Review: Únic Signature Series, custom riding kit for everyone!

Únic Wear offers riders quality riding kit, with custom design options for the same price as off the shelf brands.

If you’re in the market for new clothing to take to the trails in then you’re in a pretty good position. These days, riding kit fits great, looks great and feels awesome too. Most kit is so good that chances are you’ll turn up at the trail in the exact same thing as your riding buddy, or a stranger, or that lad down the street who can wheelie for days.

This isn’t an issue for most riders, but for those of us who like to be a little different, riders with sponsors to promote, or if you’re in a club or team, having the option to easily customise clothing is a pretty handy feature to have.

Únic’s whole game plan is to bring custom clothing to riders, but in a way that doesn’t require a minimum order, or cost a premium, in fact, a pair of Únic shorts in your custom colour choices will cost around the same as a pair of off the shelf shorts that anyone can buy. A Únic jersey not only allows riders to choose colours but add their name, choose materials and decide if they want long or short sleeves, all the while costing around the same as an off the shelf alternative.

Únic – Who are they?

Before we jump into the review, let’s take a step back and learn a little about the company. Únic’s head office is in Andorra where former Speedway Champion, Joonas Kylmakorpi heads up the company with French mountain bike legend Cedric Gracia.

The two met while in hospital due to riding accidents and talked about the idea of a custom clothing brand that is open to everyone. While they didn’t know it at the time, this was the very beginning of Únic.

From their offices in Andorra, the Únic team has put together an online platform that lets riders choose and customise their own riding clothing in a matter of minutes. Once an order is complete, the design is sent to Únic’s factory in Poland where each item of clothing is handmade and shipped by courier to customers around the world.

While a relatively new clothing company, Únic has already stepped up and is the sponsor of the Dorval AM Downhill team, as well as a few privateer riders and influencers.

Únic – The Design Process

Designing your own custom Únic mountain bike clothing is a very simple, and fun activity, and unlike some online design tools, you get to see your design updated in realtime so you’ll know exactly what your kit will look like before hitting the purchase button.

The first step to designing your Únic kit is to choose which templates you want. There are currently 11 designs to choose from for both men and women, and soon Únic plans to add a kids range too.

These 11 templates are split between Essential and Signature lines. Essential kit is aimed at riders looking for custom clothing at an affordable price. To keep pricing low, Essential kit doesn’t get all the same features as the Signature range but does still enjoy EU manufacture, a range of styles and similar cut and fit.

Signature kit, of which there are six to choose from, comes with all the bells and whistle, more custom options, and more material choices to ensure you get the style, feel and fit you’re after. Signature kit, which I’ve been testing, has some great functional features such as a zip pocket and sewn in lens wipe on the jersey, and 2 x zip pockets and integrated phone pocket in the shorts and trousers.

The design process allows you to choose from ÙniPro or Mesh materials for Signature jerseys, and there are options to add logos, designed by name on the inside collar, country flag, and rider name on the back of the jersey. Essential kit gets fewer design options, no logo or designed by choices, and there is one material choice for the jersey.

Once you have decided on the template you want you can hit the customise button and enter the online clothing editor. From this screen, we get to see Cedric Gracia dressed in the kit you have chosen with a bunch of options to the right.

The number of options you can customise will depend on the style you have chosen, but all designs have 30 jersey colours and 10 trouser/short colours to pick from.

As you move from option to option you’ll see any edits you have made updated to your Cedric Gracia avatar. You’ll even see logo and names added as you go so you can be 100% sure what your clothing is going to look like before you purchase.

Prices start from €138.99 for a complete custom Essential kit, rising to €198.01 for a complete Signature kit. Customers designing a Signature kit also have the option to switch from custom shorts to trousers for an additional €10.

Adding logos can cost €50, but this is a one time fee. Most logo graphics need some work to ensure that they look perfect when replicated on the clothing, so the fee pays for a designer to recreate the graphic to the specs Únic needs. If you’re part of a club or team and ordered 2, 10 or 1000 kits the cost of the logo would still be just a one time fee of €50.

Únic Signature FZ13 Kit Review

Únic says that it can take up to 14 days from the point of order to delivery, my kit arrived in just 7 days via courier. The clothing comes in a Únic branded neoprene zipped bag that can be used as a laptop case or for carrying your race kit from event to event. A very nice touch and much better than paper or plastic that will end up in the bin.

According to the Únic website, the Mesh jersey is perfect for warmer conditions and allows for a nice cool airflow through the perforated material. The material has a good amount of stretch to it and it feels very lightweight and airy when on.

The perforated material is used all over, with a slightly different but also perforated material used under the armpit. This is the same for all Signature jerseys and means you’re not going to get too hot and bothered even on a warm day.

For very hot days, even the long-sleeve Mesh material feels cool, and the lightweight material wicks moisture and dries quickly. On cooler days, I found the mesh worked great as a base material too. Under a wind or rainproof shell the mesh retains air and warmth well without getting so hot you might overheat.

The ÚniPro material offers a lot more stretch than the mesh, and it also offers a fair amount of breathability, wicking and fast-drying properties. There isn’t as much airflow as the Mesh, but the underarm panels have the same slightly perforated design to help move sweat away from your skin.

The stretchy and silky feel to the material feels like nothing else I’ve worn, it’s extremely comfortable but if you have a bit of a belly (like me) make sure you size up a little otherwise you’ll get a little tummy hugging going on.

On those days when it’s windy and the sun doesn’t know when to shine or hide behind the clouds, the ÚniPro material is a great option. Thin enough to be cool in direct sunlight, but with enough protection to keep the chill off when the wind blows and the sun hides. But it’s the stretch of the material that impresses – the feeling is so natural with no tight spots, chafing or rubbing. This is one immensely comfortable jersey!

Both jerseys have a sewn-in microfibre cloth that is soft enough to use on glasses and goggles to keep them clean on a ride. there is also a small and discrete zip pocket hidden in the seam of the jersey. It’s the perfect size for a lift pass, credit card or a little cash for an emergency.

Moving on to the shorts, Únic has put a lot of thought and energy into designing a comfortable short that will stay put even when riding hard. I chose a 32in waist, as that’s the size I wear in all clothing, and the shorts are perfect.

The waist adjustment is a ratchet-style design that can be dialled in to give you the perfect fit. I’ve worn other shorts that feel great to start with but when they get wet, or after a few rides, they can start to feel a little loose and slip from time to time, but the ratchet adjustment prevents this from being an issue.

Two zip pockets are large enough to hold a few tools, C02 and a wallet, while a clever internal pocket that is designed specifically to hold your smartphone in place. This smartphone pocket is made from neoprene which adds a layer of protection to the pocket and also helps to keep water and moisture out. It also means if you have a tool or keys in your pocket, your phone won’t get scratched up while on a ride.

Like the jerseys, the shorts are extremely comfortable. They’re loose but not too baggy, and there’s room to wear them with kneepads without getting hooked up. While riding I wear a padded liner inside, but they’re so comfy I’ve worn the Signature shorts while chilling in the garden in the sun without and they feel great.

One feature that isn’t shown on my shorts but is available on newer items is a silicone waistband to further prevent the shorts from slipping or sliding. I didn’t feel that my shorts needed it, but because Únic manufactures all of its clothing to order, the company is able to quickly add new features on the fly rather whereas a traditional brand has to wait from season to season to offer updates.

Unic Signature Kit Overall Impressions

Únic’s way of making clothing means that riders can individually design custom clothing in the colours and materials that they want, you no longer have to opt for one or the other. You can choose the latest ‘on-trend’ colours or go for something more subtle, choose to stand out from the crowd or blend in. Best of all there is no minimum order quantity and you don’t need to wait for months for something to arrive from the Far East, as everything Únic makes is manufactured in Europe.

Teams, clubs, or just mates that ride together now also have a new option to get kit made. The online editor makes the design process easy, and you know exactly what you’re going to receive in the mail.

The next time you want new riding kit, take a few minutes to play around with the Únic editor rather than trawling through lists of clothing that look the same but have fewer options and fewer features.

Overall, great feeling kit with a comfortable tailored fit and great mountain bike-specific features, made to extremely high standards.Add block

Únic Signature jersey features

• 1 x zip pocket for a lift pass or cash.
• Sewn-in goggle/glasses wipe
• Tailored fit.
• 4-way stretch material.
• Soft to the touch, fast-drying materials.
• Mesh and Únipro material options.
• Option to add your name, logos, and choose from up to 30 colours.

Únic Signature short/trousers features

• 2 x zipped pockets
• 1 x internal neoprene phone pocket
• Rachet waist adjustment
• Silicone waistbands
• Designed to be worn with or without pads.
• Tapered ankle design on trousers.

Review Info

Brand:	Únic
Product:	Signature Series Kit
From:	Únic
Price:	€198.01
Tested:	by Andi Sykes for 3 months

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