The Sportful Supernova Jersey is a good aero option with great breathability, an excellent fit and stylish looks. But the small pockets – and the lack of a zipped security pocket – make this a better choice for shorter rides rather than day-long outings.
> Buy now: Sportful Supernova Jersey for £75 from Sportful
The Supernova is designed to be an aero jersey that’s focused on performance, while still delivering comfort over a long-distance endurance ride. I’ve worn it on a mix of endurance rides and tough training sessions during some quite warm early summer rides.
Materials
The Supernova is a light summer jersey that weights just 130g. And while this is light, this jersey doesn’t weigh as little as a number of its competitors. And I’m fine with this, as it means it isn’t as see-through as some of its competitors, and it’s not just to be reserved for rare super-hot days.
Sportful recommends the Supernova for temperatures between 15-35°C (warm, but not quite supernova-hot), and I did most of my testing during one of the early summer heatwaves in temperatures up to around 27°C – and the performance was excellent. The jersey’s UV protection proved both welcome and necessary during the recent excellent weather.
I found the fabric highly breathable. After tackling my local time trial in hot conditions, the jersey was a bit damp, but it dried off quickly on my cool-down spin, which meant I was dry and comfortable for the ride home.
Fit
Sportful describes the jersey’s fit as ‘tailored’, which is designed to be an aero cut suitable for fast road riding. And I thought the fit was good, particularly around the shoulders, chest and arms. Though when it was fully done up, it did feel a little too tight around my neck.
As you’d expect for an aero jersey, the sleeves are on the longer side. They have a small seam and remain in place perfectly. After a long ride, I found they were tight enough to leave sleeve marks on my arms!
Sportful doesn’t make any claims that the jersey will save you a remarkable number of watts, but I found it to have more of an aero fit than a standard short-sleeve cycling jersey.
The front is on the shorter side, and while at 178cm this left none of my stomach exposed, if you’re taller than me this might be an issue for you.
Size
The Supernova comes in six sizes from S-3XL. Sportful’s size guide had me between medium and large, and at 178cm and 76kg I found the large about the right size. I think the medium would have been too tight for me, so if you are between sizes I’d consider sizing up.
The rear has the usual three pockets, though these are very small and really only big enough for your riding essentials, such as a multi tool and energy gels. If you want to carry a gilet and arm warmers, you will struggle to fit them in.
While there’s only a light gripper on the sides of the jersey and nothing at the back, the pockets’ contents still felt secure because of the tight fit. Not that you’re going to stash much in them anyway.
Details
There’s no zipped valuables pocket, which is always a bit of a shame for me, as I like one for my keys and a card.
The front zip has a small garage at the top to aid neck comfort. It’s a regular YKK zip without an extra-large tag, but I had no problems adjusting it on the move.
The washing label is very large, though, which isn’t big deal, but if it was me I’d cut it off.
Wearing this for a lot of rides during one of our recent hot spells meant it went through the wash a lot, and it came out looking like new every time.
I tested the jersey in its ‘shadow lime’ shade (just where do they come up with these names?), which I think looks good. But it’s also available in two other colours: teal blue and a more traditional black.
While you never want to put it to the test Sportful has a good crash replacement policy. This provides a replacement if you write it off in a crash in the first 30 days or 50% off after that time.
Value
Its £100 RRP is a reasonable price for a good quality aero jersey, though the shadow lime option is presently on sale at £75.
The Ekoi Racing Checks Jersey received a very good review and is nominally much pricier at £168, but being Ekoi this is likely to be available online for around the £100 mark.
I found the £125 Castelli Espresso excellent when I tested it, though it isn’t an aero jersey.
If you are looking to spend a bit less, Shaun thought the Madison Roam Jersey was a very good option at just £59.99.
For more options, check out our best summer cycling jerseys buyer’s guide.
Conclusion
Sportful has created a good quality aero jersey (if not quite Champagne Supernova good), with a close fit and highly breathable fabric – and I like its looks. The only downsides are the small size of its three pockets and the lack of a zipped pocket, which might limit this to shorter rides depending on what you can carry on the bike.
> Buy now: Sportful Supernova Jersey for £75 from Sportful
Verdict
Stylish aero jersey with breathable fabric, UV protection and a good fit – but the pockets are small with no zipped pocket
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Sportful Supernova Jersey
Size tested: Large
Tell us what the product is for
Sportful says
“Fast, tailored and cool.
“With its aero fit and excellent breathability, the Supernova Jersey is a road specialist. Made from top quality fabrics that keep you dry on a long training session, it features UV protection for sunny rides.
“Push your limits, achieve your goals.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Sportful says:
“An eye-catching, breathable aero jersey for road riding
Made from highly wicking, top-quality fabrics
With tailored fit
Features UV protection
With 3 x rear pockets
Made for temperatures of 15-35°C”
Good but could be better on the neck and it’s tight on the arms
On the smaller side, especially around the arms.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
The usual 30°C wash, with the usual lack of any issues.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
For fast, shorter rides, this jersey performed well. It was comfortable, the fabric is very breathable and features UV protection.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The aero fit is excellent and I found the jersey comfortable.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Small pockets and no zip pocket.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Its £100 RRP is a reasonable price for a good quality aero jersey.
The Ekoi Racing Checks Jersey is priced at £168, though beink Ekoi it’s usually available for around £100.
And I found the £125 Castelli Espresso jersey excellent, though it’s more a standard short-sleeve jersey than aero.
If you’re looking to spend a little less, the Madison Roam Jersey costs just £59.99.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Maybe – I’d prefer bigger pockets.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
Overall, the jersey was great for faster, shorter rides. The material was highly breathable, the fit was largely great.
For longer rides or rides in changeable conditions, the pockets are too small.
About the tester
Age: 35 Height: 178cm Weight: 73kg
I usually ride: Specialized Roubaix My best bike is: Cervelo S3
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, Indoor
