Howies Men’s Doull Short Sleeve Cycle Jersey

The Howies Men's Doull Short Sleeve Cycle Jersey is well made, from a blend of merino and polyester, and does a good job of wicking away sweat and regulating body temperature, but I didn't find it as comfortable against the skin as some, and the fit around the arms didn't really work for me either.

Read our guide to the best summer cycling jerseys for more options.

> Buy now: Howies Men’s Doull Short Sleeve Cycle Jersey for £69 from Howies

Howies says the Doull is designed for all-season riding; it's obviously not a skintight, racy, aero top, it's best suited to recreational outings. It fitted me fine, mostly – on the baggier side of the scale but not to the point where it's flappy.

The only questionable area of the fit was the sleeves, which feel tighter and more restrictive than the rest of the jersey, and left my armpits feeling slightly 'suffocated' – you can see the fit on the model on Howies' website. If you have quite large arms then it's something to bear in mind. The sleeves are also quite short, and had a tendency to ride up.

Being made from a blend of 35 per cent merino wool and 65 per cent polyester – what Howies calls its PolyTecKnit Merino blend – the jersey is good at wicking sweat away, keeping you comfortable when other materials might get cold with sweat, but I did find I started to overheat on warmer days; it has mesh panels to help, but doesn't feel as breathable as my usual Lycra jerseys.

Howies says it's 'light enough for summer, but warm enough to wear as part of a layering system during the colder months'. We haven't got to the cold days yet, but with a quarter-length zip the jersey obviously has to be pulled on over the head, which is okay but does mean you can't fully unzip and let the jersey flap if the weather is really warm. I found it comfortable for rides up to around 15-20°C, but not ideal for anything above 25°C.

The material – which is Oeko-Tex certified, meaning it's been tested for harmful substances – also felt quite scratchy for the first few wears, although after a number of washes it became more comfortable.

Another thing that won't please everyone is that Howies has designed the rear pockets slightly differently to the norm.

At first glance it looks like the usual trio, but the 'left' pocket is actually divided into two, so you get, as Howies puts it, 'a four-section rear pocket for securely carrying a pump, snacks, phone, keys etc.' I was able to fit a multi-tool in one of these narrower pockets and a mini-pump in the other, so if you like carrying these on your person rather than in a seatpack, this is a good way to do that securely.

A slight drawback of the design is that the bottom edges of the pockets are rounded off, so you lose some potential pocket space. Not ideal if you plan on doing long rides and need all the storage possible.

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There is a little zip pocket on the chest, which I liked and found useful for holding things like keys. It's just about big enough to carry a smaller phone, but I kept it for small things I wanted to keep safe.

The jersey comes in five sizes, S-XXL (from a 34-36in chest to 43-45), but just the one colour scheme; if you don't like the colours here you're out of luck as there aren't any other choices.

Value

If you get on with the fit, and the pocket layout, and the slightly scratchy – initially anyway – fabric, and you like the colour scheme... then £69 is a reasonable price for a merino-mix jersey.

dhb's Merino Short Sleeve Jersey 2.0, for example, costs £80, while Vulpine's Alpine Merino SS, which Simon reviewed in 2020, is £100, though he did find it very comfortable in a wide range of temperatures. And Rapha's Classic Jersey has gone up from £110 to £140 since Stu reviewed it – and loved it – in 2021.

That's quite a few provisos for this jersey, though. Happily, Howies does offer a free returns services (for full price items) and free p&p for items over £50, so you can try it for size, shape and scratchiness without it costing you.

Conclusion

Overall, I found it an interesting choice. It has a few quirks, like the pocket design and the quarter zip, but if those things appeal – or at least don't put you off – then it's worth a look. Just bear in mind the sleeves being slightly on the tighter side when looking at sizing.

Verdict

Well-made merino mix jersey, with some quirks but a reasonable price tag