Northwave Blade Air 3 Jersey

The Northwave Blade Air 3 jersey is designed to perform in warmer temperatures and it really does, with the choice of materials doing an excellent job of keeping you dry and cool.

• Pros: Light and airy, comfortable, easy to wash and dry
• Cons: Needs care not to snag the material

I'll be honest, when it turned up at my door in early April I did wonder how I was going to test it, with the average outside temperature around 5 degrees and no sign of letting up. For that first week it didn't get any further than being tried on for size, the large fitting nicely on my 6ft 2in frame, and the strikingly patterned soft 3D mesh Sitip fabric being nicely stretchy and soft against the skin.

> Find your nearest dealer here

The other standout from that initial try out was the weight – or lack of: the materials used means it weighs in at a scant 127g, unnoticeable when on. Hold it up to the light and it's literally see-through, although the unusual pattern hides what's underneath when it's worn – you couldn't see my tattoos, for example, so there are no worries of embarrassment. (It's not me in the pics, by the way.) 

Other details include a mesh insert material on the sides, Lycra sleeves with silicone dot grippers, and three pockets out back with a discreet reflective strip.

Most of my riding through our Arctic winter had, as with most I guess, been on the turbo inside a single car garage which is part of the house, so generally quite warm with the heating on. An opportunity is an opportunity, so the first couple of rides were somewhat static, but a decent test of whether it does help with the heat; usually I wouldn't wear a jersey in there at all as it gets way too warm even with a fan on. Surprisingly, it showed that the jersey did work in principle as I didn't really get much hotter than with no jersey on, and it was an improvement in terms of feeling drier with the material wicking the sweat away.

This wasn't a viable way to really give a verdict, though, and as luck would have it, towards the end of April the UK enjoyed a solid week of unusually high temperatures and the first real appearance of the sun – perfect conditions to give the jersey a real test.

I rode three times in the middle of the week after work, each warmer than the last, culminating in a high of 26 degrees. In real world conditions the Blade Air 3 didn't disappoint. I purposely didn't put a baselayer on (I generally prefer to wear one) and the temperature feel over a standard jersey was marked. It still felt hot when stationary but once moving the airflow allowed the jersey to really perform, the exceptional breathability keeping me completely dry and as cool as the air temperature allowed.

It was comfortable on the bike too, the soft material nice against the skin and the raw-cut sleeves not tight on the arm while the gripper prevented them from riding up.

The three rear pockets are reasonably sized – not as big as some jerseys but I'm thinking it's to prevent them being overloaded and pulling the jersey's stretchy, thin material down at the back – plenty of space for the usual bits, anyway. I would be wary of putting tools or keys in there though as I think it would be all too easy to snag or even rip the material; I didn't risk it to find out.

As the weather was good and I was impressed with the jersey, I wanted to wear it on consecutive days, so handwashed it with my usual sports liquid and hung it out in the garden. The construction demonstrated its properties again as it was bone dry in the breeze within 10 minutes and ready to wear again. Later on in the testing I machine washed it too and it came out without any problems, but again if you have a machine that has a tendency to snag items I would take care.

> Buyer's Guide: 18 of the best summer cycling jerseys

Overall then, if you want a summer jersey for those warmer days or you ride abroad regularly, you won't go far wrong with the Blade Air 3. It's available in four colourways and with a retail price of £56.99 it's pretty good value too, and available at various online outlets for as low as £45. The recently tested Castelli Flusso Jersey FZ comes in at £80 and Rapha's Super Lightweight jersey retails for £90, making the Northwave a bit of a steal.

Verdict

A stylish and great performing summer weather jersey that is easy to wash and dry quickly for reuse and won't break the bank