Pearl Izumi Interval jersey review

Superlight jersey aimed at being an accomplished performer in the heat

(Image credit: James Bracey)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

Incredibly comfortable and offers great performance in warm weather. However, the cut of the sleeves and relatively high price to feature ratio might put some riders off.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Super soft fabric

  • +

    Classy design

  • +

    Comfortable yet race-cut fit

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Sleeves are a little loose

  • -

    Price

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At a scant 103 grams, Pearl Izumi’s Interval jersey is without doubt a real featherweight piece of kit.

It’s made from an incredibly soft and silky feeling fabric Pearl Izumi call Elite Transfer, giving it an almost ‘barely there’ feel as soon as you put the jersey on. This fabric has also got another trick up its sleeve and is covered in tiny perforations to enhance its performance in warm weather. It also has coldblack technology, designed to keep you cool in hot weather even in dark coloured clothing. Whilst it all sounds a little bit like marketing hyperbole it actually does work and the Interval jersey feels cool to use and is incredibly breathable.

>>> Pearl Izumi Women's Pro jersey review

The fit is quite race or form-fitted but thanks to the fabric it lacks the compressive feel that other jerseys have when cut to this shape. This less compressive fabric extends to the sleeves and here it is a little loose in places – not baggy, just a little less figure hugging. An issue further exacerbated by a doubled over cuff that does nothing to prevent the sleeve from riding up during a ride.

Whilst it looks snug, the soft material rides up too easily on the sleeves.
(Image credit: James Bracey)

The best short sleeve jerseys for road riding

The rest of the Interval has been designed to be unobtrusive and as sleek as possible. The collar is low cut, protruding just 1.5cm, so causing zero restrictions even when the jersey is done up completely. The locking YKK zipper is also shielded behind the main jersey fabric rendering it almost invisible when the jersey is closed, lending a seamless look. The lower hem also only features silicon grippers across the rear panel, however I never had an issue with the jersey riding up.

Three rear pockets sit close to the back and are very unobtrusive.
(Image credit: James Bracey)

To keep the weight down Pearl Izumi has stuck to three basic rear pockets. These have been reinforced but the stretchy and thin nature of the fabric means you are fearful of overloading.

It’s a really good jersey for riding in the heat but the price puts it at the top of the budget when compared with other similarly featured jerseys.

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