Ekoï Outlast Jersey, Base Layer, SuperSoft Bibs – All Day Comfort in the Heat

In the past, we’ve covered helmets, glasses, and shoes from Ekoï so now, it’s time to tell you more about their clothing. They are the official clothing provider for Arkea-B&B Hotels and Israel-Premier Tech, so we’ll see them representing at the Tour de France. These sponsorships help to push advancements forward, and help bring great new products to us. That’s the case with the Outlast jersey and baselayer, and the new SuperSoft bibs.

SuperSoft Bib

Let’s start from the bottom up. The SuperSoft bib came from their pro riders looking for bibs that would be comfortable on ultra distance training rides and races. That means soft and supportive fabric that breaths well, minimal amounts of seams to reduce the chance of chafing, comfortable braces, and a chamois that can go the distance. Simple, right? Not really.

To start with, Ekoï uses an ultra soft, smooth textile fiber material to make the body of the shorts as soft as possible. Made with 38% elastane material that provides support to the muscles and lays flat without wrinkling. The leg openings are a raw cut with a touch of silicone grip at the ends to help keep them in place. There are only two panels to the entire body of the shorts. One takes the majority on the body, with a small insert that comprises part of the seat and a small strip going from the inside seam to the seam on the back of the leg. Other than the added seam to bring the body together in the back and another to hold the chamois in place, that’s it. This greatly reduces the chance of chafing, and as I learned from another product launch of a similar style short with minimal seams, it’s actually more expensive to produce than a short with more seams. From there they add mesh braces that branch out into a Y over the shoulders and down to the front to keep the shorts in place comfortably, but also are breathable. Add on some subtle reflective touches, and that is the SuperShoft bib shorts.

Sizes available run from S to XXL, in both regular and short length. Colors are black or khaki (green).

Outlast

Next up, you have the Outlast jersey and base layer. This is where some magical things happen, all thanks to Outlast.

Outlast was developed by a German company to help regulate temperature in fabrics for NASA. While some materials may help keep you cool when it is hot, or warm when it is cold, astronauts face both, and needed something to help keep them comfortable in the most extreme conditions.

Outlast uses a microencapsulated wax, usually based on rapeseed oil, to help absorb heat. The thermal energy of the heat is used to overcome the physical state of the wax. This means the body heat melts wax in the microcapsules, instead of heating up the microclimate that your clothing creates. Outlast creates that heat buffer, which greatly helps to reduce a rider’s heat peaks. This helps to keep you more comfortable and prevents sweat formation by up to 48%. Whether it is hot or cold out, Outlast will keep a balanced microclimate to keep you comfortable on your ride.

Outlast Base Layer

The Outlast Base Layer uses an open mesh with the Outlast technology. It features a sleeveless design and a longer cut to sit well under the bibs. The Outlast logo is ghosted across the fabric, along with printed on the front, back, and on a side tag.

Sizes run from XS to XXXL, and only white is available.

Outlast Jersey

The Outlast Jersey takes the same technology and applies it to the body of the jersey, but also adds aerodynamic touches throughout the garment. The body material has a silk-finish, making it extremely soft and comfortable on the body. It uses a full length hidden zipper and a low collar for comfort. On the back, it features the traditional three large pocket to store things on your ride, yet lay flat when not loaded up. An additional side zip pocket is there for keys, ID, cash, etc. Graphics are kept to a minimum, the a contrasting black trim around the arms and collar. On the front, there is a small Ekoï logo and on the back, a contrasting black stripe on the pockets, some shading on one of the pockets, and the message “ride like a pro” down the back.

To add the aero touch, Ekoï used flatlock seems to keep the jersey as smooth as possible on your body, and aero-ribbed sleeves. The sleeves help to smooth air over your arms and shoulders with the raglan cut across the back of the shoulder and a race length down to just above the elbow.

Sizes run from S-XXL, and colors include white/black, black/coral, and black/fluro yellow.

On The Road

Now for why I love my job. It’s always fun to try new product and give me an excuse on why I need to go out and ride. Not that I really need a reason to ride, but it gives it a purpose. I always enjoy trying new products, and seeing how they compare to others, but also how they can help performance.

I used the Outlast jersey and base layer, and the SuperSoft bibs on my usual test route multiple times. When combined with the Aerodinamica and Twenty glasses, I was able to set some PR’s on a few segments. The only thing I was missing was using Ekoï shoes, socks and gloves, but we already reviewed the R4 Light (which recently received an upgrade to a BOA dial system).

For the bibs, from the minute I felt them for the first time, they live up to their name. The body material is extremely soft on your skin. The feel and minimal amount of seams, reminded me of the GOREWEAR Distance 2.0 bibs. The Ekoï bibs were soft on my body and hugged my legs and hips well. They didn’t provide as much support as other bibs I’ve worn lately, like the Varlo Charter Cargo bibs and Pearl Izumi Attack bibs, but they felt still felt supportive. The braces and how they attached to the body is one of the areas the SuperSoft are different in design from the GOREWEAR bibs, but they were just as comfortable, and didn’t feel hot over top of the base layer. The chamois used felt plush to provide comfort for long days, but not overly so that it caused any chafing. I used them outside for long and short rides, and even inside for some Zwift races. If you are looking for something with a bit more compressive support, these might not be your ticket. If you are looking for something that is going to be comfortable from the first pedal stroke until the last, and look good along the way without being flashy, then the SuperSoft bibs are your thing.

Having talked about the science of Outlast earlier, the Ekoï Outlast base layer has become my go-to base layer any time I ride. I have plenty of base layers to use from other brands, but this is the one that seems to keep me the most comfortable with whichever kit I have on. Short rides, Zwift races, or epic rides on hot days, it’s what I grab. The cut is comfortable in the size large that I received, not overly tight, but form fitting to use with a race cut jersey like the Outlast Jersey. The open mesh design keeps it breathable, while the Outlast technology helped me feel noticeably cooler on rides. Even inside on Zwift, it I felt cooler for longer as the temperature ticked up in the room during my ride.

The Outlast Jersey was also a treat to ride in. Just putting it on, the ribbed sleeves felt fast. I appreciate how the raglan cut on the sleeves extends down the shoulders a bit more than a traditional raglan cut, providing possibly a little more aero as the air flows over your shoulders. The cut of the jersey is definitely race, but again, not overly small. The large fit my American body well. The low collar is something that I appreciate, as many brands will add a taller collar that I usually either roll under, or just never zip the jersey all the way up. For some reason, I just don’t like anything around my neck. While I always wore the Outlast Jersey with the base layer, the overall cooling affect was noticeable on hotter days. I never wore the jersey inside for Zwift, but other than a super mesh jersey like the Le Col Pro Air jersey, I probably never would actually wear a jersey inside.

Pricing is where things get a little challenging, but there is a silver lining. The SuperSoft bibs run $289.99, the Outlast Jersey is $174.99, and the Outlast Base Layer is $84.99. This puts them all a bit on the premium side, though I feel you can justify the cost on each. The SuperSoft Bibs are extremely comfortable, and as I mentioned, the less seams, they are more expensive to make. For the Outlast Jersey and Base Layer, the NASA level technology used in the material to help keep you cool is very impressive, and probably doesn’t come cheap. That silver lining I mentioned? Ekoï often runs sales, so you can usually find even brand new items at a discount.

Ekoï really is onto something with the Outlast fabric they are using. This isn’t the first time they used it in a jersey, but I personally think it is the best so far with the ribbed sleeves adding that aero touch. The SuperSoft Bibs are the one’s you’ll grab when you want to be comfortable, no matter how long of a day it will be. And the Outlast Base Layer, well, I’m going to have to do laundry more multiple times a week to keep it clean and ready for the next ride.

www.ekoi.com