Craft Performance Glow Long Sleeve jersey £45

Scandinavian company Craft having been making cold weather clothing for multi-sport athletes for years. They’re experts in this field and this mid layer demonstrates their vast experience in the fabric, the cut, design and finishing.

Craft divide their clothing into three clear sections, comprising layer 1 (base layers), layer 2 (mid layers) and layer 3 (jackets). The Performance Glow Long Sleeve jersey actually falls in the company’s layer 3 system, but it’s clearly too cold for that at the moment so I’ve been happily wearing it as a mid layer.

With a long sleeve base layer underneath and a softshell or windproof shell donned, I’ve found the ideal setup for the constantly changing, but mostly just cold, temperatures we’ve been enjoying recently. It provides great insulation through the brushed fabric that Craft use, and although it feels on the thin side when pulling it on, out on the road it performs beyond expectations.

The fit is very close, so it’s certainly one for the racers and those who don’t like excess flappage from their clothing. Features are spot on for the price, with three regular pockets out back and a fourth zipped pocket mounted to the middle pocket. There’s discrete holes to which you can feed a headphone cable through for music on the move. The rear section of the waist is lined with a silicone elastic band, and the collar is shaped, dipping down slightly at the zip.

While it’s been too cold to wear as an outer layer recently, Craft claim the material they use is wind resistant up to 30mph (we’ll have to wait until spring to find out), so should make a versatile addition to any cyclists wardrobe. As it it, this is a great mid layer and once it warms up will enjoy use as an outer layer.

Good visibility on the roads is something this jersey is ace at, with the somewhat ‘80s inspired horizontal graphics that encircle the entire jersey actually being made of reflective material.