Lusso Air-16 jersey review

We've been out in the recent warm weather testing Lusso's UK-made lightweight jersey. How did it perform in hotter conditions?

Lusso air-16 jersey

Lusso Air 16 Jersey

Cycling Weekly Verdict

An excellent weight for hot weather riding, comfortable with a good fit and robust enough to handle loading up with the usual ride kit

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Very lightweight and airy

  • +

    UV protective back

  • +

    Good pockets

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    White fabric does show the dirt

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Lusso is known for its UK made cycling kit which is designed for the British rider and good value. The Lusso Air-16 is its lightweight jersey for riding in hot conditions and in the mountains. Sometimes light means a bit flimsy, but this isn’t the case here: it fits well without pocket sag, which can often be a particular weak point.

Front and sides of the Air-16 are made from lightweight mesh

Front and sides of the Air-16 are made from lightweight mesh

I was able to load up with the usual ride kit: food, tube, pump, phone without feeling the pockets bouncing around on climbs. The pockets have enough elastic around their tops to keep everything in place well, so there’s little chance of kit falling out when you go over a bump, but their inside face is made of mesh, so they don’t feel hot. There’s a fourth zippered pocket for valuables too.

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Watch: how to dress for hot conditions

The rear of the Lusso Air-16 jersey is made of a solid-woven fabric which is UV protective, so you don’t end up with a fried back after a ride in the sun. The same fabric is used for the sleeves, which are finished with comfortable single layer grippers. The sides of the jersey are made from a much more open mesh, while the front is a different mesh fabric again. And the waistband is made of the same wide single layered gripper fabric as the sleeves.

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Pockets are sturdy enough to load up without bounce or sag

Pockets are sturdy enough to load up without bounce or sag

There’s a full front zip with an easy to use puller and a zip garage at the top to stop irritation around the neck. The collar is light and comfortable. The white fabric helps in the heat as it reflects the sun, but it does show the dirt a bit.

>>> Hot weather cycling: five tips to help you keep your cool

So all in all the Lusso Air-16 is a well finished hot weather jersey with good features. I have been happy riding in it on hot days in the UK. It has kept me adequately protected from the sun on longish rides, comfortable in the heat and all my kit firmly in place. What more could you want?

For more details visit the Lusso website.

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Paul Norman

Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.

He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.