Santini Origine Long Sleeve Jersey

The Santini Origine Long Sleeve Jersey is a well made, comfortable top that is great by itself above around 7°C, and a strong middle layer for colder conditions.

• Pros: Breathability, wicking, comfort, light weight
• Cons: No windproofing; pricey

The Origine is Santini's transfer jersey, with the Italian company describing it as 'engineered to maintain thermal balance for the autumn days' and putting the temperature range between 8 and 15°C. Given the huge variability in temperatures in the UK at this time of year, it could be the ideal layer.

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Santini has used Pirenei material throughout the jersey and it's remarkably soft and stretchy compared with most other colder weather jerseys. It is also surprisingly thin given the thermal qualities it possesses; if you stretch it a bit you can clearly see light through it, for instance. It feels closer to a thin T-shirt than a traditional jersey material, and is really soft and comfortable against the skin.

Despite this thinness it has a decent level of insulation. I wore it comfortably by itself down to around 7°C, and with a thin windproof layer on top it was comfortable down to around 4°C without any real issue. This is very impressive given how lightweight it is, and suggests Santini has made a good choice with this material.

In addition to being a good insulator, the jersey is also impressive for breathability and wicking. I found that it performed at a level above what I would expect for a long-sleeve autumn jersey. Even when I was putting in a real effort towards the top end of the temperature range, it wicked sweat quickly and kept me comfortable. The full length zip also helps, so even if the temperatures rose unexpectedly I simply unzipped to keep cool.

Unsurprisingly, given the density of the material used and the breathability it offers, this jersey is not windproof. It offers a bit of protection, but I found that after I was kept comparatively comfortable while putting an effort in going up a hill in 8°C, when it came to getting down the other side, I needed to put on a gilet or jacket to protect from the wind. Santini is pretty clear that this is the case though, and this jersey is not designed to act as an outer layer in these situations.

However, another positive of Santini's choice of material is that its thickness (thinness) means it sits well underneath a windproof or softshell layer. I used it under a simple windproof layer without issue down to around 4°C and it also worked nicely underneath a full softshell jacket to -3°C. The only reason I didn't use it in colder conditions was because there were none. It makes it a really versatile option, acting as a great midlayer in freezing conditions and a good out layer in more moderate temperatures.

Fit is closer to performance than casual, but it's certainly not restrictive or aero. This is helped by the natural stretch in the material, which is also useful given the variety of thicknesses in under layers I used for different temperatures.

It also has some decent design features, including silicone gripper around the bottom, which kept everything well anchored even when riding without anything in the pockets, three main pockets on the back and an additional zipped compartment on the central pocket, plus double thickness collar and cuffs to help keep out the cold and with comfort – there was certainly no chafing.

The jersey comes with a price tag of £99.99, which is perhaps a bit steep given the lack of windproofing. However, I would say that given its impressive breathability and wicking, it isn't wide of the mark. Jim was impressed with the wicking and breathability of dhb's Blok jersey at £55, though it too lacks windproofing. If you want to keep the chills out, you might consider Sportful's R&D Strato, which has a windproof front – but it's another £20.

> Buyer's Guide: 10 of the best winter jerseys for cycling

If you're in the market for a performance transfer jersey, I'd say you could do far worse than the Origine. I was really impressed with it throughout the review period. I was initially fairly sceptical given that the material feels so thin and soft, but with its breathability and thermal qualities, these concerns were quickly shown to be misplaced. Perhaps it could do with being a little more windproof, but aside from that Santini has created a really strong performing transfer jersey.

Verdict

A really strong performing autumn/spring jersey that is both insulating and breathable