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Le Col Women’s Pro Air Jersey

8
£140.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Great lightweight jersey that's ideal for hot summer days
Very comfortable
Extremely light
Deals with sweat effectively
Valuables pocket
You could get some interesting tan lines through the mesh
Weight: 
77g
Contact: 

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Le Col Women's Pro Air Jersey is light and breathable, making it a great option for hot summer rides. It's comfortable to wear and comes in nice colours, though you could get some interesting tan lines through the mesh.

Check out our guide to the best women's cycling jerseys for summer for more options.

> Buy now: Le Col Women’s Pro Air Jersey for £140 from Le Col

The Pro Air jersey is designed for the hottest riding conditions, and it was ideal during the late summer heatwave, with temperatures around 25°C.

2023 Le Col Womens Pro Air Jersey - logo back.jpg

The key feature of this jersey is the lightweight polyester mesh construction, which feels high quality and is designed for maximum cooling. It wicks moisture really effectively and dries out fast, which helped to keep me comfortable on climbs in the heat without having to undo the zip halfway, but also prevented me from cooling down too much on the descents.

However, the mesh is exceptionally thin, allowing sunlight to reach your skin, so you should consider applying sunscreen not only to your arms and legs but also to your body.

2023 Le Col Womens Pro Air Jersey - hem.jpg

The Pro Air is the same fabric all over but the grippers at the ends of the sleeves have a tacky silicone print to help them stay in place.

The waistband, too, features an internal silicone gripper which was discreet and kept the jersey in position when I was riding, without digging in anywhere.

> Cycling sun protection: 5 easy ways to look after your skin

The jersey has the usual three pockets on the rear, made from the same mesh fabric as the rest of the jersey, with some reflective detailing. The tops are elasticated to help keep the contents inside, and are also reinforced to prevent any holes from forming in the thin fabric. They swallowed my smartphone easily.

2023 Le Col Womens Pro Air Jersey - pockets.jpg

There's also a fourth waterproof security pocket; it's too small for a smartphone but good for keys or money.

2023 Le Col Womens Pro Air Jersey - zipped pocket.jpg

The full-length zip has a guard at the top which stops it from irritating your neck, and a long, grippy pull tab makes it easy to unzip when riding for maximum cooling.

2023 Le Col Womens Pro Air Jersey - collar.jpg

Size and fit

The jersey comes in five sizes from XS-XL, and is cut for a performance fit. It's designed so that there's no bunching when you're down on the drops, and despite the slim fit it wasn't restrictive in any area – it fitted well and comfortably.

I usually wear a size small in cycling kit, and that was the case here, based on Le Col's size guide. This worked perfectly for me, and I particularly liked the lengthy cut, which suited my long body.

2023 Le Col Womens Pro Air Jersey - back.jpg

The sleeves are a good length, too, and stayed in place well, but it's worth noting that they are quite narrow, in line with the performance fit. There's some stretch to them but some people could find them snug.

2023 Le Col Womens Pro Air Jersey - sleeve.jpg

The Pro Air jersey comes in this trendy lilac and navy colour as well as a white and black option – both featuring a simple striped design.

Value

At £140, the Pro Air jersey isn't cheap for a summer jersey, though it's currently £77 on Le Col's website. There are more expensive summer jerseys out there, too, such as the Santini Redux Stamina jersey for £169, which Anna tested in 2021; she was impressed with its skin-tight fit and excellent wicking.

You don't need to pay that much, though: dhb's Aeron Lab Ultralight SS Jersey, which Iwein found to be an 'ultra-light, ultra-minimal and ultra-breathable' design, is £90, and at the time of writing, you can get your hands on the purple women's jersey for £22.50 from Wiggle.

Overall

This is a comfortable and extremely lightweight jersey, ideal for the hottest summer days. While the mesh construction ensures high breathability, it's worth noting that it's somewhat see-through, so be sure to apply sunscreen accordingly.

> Buy now: Le Col Women’s Pro Air Jersey for £140 from Le Col

Verdict

Great lightweight jersey that's ideal for hot summer days

road.cc test report

Make and model: Le Col Women's Pro Air Jersey

Size tested: Small

Tell us what the product is for

Le Col says:

"The Women's Pro Air Jersey is an ultralight and exceptionally breathable performance jersey designed for intense rides and climbing in hot or humid conditions.

"A specially selected 3D mesh fabric increases airflow and minimises moisture build-up, keeping the body cool and dry as the intensity of your ride and heat increases."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Le Col lists:

- 94% Polyester

- 6% Elastane

- Ultra-lightweight and breathable

- Highly moisture wicking

- Designed for the hottest riding conditions

- Developed with insight from WorldTour riders

- Open weave 3D mesh fabric

- Lightweight silicone arm and waist grippers

- Cut for a close performance fit

- Three rear mesh pockets and extra fourth waterproof security pocket

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Well made from good materials.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

For hot summer rides it does a great job of keeping you cool.

Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

The jersey is well made but the lightweight fabric is likely to be more delicate than a standard jersey. No problems so far, though.

Rate the product for fit:
 
8/10

It's a performance fit as described on Le Col's website. I particularly like the lengthy cut.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
8/10

The size guide was accurate and it fitted me as expected.

Rate the product for weight:
 
9/10

At 77g, this jersey is extremely light.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10

A very comfortable jersey that stayed in place well without digging in anywhere.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

It isn't cheap, particularly for the amount of wear we'd get out of it in the UK, but you can spend more.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Washes at 30°C like most cycling kit and dries quickly thanks to the lightweight fabric.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It's designed for hot summer days and performs better than a standard cycling jersey in temperatures above 25°C.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It was very comfortable, lightweight and breathable.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The mesh is see-through so you need to consider putting suncream on.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's not cheap at £140 but there are both more expensive and cheaper options. The Santini Redux Stamina jersey is more expensive at £169, while dhb's Aeron Lab Ultralight SS Jersey is cheaper at £90.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This jersey is very comfortable and exceptionally light, and the mesh fabric provides excellent breathability, making it a perfect choice for the hottest summer days. It's not cheap, but it is very good.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 23  Height: 175  Weight: 64

I usually ride: specialised tarmac sl6  My best bike is:

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, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

Emily is our track and road racing specialist, having represented Great Britain at the World and European Track Championships. With a National Title up her sleeve, Emily has just completed her Master’s in Sports Psychology at Loughborough University where she raced for Elite Development Team, Loughborough Lightning.

Emily is our go-to for all things training and when not riding or racing bikes, you can find her online shopping or booking flights…the rest of the office is now considering painting their nails to see if that’s the secret to going fast…

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1 comments

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Freddy56 | 1 year ago
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Has anyone ever paid retail for le col?

70% off is what the kit is worth and as much as I will pay.

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