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FWE King of the Downs softshell jersey – review

A very well priced softshell jersey that gets the job done even in bad weather

A warm, windproof and relatively water-resistant jersey that packs a real bang for your buck. Perhaps the pockets could be bigger, but aside from that, this is a strong colder weather jersey.

At this time of year with changeable weather it’s always nice to have something that allows you to ride without always needing to have an emergency waterproof jacket. This makes softshell jerseys the ideal partner, but they’re often prohibitively expensive. The FWE King of the Downs Softshell Jersey aims to solve this issue, as a well priced softshell.

The key selling point of any softshell is always the warmth, and thanks to a good material choice and inner micro-fleece this jersey performs well. I used it down to around 7 degrees with only a light underlayer and could wear it down to around 2 or 3 with a thermal. It’s useful for a solid temperature range, although anything above about 11 may be a bit too warm for some. That being said, when you sweat the material has fairly decent wicking and the breathability is good for a windproof jersey.

The King of the Downs softshell has good weather resistance, and can keep you warm down to low single figures if layered with a good thermal

As well as being warm the jersey also manages to keep you relatively dry in the rain. It’s not totally waterproof and doesn’t perform to the same level as a jacket, but at the same time is more than adequate for all but the worst, prolonged downpour. The rear pockets even have holes to allow water to flow through them. I found that I could wear it in moderate rain for about 90 minutes before things started to get a bit wet, so unless you’re out in the foulest conditions, this will work wonders.

  • Specification

  • Price: £69.99
  • Size tested: M
  • Sizes available: S, M, L, XL, XXL
  • Website: Evans Cycles

One of the other important areas for any softshell is the wind proofing and this jersey certainly didn’t let me down there. One of the keys to making it so warm is that it doesn’t really let much, if any, wind through. I wore it in 40mph headwinds (it was an unpleasant ride) and could feel the wind pushing me back on the bike, but nothing came through at all. Helping this is the full length protective draft flap, sitting behind the zip.

The only issue we have with the King of the Down jersey is that the rear pockets are perhaps a little too small. But that’s not a big issue

There are some nice details on the jersey too, with a subtle high viz stripe on the collar and middle pocket, which is nice to have when riding at this time of the year. There’s also a silicone gripper around the bottom of the hem, which keeps the back down, especially helpful with rain running down your back. There are three pockets on the back plus a zipped valuables pocket, which are the only elements of the jersey that I wasn’t a huge fan of. This is simply because they’re a bit too small at the openings, especially in the middle. This meant that getting anything in or out was a pain, especially with full finger gloves.

The overall look of the jersey is nice, with a simple colour scheme of black and grey, accentuated with flashes of yellow on the collar and the zip on the pocket at the rear. The reflective strips are also a nice touch, being subtle until light is shone on them. The jersey has a form fit, meaning halfway between casual and performance, and it sits fine both on and off the bike without any strange creases or bunching.

It comes with an RRP of £69.99, which is a good price for a decent softshell jersey – or any soft-shell jersey for that matter. It has become a hallmark of the Evans in-house FWE brand to provide great value for money and they have achieved it again with this jersey.

The pockets come complete with drainage holes for really bad weather, and the reflective stripe is matched by one on FWE’s companion bib tights, so that the reflectivity stays even when you’re leaning forwards on the drops

Conclusion

Overall, this is a strong performing jersey that allows for really good performance without breaking the bank. The only issue I could find with it were the sizes of the rear pockets, which is a small issue showing how well FWE have done with this jersey. With decent warmth, waterproofing and breathability it makes for an ideal winter ride companion.

Pros

– Low price
– Good protection against the elements
– Looks great

Cons

– Pockets are a little on the small side

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