POC was founded in Sweden in 2005 and offer helmets, eyewear, body armor and apparel for snow sports and cycling, and have garnered a reputation for highly functional kit with a stylish twist. The brand isn't afraid to break with convention and continually explores new ideas and solutions.
We have on test the 'Resistance Enduro 3/4 Jersey' which POC aims will provide a durable MTB jersey for serious off-road use, incorporating a three-pocket storage solution designed so it doesn't deposit your belongings along the trail.
Design and specifications
POC have taken a more or less standard 3/4 arm length jersey and looked to make it more suited to enduro riding, with the addition of three rear pockets and a unique solution to keep everything in place. This could be helpful to the rider that doesn't like riding with a waist or MTB backpack and offers a further solution to the current on-board storage trend.
Pockets on the back of jerseys are nothing new, but they're generally found on tight fitting options, where the elasticated rear pockets are held closely against the body. On a loose fitting MTB jersey, the same logic doesn't work, as pocketed items will soon be ejected when the terrain gets a little exciting. To this end, POC have come up with what they call an integrated gaiter, designed to keep the pockets under control and stop them bouncing around. Essentially the 'gaiter' is a large elasticated waist band that is attached to the rear pockets to help keep them secure. Only the central pocket has a zip closure, which is vertically orientated to help access, with the left and right pockets having elasticated top entry, but are essentially open.
The jersey itself has a half-length front zip to help with ventilation and the general cut provides freedom of movement, and POC have allowed sufficient room to accommodate their VPD back protector and elbow pads. While it's part of POC's Resistance clothing range (designed to be abrasion resistant), there's little indication on the materials used, other than the elbow sections have Cordura patches to help shrug off the odd scrape with the ground. The front of the jersey is made from a very elastic finely woven material, and the back and underarms are made from a fine mesh fabric to aid cooling. As usual with POC, branding has been kept to a minimum, with relatively small POC logos printed on both hips.
Performance
I've been testing a size M, which fits me well with a 38” chest and 32” waist. To start with, putting the jersey on is a little confusing, as the gaiter needs to be pulled over your head as well as the jersey itself. The gaiter then needs to be pulled down to your waist, like a wide elasticated belt, where it then becomes apparent how the jersey is designed to function.
The materials used all feel very premium, which you would expect in a jersey costing this price. The half-length zip is very chunky, similar to what you would find on a winter jacket, and looks slightly out of place on a summer jersey. Functionally, the zip has worked fine and is easy to adjust on the fly.
Generally I use a waist pack for my riding, but on the odd occasion will ride with only a bottle, minimal tools and phone for emergencies. There's no doubt that riding without a pack is liberating and allows for complete freedom of movement, and I was keen to try the Resistance Enduro 3/4 Jersey to see how loaded pockets would feel on the trail.
I used the central zipped pocket for phone/keys and stuffed a gillet, mini-pump, multi-tool and snack bar in the open pockets. The gaiter does a good job at keeping things in place on fast flowing trails, which covers a lot of my local riding. However, when things get a bit steeper and more chunky, you do feel items in the pockets starting to move around, particularly things like the multi-tool and mini-pump. I never actually lost anything from the pockets, but the sense of things moving around is a little disconcerting. The thought of searching the undergrowth for an ejected item doesn’t inspire confidence to push on and I would have preferred to see all the pockets with zips, to negate any risk of losing items on the trail.
Verdict
POC has taken it upon itself to fix a problem that I'm not sure many of us knew existed, but it fits with its ethos to innovate and push boundaries. The jersey itself is a nicely finished item made using high quality and durable materials, but I feel that POC has slightly missed its remit to provide three storage pockets for serious off-road use. With an RRP of $160 / £140 / €160, it really should be faultless too.
Tech specs: POC Resistance Enduro 3/4 Jersey
- Price: $160.00 / £140.00 / €160.00
- Sizes: XS to XXL
- Color: Uranium Black
