Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to REVIEWS
review
Base layers
Lusso Race Base Vest Lusso Race Base Vest Lusso Race Base Vest
Lusso Race Base Vest

Lusso Race Base Vest

8
by Stu Kerton
UPDATED Fri, Sep 06, 2019 15:46

First Published Sep 6, 2019

0
£22.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Near-textbook execution of what a baselayer needs to deliver, at a good price
Weight: 
69g
Contact: 
www.lusso.bike
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The Lusso Race Base Mesh Vest offers great breathability and a close fit, and feels beautifully soft against the skin. Lusso has managed it for a decent price too.

  • Pros: Stretchy fabric allows plenty of movement; breathability; soft against the skin
  • Cons: Tendency to stain around the neck

Virtually every cycle clothing brand has a mesh baselayer in its range, and across the board there isn't that much to separate them. Some use softer fabrics than others, some have a better fit because of the stretch of the fabric, and some wick the sweat away quicker.

> Buy this online here

Lusso's Race Base Mesh Vest has managed to encapsulate all those attributes while also bringing it in at the lower end of the price spectrum.

The Manchester-based company manufactures its products here in the UK, although it has outreached to Italy for the 'multi-filament yarns' that make up the four-way stretch fabric used in this baselayer's construction.

Lusso Race Base Vest - chest.jpg

It feels great against the skin, very soft without the slightest hint of scratchiness, and you basically forget you're wearing it, whether you are out on the bike for hours or a 10-mile time trial.

I found the breathability to be great on the really hot days of the summer with temperatures touching the mid-30s. Yeah, you still get hot and sweaty when you're pushing it, but once you back off the pace a bit or start descending, you soon feel dry and cool.

Lusso Race Base Vest - back.jpg

The only slight issue I've found with it is that by following the recommended 30°C washing instructions, dirt marks around the neck don't all disappear, leaving a slight discolouration. Selecting a hotter 40°C wash does seem to sort it, though.

Price-wise, we are only looking at £22.99 which is impressive, and Lusso certainly hasn't scrimped on quality to achieve it. The baselayer is very well put together and the fabric feels pretty much indestructible.

> Buyer's Guide: 17 of the best cycling baselayers

For similar money you could go for the Chapeau Mesh SL Base Layer at £24.99, though it isn't quite as soft as the Lusso.

The Alé Intimo Active baselayer performs pretty well and I still wear it a lot. It has a slightly closer fit but will cost you £35 going on the rrp.

On the whole, this is a really good baselayer that does everything you need it to, for good money.

Verdict

Near-textbook execution of what a baselayer needs to deliver, at a good price

road.cc test report

Make and model: Lusso Race Base Vest

Size tested: Large

Tell us what the product is for

Lusso says, "After 12 months testing and working with Italy's leading Fabric supplier Lusso's task was to create something super lightweight, high moisture transfer and important 4 way stretch for the perfect body fit and achieving the most breathable base layer possible in today's market."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Lusso:

High Breathability

4 Way Stretch

Soft Touch

Lightweight

Quick Drying

Anatomically Shaped

Italian Multi-Filament Yarns

White Only

Made in UK

Machine Washable

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

Stitching quality fine, but it stains.

Rate the product for fit:
 
9/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
9/10

Sizing is spot on.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

As I've said in the main review, when washed at 30°C grime around the neck remains, but if you go up to 40°C it is fine.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

As a layer between your body and jersey it can't really be faulted.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Feels great against the skin.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Doesn't always come clean after washing at recommended temperature.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

There are others at this price point but the Lusso delivers the quality and the performance of the more expensive offerings.

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

A really good quality and performing baselayer, only slightly let down by the fact that the material can stain quite easily.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

Lusso Race Base Vest 2019
Lusso Race Base Vest
Lusso 2019
lusso
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

Latest Comments