Cyclingnews Awards: Our four top-pick cycling jerseys

It's hard to get a handle on just how many cycling jerseys have been tested collectively by the Tech team here at Cyclingnews. Personally, I'm easily knocking on the door of 40 options to choose from day to day, so it could be into the hundreds without much difficulty. We've already curated the ones we think are the best cycling jerseys into our buyer's guide, and from that, we've picked out four that we think are worthy of an award.

We've got aero jerseys covered for any budding racers or anyone who just likes going fast for less effort, as well as something for high summer, a very good value option, and an honourable mention that's nigh on perfect for touring (or bikepacking, if you're feeling modern).

Given how much time each of us spends on the bike this is a category we are nearly always putting testing time into, either consciously or not. We'll have covered countless miles in varying, and not always totally appropriate, conditions. Fit, function, breathability, comfort, and durability will all have been put to the test. Given enough time these choices become more or less the default option for specific purposes, which makes choosing them as winners very easy; they are the ones we get most excited to wear, and are the benchmarks we compare anything new against.

The winners

Best aero

Castelli Aero Race 6.0

Fit: Race | Colours: 3 | Material: 100% Polyester | Pockets: 3 | Reflective details: Yes

Breathability

Well fitted

No zippered pocket

Limited colour options

The Castelli Aero Race 6.0 jersey is an absolute joy to wear, and there's nothing about it that forces it to the forefront of your attention when riding in it. It's lightweight, but not a high-summer jersey like the MAAP below. It's aero, but not stiff feeling or uncomfortable like the Le Col Aero jersey can be, and the pockets are roomy enough to be functional for long rides, unlike the DHB Aeron jersey, but without flopping around when fully loaded.

It comes in a range of eyecatching colours, including this sunset fade yellow to orange which, while maybe not to everyone's taste, is even brighter in real life than in this photo.

My only qualm, if you can call it that, is the slightly-too-long sleeves, which fold into the crease of the elbow. Rapha's Pro Team Aero does the same too, and it's really not something you notice when you're on the go. The neckline is perfectly comfortable though, and finishing touches are also positives, including the large plastic zipper which won't corrode, and is easy to 'find' when you're trying to re-zip while riding after opening it up on a hot climb.

Best summer

MAAP Emerge Ultralight

Colours: Grass, Black, Magenta | Sizes: XS-XXL | Material: 94% Polyester / 4% Elastane | Pockets: 3 | Reflective details: No

Incredible next-to-skin comfort

Sleeves are a perfect length and they don't move when riding

Breathability is excellent

Not everyone will appreciate the translucent aesthetic

Rarely does a jersey fit absolutely perfectly in every quarter. Sometimes you'll find the shoulders are tight, or the sleeves loose, or the midriff baggy, and that's probably a symptom of buying 'off the shelf' kit designed to meet averages, and the fact that every human body is slightly different. However, when testing summer jerseys, I found that the thin, stretchy material of the Emerge Ultralight from MAAP contoured itself to my body perfectly for a lightly compressive fit that's incredibly comfortable, with absolutely no bunching or areas of discomfort. It's the comfiest jersey that I've ever worn, by a mile.

Being such a summer jersey, it's worth saying that it's slightly see-through, and I admit that's not to everyone's taste. It's also fairly niche in its use case; MAAP says it's for 30C/86F and up, but I've worn it with total success from around 18C/64F. The pockets are big enough for a full day's worth of riding accessories, and joyously, despite the minimal material, they don't flop around when filled, which is a problem I've found on some of MAAP's other jerseys.

Best value

dhb Classic jersey

Colours: Autumn glory, Ocean depths, Thyme, Black, Navy, Red | Sizes: XS-XXL | Material: 100% polyester | Pockets: Three open, one zippered | Reflective details: No

Polyester is super soft

Full-length Zipper

Wide range of colours

Polyester may get sweaty on hot days

The dhb Classic jersey takes the best value award from our jersey testing. It's competitively priced but also sits in a really nice spot whereby the jersey is performance orientated in cut and fit but it's not all out tight race jersey or super loose fitting. It's more relaxed than a race or aero jersey and my small size had a little extra room across the board. (I'm 65kg and about 175cm) this makes it a bit easier to wear for a broader range of situations I think, you could do a hard ride or chain gang in it, but it will be just as happy commuting to work or cruising to the café or even riding off-road or mountain biking in, thanks to the more relaxed fit. It will fit a little better in a wider range of riding scenarios.

There are a good few features included for the money. Though more a question of fit than a feature, the arm length is good, and the arms on my jersey finished a centimetre or two above the elbows. There's a full-length zip, zippered rear pocket, mesh side panels and a few reflective tabs. The jersey material is also super soft and comfortable which I really like.

For the money, you can't go wrong with the dhb classic, it's got more features than some other more expensive jerseys and offers a good fit without breaking the bank.

Honorable mention

Rapha Brevet/Brevet Lightweight

Colours: Green, Black, Sage, Blue (Brevet) / Black, Red, All Black, Teal | Sizes: XS-XXL | Material: Merino Blend (Brevet) / Polyester (Lightweight) | Pockets: 5 | Reflective details: Yes

Cavernous pocket space

Roomy fit

Great reflective details

Classic sleeve length a bit dated

Reflective bands aren't so stretchy

The Brevet jersey from Rapha, whether the standard or the lighter version, is quite old fashioned in many ways. The cut isn't skintight, the sleeves are relatively short, there are no concessions to aerodynamics. It's a modified version of the extremely popular, at least at the time of its inception, Classic jersey, which in itself was solid, fashionably, but not necessarily groundbreaking in the context of the modern cycling clothing landscape.

Why then, is the Brevet jersey worthy of calling out over so many other options? Simply it's perfect for bike touring, or bikepacking if you'd rather. When going on any bike trip longer than a single day my only decision for jersey choice is whether I take the lighter or heavier version.

I've already written a full review for the heavier version, and the only material difference is in the fabric weight, but the short version of why I rate it so highly is that it's extremely comfortable, non restrictive, and has good reflective detailing. Above all of this though it's the pockets. It has three standard ones, that themselves are pretty roomy, as well as a valuables one at the back, as you'd expect from any jersey, but it also has a little chest pocket which I find perfect for a credit card for dashing into a roadside shop, and an absolutely cavernous pocket nestled behind the main three at your lower back. Within this I have stowed whole bunches of bananas, multipacks of chocolate bars, entire malt loaves, full size pork pies, multitudinous pastries, hastily stuffed waterproof jackets... you get the picture.

On the road, being able to store things on your person is always handy, and nothing does carrying capacity nearly as well.