Sportful Moire Thermal Jersey

The Sportful Moire Thermal Jersey is well up to the task of keeping you warm on chillier rides, as a top layer on milder days and good under a jacket when it's colder. It's very comfortable, provides good warmth with adequate breathability, and looks good to boot.

• Pros: Fit, comfort, warmth, breathability, stylish
• Cons: No zipped valuables pocket

The Italian company has used a lightweight thermal fabric with a nice soft inner face that is gentle on bare arms, constructed into a nice fitting top that is a bit more relaxed than some of the brand's racier offerings. Sportful offers a huge range of sizes, and it's a small in the photo that I'm modelling; I found the fit to be pretty close to perfect.

There's generous length in the arms so that when you're stretched on the hoods the angled cuffs don't slide up. The tall collar keeps cold air from sneaking down inside and the full-length zip offers easy heat management on the climbs. The waistband is elasticated and silicone-lined so it stays in place, and it's slightly dropped at the rear.

As features go, typically, long-sleeve jerseys are minimally specced. Here you get three mesh-lined pockets that are capacious enough for a rain jacket, smartphone, food and other essentials. I'd love to see a zipped valuables pocket for the house keys, though. (Am I alone in wanting a zipped pocket on cycling tops?)

Sportful gives a temperature window of 10-15°C but as with all such recommendations, it's merely a guide. That's the sort of temperature range my current riding has involved and the Moire Thermal jersey, worn over a thin, short-sleeve baselayer, has proved to be a solid choice. It's breathable on days when the temperature has risen higher than that upper limit and it's coped when it's dipped down to 6 or 7°C.

A gilet is an easy way to extend its range into lower temperatures, as is wearing a chunkier baselayer. For much colder rides it'll serve well as a mid-layer underneath a jacket for extra wind or rain protection.

There's no shortage of good quality long-sleeve jerseys at a wide range of prices. The Sportful sits somewhere in the middle of the price range, cheaper than a Rapha, Assos or Santini equivalent, but there are cheaper options from dhb, Lusso and Altura, which all offer a similar level of performance, comfort and features. If you want a bit more wind protection, Sportful's excellent R&D Strato jacket combines a long sleeve jersey with an integrated gilet for an extra £20, and the new version (review coming soon) now has water resistant arms.

> Buyer's Guide: 12 of the best winter cycling jerseys

The Sportful Moire Thermal jersey is a good looking, stylish top available in three colours and a wide range of sizes. It offers good comfort, insulation and breathability for dealing with a typical array of autumn/spring and milder winter weather.

Verdict

Comfortable and insulating top for spring and autumn rides