Attaquer’s OrbKnit jersey quickly climbed to the top of my kit pile — here’s why

Attaquer’s OrbKnit jersey, already a standout in the Australian brand’s premium lineup, arrived with a refreshed set of colours at the end of September, perfectly timed for Australia’s warmer-weather riding and, for me in Arizona, the start of fall.

With its sculpted knit construction, rich palette, and race-oriented cut, the OrbKnit positions itself firmly in the top tier of modern cycling apparel. Even in today’s crowded high-end kit market, it manages to carve out its own identity through thoughtful colour choices, sharp branding and a tactile feel that’s hard to match.

When my sample arrived, though, things took an unexpected turn: the sizing was slightly off. My partner, also a cyclist, spotted an opportunity and slipped it on. The fit wasn’t perfect, but it was close enough to make me think about the kit's viability for men and women, especially since every colourway is available in both cuts. Attaquer were willing to send along a true women’s cut for my partner, which allowed us to test the jersey out together. So consider this something of a “his and hers” first impression.

With new colours, men’s and women’s cuts, and a knit engineered for high-intensity efforts across varying conditions, the Attaquer OrbKnit has all the ingredients of a top-tier jersey on paper. But how does it actually perform? Let’s dig in.

Construction

The OrbKnit kit is built around a distinctive stitching and construction method, which Attaquer claims allows the jersey to contour precisely to a cyclist’s body. Rather than relying on traditional panels and seams, the OrbKnit uses multiple fabric types that compress yet stretch and ventilate simultaneously. The jersey has very few true seams. Instead, the different knit structures transition smoothly into one another, creating a single, cohesive piece of fabric.

All of this is a long way of saying that the OrbKnit jersey is tight where you want it to be, breathable in key places, and overall fits like a second skin.

“Machined in Italy using Italian circular knitting machines, OrbKnit represents a revolutionary approach to garment design,” Attaquer said in their press release. “This precision-engineered jersey incorporates varying textures, strategically placed mesh panel sections guided by sweat-rate mapping, and integrated compression zones — all seamlessly woven into a single fabric.”

Aesthetically, the unified weave gives the jersey a clean, modern look. Attaquer adds subtle nods to its Italian manufacturing with a small Italian flag inside the collar and on the tag, while a spider motif on the sleeve and sparse but bold branding complete the design. The jersey options feature single colours only, in white, turquoise, purple, brown, grey, and black. These colourways are the same for both men and women, and sizes run from XS to XL.

We both kept it simple with the white colour choice, and they were, well, quite white with the black logos and decals pairing nicely with the jersey or the OrbKnit weave. In the back, the jersey was slightly see-through, and with Attaquer bibs to match, it all came together quite nicely.

The Ride

Attaquer is upfront about OrbKnit’s snug, race-oriented fit, but even so, the jersey looks surprisingly small when you first pull it out of the packaging.

I requested a size small, and while it mostly fit, the cut runs noticeably short; just a bit too short for my six-foot frame anyway. For some riders, though, that length could be a real advantage. My partner, Bailey, for example, has a shorter torso and often struggles with women’s jerseys that bunch or fold when she’s in the riding position. The OrbKnit was the first jersey she’s tried that’s short enough to eliminate those extra folds.

Shorter jerseys do tend to come with a tradeoff of rear pockets that sit uncomfortably high. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case here. The OrbKnit’s pockets are well placed, nicely stretchy, and maintain the jersey’s sleek, compression-like fit, even when stuffed with the usual long-ride essentials.

Ultimately, I grew to like the small jersey after a few rides and kept it as the testing option. If I were to buy the jersey, perhaps I would have bumped up to a medium, but after a wash or two, I felt great in the kit. Personally, I am still a racer, and the idea of lining up for a gravel event in that jersey was pretty enticing, especially with the tight fit of the small.

Another clear win for the jersey is the cut of the sleeves and the collar. In my opinion, tall collars only belong on winter-specific or wet-riding gear. It makes no sense to add fabric to the neck, and too many premium brands have done that for too long. Fortunately, the OrbKnit keeps the collar nice and low and perfectly out of the way. Similarly, the kit doesn’t go out of its way to add grippers to the arms; instead, it uses a long cuff that doesn’t encroach on my elbow.

Despite the kit's multi-knit fabric and tight-fitting design, it offers a surprising amount of cooling. This is hugely important for racing or simply when living in Arizona, where it is hot more often than not. Much of this is due to the strategic mesh placements and the moisture-wicking fabric.

Bailey found this to be the distinct upside of the kit as well. She is sensitive to overheating, which is easy to do in Phoenix, and the knit's thickness belies its cooling abilities.

"[The jersey] feels a bit thicker than a normal jersey would, but I was pretty surprised when riding in it for three hours, how little it actually felt sweaty,” she said. “I'm a sweaty girl, so I feel like most of my other jerseys underneath my armpits feel sweaty all the time. And the same on my lower back. But in this jersey, I felt like I didn't have sweaty armpits at all, which is kind of nice.”

Frankly, I am generally better in the heat, but I would say the same: the kit breathes deceptively well, especially in a dry climate. I wouldn’t say it is my first pick for the summer days in Phoenix that stretch into the triple digits, but that is a very small selection of garments that can get that job done.

With its comfortable fit and all the right vents in the right places, the Orbknit jersey quickly earned its place at the top of both of our kit piles.

Value & Verdict

The Orbknit is a highly engineered, premium kit, and the $195 USD / £134 GBP / $240 AUD price tag reflects that. Still, the unique cut and quality of the jersey make the garment's cost feel justified. It undercuts the prices of several other race offerings from other high-end brands, such as Assos’ Equipe RS 11 or Maap's Pro Aero jersey, while still absolutely delivering on the product.

For me, the most exciting aspect of the kit is its versatility: it's suitable for warm afternoons, cool mornings, race day, and even the café line. What’s more, with the thicker fabric and the lack of obvious weak points in the jersey’s construction, I am wagering the kit will hold its form much longer than other race offerings. For me, and for Bailey, that’s all the ingredients needed for a five-star kit.