Universal Colours Chroma Women’s Short Sleeve Jersey review

The Chroma is an aero-fit jersey made from a mesh-like woven nylon/elastane blend, and comes with a lofty £150 price tag.

Justifying the high price, the Chroma is an excellent performance-ready women’s cycling jersey.

Designed to excel throughout the hottest months and fastest rides, it's highly breathable, fits well and has useful secure pockets.

Universal Colours Chroma Women’s Short Sleeve Jersey specifications and details

Tailored to fit the on-the-bike position, the Chroma jersey features a cropped waist hem and mid-length sleeves, both finished with smooth elastic hems.

The waist elastic is backed with silicone dots. The low-profile collar is secured with a full-length zip down the front.

There are three evenly spaced pockets on the back, in addition to a small zipped valuables pocket with reflective detailing.

Universal Colours Chroma Women’s Short Sleeve Jersey performance

Slipping the Chroma jersey on, the skin-tight aero fit is achieved by the high-stretch fabric, which is highly perforated, yet not too see-through.

The low-profile collar was perhaps a little tight on my size-medium, but can be alleviated by unzipping the full-length zip a little.

If you have the chance, it’s worth trying on different sizes to make sure you get the best fit for you.

The lower hem is short, giving a cropped appearance that works well when on the bike, and is kept in place perfectly while riding thanks to the wide elastic gripper, backed by silicone dots.

The sleeve hems feature the same grippers, which are marginally too tight for my preference, though no silicone bands are present or needed.

The rear pockets are a real triumph; stretching to accommodate plenty of spare layers, tools and snacks without even a hint of drooping or bouncing when climbing out of the saddle.

They’re also easy to access while on the move, and the reflective strip on the zipped pocket is a clever, subtle detail.

The jersey really comes into its own on hotter rides. Despite the use of synthetic materials, it doesn’t take on an odour, perhaps thanks to how good it is at wicking away sweat.

With a range of pale pastel colours, in addition to the black tested, there should be some good options for long days in the mountains under a hot sun.

Top-end performance comes at a price, although the Chroma costs a little less than similar mesh jerseys, including the Pas Normal Studios Solitude Mesh Jersey (£175), MAAP Evade Pro Base Jersey (£165) and Velocio Concept Radiator Jersey (£160). It's the same price as the Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Jersey.

Universal Colours Chroma Women’s Short Sleeve Jersey bottom line

A close-fitting performance jersey that excels at sweat-wicking under hot conditions and features excellent pockets, Universal Colours has almost aced its new Chroma jersey.

A slightly less restrictive fit around the collar and arm hems might have given me cause to award it a five-star score (assuming, of course, it’s within your price range).