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Women’s Sleeveless Cycling Jerseys [Review]

For women, the best sleeveless cycling jersey is one that not only looks and fits good, but also one that delivers on performance. To be breathable and cooling, wicks body moisture, minimizes drag, offers intuitive pockets, quality seams, and doesn’t irritate your skin – these features are important when shopping for any and all types of cycling jerseys. But with sleeveless cycling jerseys, sometimes the options aren’t always as plentiful.

 

Sleeveless Cycling Jerseys for the Win

best womens sleeveless cycling jerseys reviews

Most cycling jerseys are created from some form a synthetic fabric, like polyester or micro-mesh blend. This is why you’ll often see branded fabric technology associated with certain apparel companies, claiming to provide the ultimate in breathability and comfort. 

One great example is Italy’s innovative MITI Spa fabric, which is used for many athletic applications including Giordana cycling jerseys. Or the classic merino wool fabric used in Rapha Performance Merino 150 or “RPM150.” Almost every cycling jersey company has a proprietary fabric brand associated with its products.  

No doubt, many of these proprietary fabric technologies are pretty cool. However the underlying function is very much the same. Most well-made cycling jerseys effectively carry (or “wick”) sweat away from the skin so that it evaporates from the outside of the jersey. This way, you stay dry, comfortable, and cool, which is especially important in hot conditions.

 

Our Top 5 Favorite Sleeveless Cycling Jerseys for Women

When selecting our top picks for women’s sleeveless cycling jerseys, we took into account a number of factors. One of the most common aspects of high-performing, well-designed jerseys is the paneling of how they’re sewn. Such jerseys are made to fit optimally while riding, so when you lay them flat, they often look uneven. However when being worn riding, the fit is usually dialed in.

 

Giordana’s Lungo Sleeveless Women’s Jersey

Giordana Lungo Womens Sleeveless Cycling Jersey Black Grey

Designed with its signature zigzag print, the Lungo is a soft, fast drying sleeveless jersey that’s designed for those who want a technical jersey but with a less aggressive fit. Even the woven elastic is designed to especially soft, offering a comfortable yet non-restrictive fit for female riders.

The Lungo strikes a nice balance between a casual training jersey and a raceworthy tri top. It’s stylishly adaptable to most riding shorts, and offers UV and antibacterial properties for long training sessions or Iron-distance races.

The primary fabric is Giordana’s flagship synthetic blend, but is enhanced with two different types of fabric around the shoulders and underarms. The bunch-proof, hammerhead shoulders are designed with a micro-mesh material, while the underarms are made with a satin-like mesh that promotes optimal ventilation.

Giordana Lungo Womens Sleeveless Cycling Jersey Reviews

What’s awesome about Giordana cycling jerseys for women is that each product is designed using the Women’s Contour Fit system. As alluded to above, this means the paneling and construction is inspired and instructed by a woman’s body position while in the riding position.

This sleeveless jersey comes in six sizes ranging from X-small to 2X-large. In addition to pink shown here, there’s also a black version that looks sleek. The Lungo jersey retails at $155 at GiordanaCycling.com.

 

Terry’s Bella Sleeveless Jersey

Terry Cycling Bella Sleeveless Jersey Women Cold Shoulder

Also available in short sleeves, the Bella Sleeveless jersey from Terry is a quality choice that’s carefully crafted for optimal comfort. The jersey has a great reputation for its moisture management capabilities, and it’s top-rated reviews attest to its amazing feel against skin, as well as its cooling effect. 

The Bella Sleeveless comes highly recommended from many types of endurance athletes, from cyclists and triathletes to distance runners who want something lightweight, breathable, and functional. The material composition offers ample stretch and flexibility, as well as a proprietary Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating of 50+. Essentially that’s a fractional metric saying only 1/50th of the sun’s rays can penetrate the fabric, which is micro polyester material.  

Terry Cycling Bella Sleeveless Jersey Women Tangled Purple

Equipped with three ample-sized pockets, the Bella Sleeveless is a functional cycling jersey that’s well equipped for long rides as well as long runs. Terry claims the jersey has the lightest weight front zipper which is intentionally tailored to help promote optimal ventilation. 

Available in five different sizes and two color schemes (“Cold Shoulder” and “Tangled/Purple”), the Bella Sleeveless is stylish jersey that’s fashion forward but doesn’t compromise on performance. The going price is $94 at TerryBicycles.com, but it’s sometimes found on sale.

 

Pearl Izumi’s ELITE Pursuit Tri Sleeveless Jersey

Pearl Izumi ELITE Pursuit Tri Sleeveless Cycling Jersey Clementine Review

Pearl Izumi is undoubtedly one of the most prolific apparel brands for women cyclists and triathletes. The company makes a number of different sleeveless jerseys for women, but the ELITE Pursuit Tri Sleeveless is top of its class. 

The ELITE Pursuit Tri Sleeveless Jersey is created from Pearl Izumi’s ELITE Transfer In-R-Cool® fabric, which is 63% nylon, 22% lycra spandex, and 15% polyester. The shoulder and back panel is a different material called Coldblack®, which is an 80% polyester and 20% elastane blend. In short, it’s one of the most advanced options for women.

Pearl Izumi ELITE Pursuit Tri Sleeveless Cycling Jersey Purple Review

Like the Bella above, It’s also a UPF 50+ jersey that’s ideal for hot, summer riding. The fabric effectively wicks away sweat while keeping the sun’s harmful rays off your back. A mindfully-tailored front zip front enables you to open the jersey for extra breeze. There are also two back envelope pockets that provide secure storage for fuel, a phone, and other long-ride necessities.

The ELITE Pursuit Tri Sleeveless jersey has BioViz accents tailored to the jersey’s drop-tail to help improve visibility against traffic. And unlike some cycling jerseys, Pearl Izumi backs its apparel with a lifetime warranty.  

Like most of Pearl Izumi’s products, the ELITE Pursuit Tri Sleeveless is an affordable option that retails around $85 at PearlIzumi.com. It comes in two stylish color schemes: sky blue/purple wine and rouge red/clementine. Size availability might be limited, so be sure to check out the brand’s full line of women’s tri-friendly jerseys for more options.

 

Castelli’s Core 2 Women’s Singlet

Castelli’s Core 2 Women’s Singlet Womens Tri Top Cycling Jersey Review

If cotton is your preferred choice in fabric, then the Castelli Core 2 W Singlet is worth a look. It’s technically a tri top, but offers the same level of functionality and performance you’d want in high-end sleeveless cycling jersey.

Core 2 W Singlet offers the ultimate in breathability and lightweight comfort, but compromises on moisture control. Of course with any cotton fabric, the moisture wicking capabilities won’t be as effective as a poly or mesh blend. But if you’re skin is sensitive to synthetic fibers, or profuse sweating is not a concern, then the Core 2 W Singlet cycling jersey is winning option.

Castelli’s Core 2 Women’s Singlet Tri Top Cycling Jersey Review

Perhaps most unique about the Core 2 W Singlet, as well as many of Castelli’s cycling jerseys, is the creativity that goes into each design. This tri top singlet is unquestionably fashion-forward and very professional looking. It’s also fitting jersey that’s the next closest thing to a speed suit. Two easy-to-reach rear pockets make nutritional storage simple.

Available in two unique, multi-color schemes, turquoise/green and dusk blue, the Core 2 W Singlet is in high demand at an attractive MSRP of $59.99 at Castelli-Cycling.com.

 

Louis Garneau’s Women’s Vent Tri Sleeveless CF

Louis Garneau’s Women's Vent Tri Sleeveless CF Jersey Review

The Women’s Vent Tri Sleeveless CF from Louis Garneau is advanced top that’s crafted from the brand’s new Tri Edge fabric, which is a jacquard-dimpled mesh that optimizes breathability and ventilation. It’s also equipped with Highlander Mesh, which is uniquely created for optimal moisture vapor transfer, which provides an advanced cooling effect by venting moisture vapor. The material is also chlorine-resistant if you happen to find yourself wearing the jersey in a pool.

Recognized for its fast drying abilities, the Vent Tri Sleeveless CF jersey is one of the best options for triathlon training and multisport racing. It’s close-fitting and aerodynamic with triathletes in mind. Ice pockets located near the rib cage are nice touch, helping you stay cool during Kona-esque races and training sessions. 

Angled back pockets are reinforced with tight elastic openings to keep your nutrition and personal items in place. If you’re familiar with the Vent Series from Louis Garneau, then you can expect high-performance quality with the Women’s Vent Tri Sleeveless CF.

Available in six different sizes and an attractive, minimalist design theme, the retail price goes for $94.99 at Garneau.com.

 

Stay Cool and Keep it Simple

The life of a female triathlete is not always fun and games. The mental fatigue can be equally draining as the physical fatigue that comes with. Choosing the right sleeveless cycling jersey are an important decisions, but they’re also just one among hundreds when it comes to acquiring the necessary gear for triathlon.

Tyler Tafelsky Gravel Cyclist
Head of Content at Better Triathlete | Website

Endurance athlete, professional off-road cyclist, and avid blogger, Tyler Tafelsky participates in long-course multisport and cycling events. Today, Tyler competes in ultra-distance cycling races at the professional level. Since starting Better Triathlete in 2014, he has been the head of content for the site's editorial team. Learn more about Tyler