What I Loved

Effective at Blocking Wind

There’s really not much else to say here. It’s winter in Minneapolis. Winter brings chilly, frigid winds from the north (and south, east and west). Its full softshell fabric is an impenetrable fortress to the winter winds. I can hear the wind. I can see evidence of the wind. But the only way I feel the wind is when its blasting the part of my face that isn’t covered by a balaclava.

Very warm

The Pearl Izumi Versa Softshell has a soft, brushed lining for insulation and its burly softshell exterior impressively blocks the cold wind. Wrist gussets do a great job of also keeping out any wind. Pearl Izumi states on their website that the Versa Softshell Hoodie is “best suited for the temperature range of forty-five to fifty-five degrees”. I found it excruciatingly warm when I wore it in those temps, even with a lightweight long-sleeved Merino wool baselayer. I had to unzip the zipper to quell the sweat. Temps in the mid-twenties with a 200g weight Smartwool baselayer—and only the baselayer—is the sweet spot for me. I wasn’t too hot and I wasn’t the slightest bit cold. Keep in mind I was comfortable because I was riding a bike at a good clip. So Pearl Izumi is a little self-deprecating in their rating. The Versa Softshell Hoodie will keep you warm in much colder temps than forty-five to fifty-five degrees.

Breathable

As it should be, since it’s a cycling jacket. It’s right up there with the better breathable softshells in terms of combining warmth and breathability. I have worn it with 150g and 200g wool baselayers—and once with a mid-layer for snowshoeing. I’ve worn it on commuting rides in temps as low as nineteen degrees and fatbiking in temperatures as high as forty degrees. The forty degree ride was the overheating sweatfest. Still, it kept the sweating and clamminess to a manageable level.

Versatile

During my testing period I also used it for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and trail running in addition to cycling. At taprooms and coffeeshop stops its relaxed fit, longer cut and drop-tail doesn’t scream bike tool. The Pearl Izumi Versa Softshell Hoodie is bikestyle at its best and in an era where the price of quality gear is climbing, it’s important to invest dollars wisely. When a $175 cycling jacket can be used beyond its intended purpose, it helps to ease the pain of higher price tag.

Loaded with Thoughtful Extras

For the commuter cyclist, it has reflective elements strategically placed on the sleeves, chest pocket and rear drop-tail for good visibility. Storage capacity is outstanding. It has a zippered wide rear pocket across the lower back that can hold a bike tool, wallet, phone, iPod, gloves, balaclava, etc. On the front, it has four pockets—two hand pockets and two secured pockets with zippers. The hood is generous, but not useful for cycling since it isn’t helmet compatible. But if you’re standing around after a ride drinking beer, it works brilliantly!

Relaxed Cut Allows Layering

Sizing is accurate. I normally wear a size small in jackets and the Versa Softshell Hoodie size small is the correct size for me. It is not a fitted jacket so it allows for a wide range of options in layering. The bulkiest layering it endured was when I was snowshoeing in twenty-one degrees. I wore a 200g weight Smartwool baselayer and an Icebreaker merino wool vest and it didn’t feel cocoonish or tight. I also wore it with a Kora Shola crew and a Pearl Izumi Pro Merino Thermal jersey and had the same results. So go forth and be creative!

What Could be Better

The Hood

It’s superfluous for cycling because it isn’t helmet compatible. The hood strings are long and ungainly (but reflective) and I have to be tuck deep inside the jacket to quell my fear of dangling strings on a bike. But if you plan to use it for any other activity, like snowshoeing or hiking, then it is just fine.

Final Thoughts

There’s so much to love and nothing to hate about the Pearl Izumi Versa Softshell Hoodie. It’s a jacket designed to be worn on and off the bike. Its style is classic and timeless. For the cyclist, it has the right amount of reflective elements and pockets in all the right places. For all other cold-weather active pursuits it blends the right degree of warmth, wind- and weather-resistance and breathability. For the bike-and-beer crowd, it doesn’t scream ‘bike tool!’ For all, it allows for a wide range of layering and versatility.

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What I Like

Naturally breathable and odor-resistant

Merino wool is naturally breathable so we’re less likely to overheat and perspire. Since it’s great at not absorbing sweat, there is far less sweat collecting and producing odor. And then there’s Lanolin, the oily, waxy coating on every single Merino fiber that helps the sheep repel water during rain. When you add all this up, it’s a trifecta of Mother Nature’s most excellent product for outdoor apparel.

That being said, it took three weeks of wearing the Pearl Izumi Pro Merino Thermal Jersey every weekday on bike commutes to work, mountain biking on the weekends and as a running top before I smelled like the compost pile in my grandparents’ backyard. Boom.

Multipurpose Use

The Pearl Izumi Pro Merino Thermal Jersey is most definitely a cycling jersey. But because it’s made from 57 percent Merino wool, and it fits like a baselayer, there is absolutely no reason I can’t wear it Nordic skiing, snowshoeing or for running. This is a good thing because if I had to shell out for the painful price of $195*, I would make damn sure I can use it all year around and for every outdoor activity. (*I received this jersey as a sample from PI for this review)

Fit and Size

The Pearl Izumi Pro Merino Thermal Jersey is semi-fitted, meaning I had no problem wearing a short-sleeved or long-sleeved wool baselayer underneath. I wear a size small in tops and my size small sample seemed to be the right fit. I especially liked that it offers enough room in the shoulders so that I don’t feel constricted when I use it for running. For cycling, the sleeves are nice and long and fully cover my wrists when I’m in the aggressive riding position.

Semi-fitted Cut Allows for a Baselayer

The coldest temperature I’ve worn with the Pearl Izumi Pro Merino Thermal Jersey is about 30 degrees and I was plenty comfortable. I experimented with three separate wool baselayers to achieve that optimal balance between comfort and overheating: which is a blend of 57 percent merino wool and 43 percent nylon, a Kora Shola yak wool baselayer and a short-sleeved Pearl Izumi Merino baselayer. My personal preference in temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees was the Pearl Izumi Symphony Thermal jersey. The Kora Shola was way too warm, although when the temps get down to the single digits or below, the combo of the Kora Shola and the Pearl Izumi Pro Merino Thermal jersey will hit the sweet spot. The short-sleeved Pearl Izumi Merino baselayer worked well in keeping my core warm and moisture managed but my arms were cold.  

What I didn’t Like

Nothing. Although for some people the price tag of $195 could feel like a sharp knee in the stomach.

Final Thoughts

Wool is the original tech fabric. Humans were summiting 8,000-meter Himalayan peaks and tending goats in January on the Steppes of Mongolia while wearing wool long before any lab-born textiles were a remote idea in someone’s head.

The Pearl Izumi Pro Merino Thermal Jersey is styled to wear on or off the bike and is fitted enough to not be bulky but also allow for a (another) wool baselayer (or as a baselalyer) when it gets really cold. The Pearl Izumi Pro Merino Thermal Jersey is another win from Pearl Izumi.

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