefulness over transparent thinness or similarly flimsy claims of aerodynamic magic. That makes it great for all kinds of regular riding.

As the III in the name implies the Brevet’s had some updates, with perhaps the key one being that it’s now cut a little shorter and has a silicone gripper-covered elastic hem to keep it in place. It works well, keeping the rear secure even when I’d stuffed the sizeable ‘floating’ pockets above it pretty full, and even though I was testing a size up from my normal one.

This large gave me a very comfortable, relaxed but not loose fit that suited the jersey’s intentions well, and I’ve no doubt my usual medium would result in a typically aero-smooth but not restrictive fit.

Rapha says to size up if you’re between sizes, but at 100cm I’m bang on the chest size for a medium and I very successfully sized up anyway. The stretch and sizing feel pretty accommodating, in other words, and the sizing is trustworthy – unlike the matching Brevet Cargo Bib Shorts I’ve also been testing…

The fabric here helps, as it has a more relaxed stretch than a lot of purely synthetic tops. Okay, 64% is recycled polyester, but 36% is merino wool, which is famously good at resisting smells even over many days of use, and for staying warm when wet. Having tested it through a prolonged drought I can’t comment on getting rain soaked, but it’s certainly comfy and effective when you’re working hard and sweating. It did start to get smelly after just two or three uses, though. It’s not as resistant as a purer merino mix.

That floating pocket feels weird at first, but works well. The three main pockets are a separate construction that’s attached only at the top and sides with the jersey’s back panel continuing uninterrupted to the hem.

Rapha uses a fine mesh here to minimise heat build-up from the extra layer, and it does the job – it doesn’t feel especially thick or sweaty. Stuffing the pockets with clothing tends to make them stand out a bit, exposing the mesh – when you reach back there it feels like the whole top has ridden up, but it hasn’t. It cools your lower back well.

The left rear pocket is easily hand-width, while the right is a slight squeeze and the central one is only wide enough for four fingers. I like the variety as there’s always a best choice for keeping things secure whatever their size and weight, and obviously they all stretch, so access is easy.

Behind these, accessed by a vertical zip on either side, runs one big pocket. It’s great for stashing bigger stuff or just for the extra security, but personally I wish the zips were just a centimetre longer; it’s a bit of a squeeze getting your hand through, and as everything bar them stretches it can be a bit of a battle reaching in.

It’s a relatively warm jersey, not least because it’s really usefully wind resistant. It’s not quite windproof, but it’s close enough that on a cool, fast descent you really notice and appreciate the protection. If you need the cooling, you can of course lower the zip. It’s okay on truly hot 30°C+ days, but it’s thick and wouldn’t be my first choice. It’s perfect for more normal UK summer temperatures.

The seams are neat and substantial, and all sit entirely comfortably thanks to being either overlocked or flatlocked as necessary. The coloured bands, by the way, are sewn-in sections of different fabric rather than printed on. It’s a fairly complex construction, but impressively doesn’t look it.

The dots on the coloured bars are highly reflective, as are the Rapha logos. If all this visibility is just too exciting, there’s an all-black variant instead.

Value

This is a very expensive jersey at £195. You’re paying for the branding and the looks as much as anything, but if those feel worth it, you’ll find the comfort and performance worth it too. It’s very nice to wear, and it feels built to last many summers, springs and autumns.

Even Q36.5, a company unafraid to add a zero to everything, does a cheaper option in its Q36.5 Adventure Tech Merino Jersey. Despite it containing actual silver to protect you from harmful electricity (I’m not making this up, though somebody might be) it’s ‘only’ £150. The pockets can be a bit saggy, however (silver isn’t claimed to protect against gravity – at least not yet) and stylistically it’s rather unremarkable. It’s also only 23% merino, if that matters to you.

The good (if a little warm) Velocio Men’s Merino LUXE Colorblock Jersey (71% merino) is a very similar price at £143, and in fact many of the merino short-sleeves we’ve reviewed are around £150. The Rapha has around a 33 per cent premium over that.

Those merino jerseys are from boutique brands, however, and it’s not the merino itself adding that premium. The Galibier Roubaix Merino Jersey has long sleeves and a 100% merino outer on a bamboo lining, for instance, and that sells for £58.22.

Overall

If the price doesn’t bother you and you want a comfortable, stylish and very usable jersey for everything short of desert heat or racing, the Brevet III is an excellent choice. It’s lovely.