dhb Aeron Lab Equinox Jersey

dhb's Aeron LAB Equinox Jersey is a lightweight long sleeve design that is excellent both on its own and when worn with other layers. It breathes well, fits brilliantly, looks smart and gives decent warmth without bulk. It's a great jersey for UK conditions, the only issue being the price.

• Pros: Aero fit, breathability, smart looks
• Cons: Price, cuffs could be stretchier

One thing I love about winter rides is layering up to tackle the elements. But come the end of winter and I'm usually struggling to decide what to wear. That's why I really like versatile pieces of kit that have their strength in their ability to be popped into many different outfits. dhb's Aeron LAB Equinox Jersey is a great example of a jersey that is usable in many more conditions than it's advertised for.

The jersey is much like a standard short-sleeve jersey. There's no brushed fabric to provide insulation, and pulling it on gives you an instant feeling of easy movement and a close fit.

To get that light and unrestrictive feel, the jersey is made up from two fabrics. Polartec's Powershield Pro is a windproof and water-resistant fabric that covers the chest, shoulders and the arms, where the wind hits. This is a breathable fabric that provides decent insulation given the thinness of the material, with the windproofing doing the most to keep you warm.

On the back, sides, underside of the arms and tapering around the waist, dhb has opted for Flash fabric from Schoeller. It is lighter and much more flexible than the Powershield Pro and gives the jersey its close fit.

This fabric also forms the pockets, of which you get the standard three, with an additional zippered pocket that's great for a smartphone. The LAB branding on the central pocket is also reflective, a neat touch.

Over the course of a few months, we've moved from deep winter through to the first warmth of spring (and back again slightly...) and I've constantly been reaching for this jersey. I found that it performed best when I needed to wear a rain jacket in mild conditions. Here, the breathability really helps as a normal, heavier winter jersey can easily cause me to sweat when riding at an easy pace. Wearing the Equinox jersey kept me feeling comfortable until the effort really ramped up.

dhb gives the jersey quite a close operating temperature range of between 10 and 16°C. That's for when you're wearing the jersey on its own, or with a thin baselayer. In reality, I was using it well down towards freezing with various other layers.

> Buyer's Guide: 13 of the best winter cycling jerseys

All that use meant a lot of time spent under other kit and many washes. Everything has remained as it should and the water resistance that was there at the start is still working well. That said, I have religiously kept this away from the tumble dryer.

Fit is designed to be close and that's exactly what it is, with the stretch in the back and side panels keeping everything comfortable. The one issue I did have was at the wrist. Here, a little more stretch in the cuff would be very helpful: trying to hold a long sleeve baselayer to stop it from riding up the arm when putting this jersey on is almost impossible. A small issue, I know, but worth mentioning given the number of times I chose a long-sleeve baselayer.

The hem of the jersey is finished with a silicone gripper that does a good job of keeping the jersey in place. At the other end, the neck isn't too high and fits nicely without being too tight.

Size-wise it comes up slightly small. Normally I'd take a small jersey but the medium I have here is pretty aero, so you might want to size up. There's good length in the body and sleeves, but I'd still suggest buying a size up.

Value is a tough one. With the use that I got out of this jersey, £140 could be justified – and it's the same as the PEdAL ED Kobe Thermo Jersey. The Castelli Perfetto is £30 more, but it is a very versatile jersey that offers better protection against the rain. If you can do without the windproofing, Monton's Pro Winso LS jersey can still be layered and at RRP is £115 – and currently discounted to £73.

Verdict

Great performance, close fit and very versatile