Review: Ripready custom BDU top / sports jersey

[panda86]

Not sure if everyone recalls, but late last year a member on here "Ripready" posted up asking if anyone was interested in affordable custom made BDU tops / jerseys. These could be made in any camo pattern, with logos added, etc in the printing process.

Granted, most airsoft people like authenticity. But there's already plenty of people making authentic and replica "Crye" type BDU combat top type designs out there. He wanted to see if anyone was interested in tops that were more like performance tops with some mil spec type features for airsoft / paintball use. This review is based on a sample that Ripready made, based on feedback.

Anyways, I asked him some more questions and got an initial sample made. My friends and I are interested in getting a custom one made. I've since asked for some revisions, but here's my review on the current sample he sent.



As you can see in the pictures, the jersey looks great in terms first impressions. It's more of a cross between an Underarmor type top / sports jersey than a standard BDU. But again, replicating a BDU or Crye combat top wasn't the idea. The idea was to create something a bit more unique and comfortable to wear for more sport use. The stitch quality / craftsmanship is really good.



The jersey looks and feels great. The color of the Cadpat was a bit bright compared to Cadpat camo (could be slightly darker in color). I sent a Cadpat sample to him, and he was able to replicate the pattern really well. Color wise, it just needs a slight tweak. The torso material is the fancy "moisture wicking dry fit" type of stuff, and seems really good. It's got a minor sheen to it (slightly more than 50 / 50 nyco) but not objectionable.



The outer sleeves are covered with sort of a heavy duty almost denim like material. No one on my team liked it. The color here looked faded, and no one felt they needed that heavy of a material for the outside of the arms. Everyone suggested just a second layer of the main torso material.



The collar is a taller stand up mandarin style collar. It is quite soft and comfy on the inside, the top is closed with velcro and the neck portion has a smooth small zipper in case you need to vent some heat.



The cuffs are a little shorter than most of my BDU's, and they have adjustable velcro closures as well. The rubber tabs for the velcro are a nice material, but they have some fancy die cut holes that I don't think were necessary.



The arm pits are nicely vented with a sort of "hockey" jersey type of mesh. Definitely more of a warm weather feature, but I think this would come in handy when wearing vests on top, etc.. I think the vented area is a bit big (the outer sleeve material could be wider for better protection) but it's nice to see this as a practical feature that most BDU tops don't have.



One neat feature is that the inside of the sleeves have pockets so that if you want to, you can put pads in them for your elbows.


Everyone I got feedback from wanted 4" x 4" OD green velcro on the outer biceps of the arms for patches / team armbands. Just about every real BDU top has velcro on the arms, so me and my friends opinions this is a must have.

In terms of size, this jersey was a medium and fit my slim build properly. I'm 5 foot 8 inches and 150 lbs, I don't like stuff really baggy or super tight.

Overall, I think this was a good start for a unique top, but it needs some additional refinements to make it stand out and be unique for airsoft use. After he gets some of my requests resolved, he'll send me another sample and I'll be ordering a dozen of these.

If you're interested in getting a custom jersey made, feel free to contact this company directly (not me!):

sales@avidasportswear.com

The person I've been in touch with is Henry, really nice guy. Pricing will depend on the number of jerseys ordered and the unique features required for them.