Ekoi Primavera jersey review

The Ekoi Primavera jersey is designed for springtime weather. So what does French brand Ekoi expect weather-wise in spring? Rain chiefly: its Primavera jersey is designed to be waterproof and breathable.

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The front, rear and arms of the jersey have panels of waterproof fabric. Like a standard Roubaix-style internally fleeced fabric, these have enough stretch to fit well. But they are also very wind resistant, so the jersey is comfortable when worn with just armwarmers and a baselayer at temperatures around 10 degrees.

For a bit more ventilation and cooling, the panels down the sides and the rear are made of a lighter fleeced fabric with a more open weave, as are the pockets. All the body panels are flatlock sewn, so there are no raised seams to irritate, despite the complex fabrication.

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The collar and the arm grippers are made of doubled fleece fabric and there’s a silicone gripper around the rear of the waistband. The zipper is not windproof. I did not find any problem with chilly draughts from it and there’s a zip garage at the bottom to protect your shorts.

Ekoi’s fit is quite close, so you may need to size up. On the other hand, this does mean that there’s no windflap, nor any tendency to get sweaty under effort. If you do get caught out in a downpour, the jersey's fabric repels water pretty well, although I did find some dampening of the fabric at the front of the jersey.

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Ekoi sells matching Primavera bibshorts using the same technology and fabrics for a top and bottom waterproof outfit. Buying the two pieces together saves around £50; since Ekoi converts from Euros at the current exchange rate, prices vary from day to day. It also offers free UK Royal Mail delivery within two to five days of order.

As well as the blue flash option, there are also red and fluoro green and yellow variants.