Pas Normal Studios Men's Essential Long Sleeve Jersey

The Pas Normal Studios Men's Essential Long Sleeve Jersey is a premium shoulder-season garment that boasts some fantastic fabric and flawless construction. It feels and looks excellent, and performs pretty much as its meant to, but you can't use it on its own in proper winter temperatures and £190 is a lot to spend on a jersey, especially one that provides only middling breathability and wind protection. You do get a lovely piece of design but the slightly odd sizing is bound to cause a few exchanges from confused buyers.

> Buy now: Pas Normal Studios Men's Essential Long Sleeve Jersey for £175 from End

Looking for a new long-sleeved jersey? Check out our autumn cycling buyer's guide, or for warmer options, our best winter cycling jerseys buyer's guide.

Look and size

I'm a soft touch for simple, subtly branded kit and while PNS has added a decent-sized logo on the back, I still found it a good-looking jersey. PNS does a strong line in muted colours, so you'll be left disappointed if a palette of bland shades isn't what you were after. The most visible shade available is off-white, which has its own obvious drawbacks. Both the small chest logo and large rear logo are reflective.

Based on the fit, PNS clearly intends the essential jersey to be worn with its own kit. The jersey is short in the front, just about extending down to my navel. Pas Normal bibs, you'd assume, would rise up high enough to cover this gap. Alas, the 3/4 lengths I was also testing, only just reached.

The model information on the PNS website suggests that this is the right size for me (Medium for a 193cm Male), but my non-climber proportions (187cm, 83kg) clearly don't align with the brand vision. Maybe the PNS bibs and leggings rise up higher? Based on our review of the Mechanism Bibs and the images, there might be a gaping issue here too.

I would say, size up to remedy this, but the fit of the rest of the jersey was delightful. The arm length is perfect and the shoulders hang nicely. Once into a riding position on the bike, the length was less of an issue but still not ideal. Overall sizing is something to consider.

On the bike

There were a few bitter days at the end of November so the Essential jersey got seriously put through its paces. The PNS website has a heat line indicating when this jersey can be worn, with the parameters extending from zero up to about 20°C at a medium to high intensity. It is made from a very stretchy gridded fleece-backed fabric that insulated me on its own down to around 10-12 degrees. Anything below that and a technical base layer is absolutely essential.

If you hold the jersey up to the light you can see that it is pretty porous – which you can feel in the wind. Without a base layer I could feel the wind getting to me without much intervention. PNS only gives it a 3/6 for windproofing but I think that is slightly generous. Layering up with a base layer and a windproof gilet had me riding happily into the single digits – but this is certainly for the fairer days of autumn and spring if you're wearing it as a standalone.

Where it does perform well is in its breathability. Sustained efforts where I built up a lot of heat didn't result in a soggy top half. The porous elements of the jersey really do help with 'moisture management' as PNS puts it.

Despite not being billed as water-resistant, I gave the jersey a good dousing with a spray (having not been rained on during test) and the inside remained steadfastly dry even when the outer layer was thoroughly damp. Initial moisture rolled down off the garment and then settled into the fabric, but I was impressed with this.

The insulating high collar is slightly thicker than the rest of the jersey and made of the same fleece material.

The YKK zips are backed by an excellent wind-stopping flap which – in a neat bit of design – folds into a zip garage at both top and bottom.

Because of the shape of the jersey, the pockets do end up quite high on the back, so you've got to give a good twist to gain access. There is a very small zipped valuables pocket which – for reference – fits about 4/5 of an iPhone X. You might have to leave the final fifth at home.

The gripper is about two fingers wide and has a criss-cross pattern of rubber that hangs onto bibs quite well – but unfortunately, it ended up on bare skin quite often!

Value

I've bought a few bikes for less than £100, so £190 is definitely a decent proportion of most people's apparel budget. The Pas Normal Studios Essential Jersey is a great bit of kit, and I felt great wearing it once I'd accommodated the sizing quirks. If you're wearing it alone it functions best in pretty palatable conditions and it reminded me in some ways of the £176 Cafe Du Cycliste Constance Jersey that I tested recently in that it does a few specific things well, but isn't wildly versatile until you start adding layers.

The Castelli Flight Jersey Air is £185 and Matt was really impressed by how packable it was, alongside being really comfy and versatile. It's a third lighter than the Pas Normal and has handy reflective details.

At this end of the market you can get some lovely materials for your cash. The Velocio Concept Merino Long Sleeve Jersey is pure merino wool and Steve thought it worked really well for multi-day adventures and had good breathable attributes.

For something more exclusive, you can spend £200 on the Spatzwear Heatr2 Khaki which claims to have excellent temperature regulation for everything except the worst of winter. Only 150 are being made so hop to it.

For something much cheaper, I really rated the dhb Aeron Men's Softshell 2.0 that does a bit of everything. It might not be light but it's more weatherproof than the Pas Normal Essential, functions as a jersey or a jacket, and only costs £120.

Conclusion

If it was a little bit cheaper I would be even more enthusiastic about a jersey that is undeniably well made and lovely to wear. It's a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none, but that doesn't mean it won't work really well for big parts of the shoulder seasons, and once you add layers, winter too. You pay a premium for the haute design of Pas Normal Studios, but if that's not your bag then you can find other perhaps even more versatile jerseys for less.

Verdict

Pricey and not built for properly cold weather, but boasts great construction and is handy for the shoulder seasons.