Ornot UV Trail Shirt Review

Lightweight and breathable with UV Protection

Long sleeves do not necessarily mean hot. The Ornot UV Trail Shirt is a textbook representation of how a long sleeve riding shirt can be breathable and lightweight while protecting your skin from UV exposure and all the overgrown bramble along trails.

From gravel riding to mountain biking, tech tee’s and jerseys are my preferred shirt for riding. A Carhartt work shirt might look cool, but it’s thick, hot, and likely add’s to the overall sweat from summer rides. I’ve been riding the UV trail shirt for the better half of this summer on long gravel rides, big mountain bike missions and even laps at the Bike Park. Aside from not having to load up on sunblock before and during every ride, the UV Trail shirt helps to keep me cool even in the baking hot sun.

The Lab

The Ornot UV Trail shirt has three notable details that would leave you wanting more than one. As a technical shirt, it has UPF30 sun protection, a not-too-slim tailored fit for riding, and a quick-drying, highly breathable fabric.

As a lightweight technical shirt, it uses a blend of 85% Polyester and 15% Lycra. This Oeko-Tex approved recycled fabric is what allows for the quick drying nature and noticeable breathability. Without knowing the fabric details, you can feel how lightweight it is in hand. While out riding the fabric wicks sweat and drys quickly keeping you dryer and cooler. Additionally, the weft of the fabric is somewhat loose allowing for a lot of airflow.

Despite how lightweight the UV Trail shirt is, and how much airflow it gets, the UPF30 rating roughly allows only 3 percent of available UV radiation to pass through it. As a person with fair skin and tattoo’s, sun damage is a real concern. Years back I made the switch to long sleeve tech tees and jerseys for long rides, and have found for the sun protection alone it is worth it. The sleeve’s being more than just long with the UPF30 rating makes it that much worth it on rides.

The overall fit of the UV trail shirt is well tailored for riding. It is more of a slim fit cut, which is not too baggy in the arms or around the torso. Despite the slim nature, it is loose enough to not feel trapped and still feel the looseness flap with the wind. At 6′ tall with long arms the sleeves aren’t too short and the torso length comes down right past the waist.

Unique with the UV Trail shirt, Ornot has minimal rollover on the seams and stitching. The seams aren’t bulky and helps keep things feeling lightweight and comfortable. The cuffs on the sleeves are open, no elastic or tight cuff to squeeze your paws through. At first, I was concerned that they would catch the wind and ride up, but that hasn’t been an issue.

Offered in five different color options, and sizes from XXS to XXL, the UV Trail shirt is a unisex fit with a very understandable sizing guide on their website to ensure getting the proper size. Additionally, as a member of the ORNOT lineup, the UV Trail shirt is sewn by hand in California.

Something that resonates with me about ORNOT gear is that you can wear it on the bike, or not.

Although I am fond of long sleeves for summer riding, the question of how cool the jersey would be, how comfortable is it over time, and how stealth is it when not out riding. The Ornot UV Trail shirt covers all my major qualms at a very approachable price point. At $78 the UV trail shirt continues to be extremely breathable and comfortable as the temps get over 100° and the ride clips past its 4th hour.

A lot of jerseys tend to pass the test of comfort on long rides as they are made to be worn on a bike. The fit of the UV trail shirt is slightly looser than most jerseys which is more comfortable in my mind for long days in the saddle. The open cuffs at first were something I wasn’t sold on, but after many miles the freedom of the cuff and overall cut of the jersey prevents it from tugging on you while you ride.

This works together with the fabric in keeping you cool. Letting air flow around the body and through the material it helps absorb sweat and dry quickly. The greater takeaway from the fabric is the UPF30 rating. A deciding factor of short versus long sleeves is often for skin protection. Whether that be from the sun or from bramble, protecting your arms is a great way to ride longer and more comfortably. The UPF30 rating isn’t just a marketing gimmick, it has been trail tested and passed. Hours of riding in direct sunlight, the shirt allowed me to only apply sunscreen to my neck, face and ears.

Revisiting the questions of looks on and off the bike, the UV Trail shirt can be worn hiking, running, climbing, or even going down to the farmers market on Saturdays. Where most jerseys tend to pass as a functional garment for cycling, large logos and prints tend to look out of place in different environments. Now I’m sure most of this is rooted in some vain idea of image, but the plain aesthetic and lack of logos allow the UV Trail shirt to be more adaptable for everyday activities more stealthly.

Overall, the ORNOT UV Trail shirt is a great addition to your riding kit for those looking for UV protection and a lightweight, breathable long sleeve jersey to ride in. For $78 it is a quality tech shirt made in the USA, that easily would see prices twice as much from competing brands. If you’re looking for a new jersey, the UV Trail shirt would make a great addition to your kit, ORNOT.