Pearl Izumi
was started over 50 years ago in Tokyo, Japan by a father who wanted to
make bicycle racing clothing for his son.
It has become one of the largest makers of cycling apparel in the
world. The name Pearl Izumi means
“fountain of pearl” and was named after Izumi, which is an area of Japan known
for its clear water and the gem, pearl.
They have been selling their gear in the United States since 1981 and
have branched out into selling gear for running and triathlons as well.
I have been
using Pearl Izumi
cycling products for over 15 years and have found that the quality of
their gear is top notch. The durability
and design has never left me disappointed.
I have several different Pearl
Izumi cycling shorts, bibs, and jerseys and love them all. My favorites are the P.R.O. series shorts and
bib shorts, which shouldn’t come as a surprise since they are Pearl Izumi’s top of the line
products. You can check out my review of
the amazing P.R.O.
Pursuit Bib Shorts and ELITE
Escape Jersey (click
here for my review) from last year. I
have also reviewed the P.R.O.
Escape Thermal Jersey, P.R.O.
Softshell Lite Glove, and the P.R.O.
Thermal Skull Cap (click
here for my review). I received the
latest and greatest from Pearl
Izumi’s
Spring/Summer lineup a few months back and have been testing them feverishly.
ELITE Escape
Semi-Form Jersey
The Elite
Escape Semi-Form Jersey is one of Pearl Izumi’s newer jerseys and
has a great balance of price and features.
The semi-form fit is made for those riders that are average to bigger in
size, but still want a high-performance jersey.
It also works well for smaller riders that want a looser jersey. Not all riders want a race cut jersey.
One of the really cool things about this jersey is that they
use their Elite Transfer In-R-Cool® fabric powered by Ice-fil®. This fabric provides excellent skin cooling
capabilities along with the Direct-Vent panels to allow for extra
ventilation. It worked really well in
the 90 degree heat of my training rides.
I felt cooler than when I wear most of my other jerseys.
Other great features include a full-length zipper There is a silicone gripper on the back to
hold the jersey down (nobody likes when their jersey rides up). It even has reflective elements for extra
visibility in low-light situations.
The Elite
Escape Semi-Form Jersey has three large pockets in the back as
well as a two smaller pockets for gels or keys.
You have a great deal or storage with these 5 pockets and your items
stay put.
This is really a great jersey that can help make your Spring
and Summer rides more enjoyable. It’s
made from 100% polyester and is UPF 50+ so you get sun protection as well. You can purchase the Elite
Escape Semi-Form Jersey for $85 on the Pearl Izumi website
or at a local dealer near your (click
here for locations).
Pros:
Elite Transfer In-R-Cool® fabric powered by Ice-fil® keeps
you cooler
Ventilated panels
Full-length zipper
Silicone grippers keep your jersey from riding up
Three full pockets and an additional zipper pocket
Reflective elements to provide better visibility in
low-light
ELITE Escape Bib Short
I used to be all about bike shorts and never wanted to wear bib shorts
in the past. I tried a pair of Pearl Izumi P.R.O.
Pursuit Bib Shorts last
year and love them. The ELITE
Escape Bib Short is a great bib short that you can enjoy for longer rides
as well as shorter ones. Its form
fitting and has a great price for the features.
The ELITE
Escape Bib Short uses the new P.R.O. Transfer fabric in the body of the
shorts for better comfort and amazing moisture transfer. It really will keep you cool and comfortable
mile after mile. Other areas use SELECT
Transfer fabric for great moisture wicking.
The leg openings use raw edge P.R.O Transfer fabric with silicone for a
softer stretch that still will grip your leg and prevent riding up. It has a 9.5” inseam to provide more muscle
hugging compression further down your leg.
The new ELITE Escape 1:1™ Chamois with a floating top sheet is used in
this bib short and reduces friction for all day comfort. It provides enough cushion without feeling
like you are wearing a diaper (like some of the cheaper bib shorts out there).
The ELITE
Escape Bib Short uses BioViz™ reflective elements for added visibility on
low-light situations. I was really
impressed with the quality of the ELITE
Escape Bib Short, which is not quite as nice as the P.R.O. series, but does
cost a less as well. You can get yours for
$140 on the Pearl Izumi website
or at a local dealer near your (click
here for locations).
Pros:
Great ELITE Escape Chamois
Awesome moisture wicking
Great fit all day long.
ProViz™ reflective elements
Decent Price at $140
P.R.O. Gel Vent Glove
The Pearl Izumi P.R.O.
Gel Vent Glove will help keep your hands cool and dry
on those hot days. They are super lightweight
but provide enough cushion thanks to the patented Direct Vent palm design that
has built in ventilated padding.
The padding in the palm is made of gel and is really
comfortable. There is some mesh over the
gel and the glove uses Clarino™ synthetic leather around the mesh for a soft,
durable feeling. Like most gloves out
there, the P.R.O.
Gel Vent Glove has an area on the thumb to wipe off sweat or a runny
nose. The material on this glove is
softer and was made to be low-profile.
The closure is made of hook and loop and there are loops on two of the
fingers to make the glove easier to get off.
It truly is a great glove and by far the most comfortable glove I’ve
used to date. You can get yours for $45
on the Pearl
Izumi website or at a local dealer near your (click
here for locations).
Pros:
Ventilated gel palm cushion
Soft Clarino™ synthetic leather
Loops to help remove glove
Extremely light weight and comfortable
Decent Price at $45
Pearl Izumi’s Social Media Links:
I’ve
never been disappointed with the products that Pearl Izumi makes. As always, I am very pleased with the quality
and value that these three products offer.
I will be using them a lot this summer and think that you should
definitely give them a try. You can
purchase these items on the Pearl
Izumi website or at a local dealer near your (click
here for locations).
I would love to hear what you think about these products, so please
leave a comment and let me know.
Note:
I received this product in exchange for a review. The review is my
personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular
opinion of it. I am not a doctor, so
please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.
