Altura Icon Osaka short sleeve jersey

Altura's Icon Osaka short sleeve jersey is light and comfortable next to the skin, easy on the eye and affordable, though the fit didn't quite work for me and there are early signs of wear on the fabric.

On its website, Altura bills the Icon as 'constructed for speed without sacrificing comfort'. What it means by this is that the main fabric is a thin, high-performance fabric (100% polyester on the label) that can wick away high levels of sweat. A mesh fabric (91% polyester, 9% Spandex on the label) is used under the arms and down the side. I can confirm that this works. It's been hot out recently and although I have jerseys available in lighter colours, this has been the chosen one.

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On the back there are the usual three pockets, which can take plenty of stuff. The right pocket has a vertical zipper on the side to stow away valuables. This zip has a long tag, as opposed to the full-length front zip, which does not.

Shaun reviewed an Altura Icon short sleeve jersey last year. This was the Warp version, which is a different design, but is also subtly different in other ways. The hem on the arms is less pronounced on the new version, as is the gripper hem on the back. I can only go from Shaun's description, I haven't used the Warp, but it seems that the cut has changed a little as well. He describes the Warp as a tailored fit and very snug, which is not how I would describe the Osaka.

At 178cm (5ft 8in) tall and 77kg, I'm normally pretty much bang on medium in non-Italian brands. On this medium jersey, the arms fit perfectly, as does the hem on the waist and the collar. However, there is too much spare fabric around the lower back and the chest to call the fit snug. For a jersey billed to be "constructed for speed", I would have expected a tighter fit.

Having said that, this jersey just feels comfortable next to the skin. After a pretty sweaty long ride I contemplated that I hadn't thought about the fit or sweat or anything, which in my book means it just works.

One consequence of this lovely stretchy fabric and looser fit around the back is that I've avoided loading up the pockets, instead choosing to use a frame bag. I'll admit that back pockets moving around is a pet hate of mine.

I've worn and washed this jersey a good few times. The fabric is starting to bobble a bit, though in fairness a fair few of those rides have been with a backpack on, which would increase wear on the fabric, and the backpack touch points are where the bobbling shows. A small bit of stitching (less than half an inch) has come loose on the collar. I can fix this easily, but it feels a bit early in the jersey's life for this to happen. I suspect this might be an anomaly.

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The 'Osaka' part of the product name indicates the print; Altura make three other versions: Bamboo, Hex and Tessalate. I like the print of all four of them and have had positive comments on the Osaka version that I'm reviewing here.

In terms of value, an RRP of a penny under £55 seems pretty reasonable for a decent jersey, compared to what else is out there. Chapeau's Club jersey is another £15 and doesn't have a zip pocket, though the fit sounds better. You can pay less, but you might not get the same combination of features – although Decathlon's £39.99 Van Rysel RR 900 gives it a run for the money.

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I have enjoyed wearing this jersey. Yes, there are a couple of minor niggles, but given the price point they are easy to live with. If, like me, you like the print, then I think you'll enjoy this jersey too.

Verdict

Lightweight summer jersey that is comfortable to wear and easy on your wallet