2020 GEAR GUIDE – BEST BASELAYERS
Warm, breathable, comfy, quick-drying, stink-free and stylish, a good baselayer needs to be a multi-talented winter performer. Here are some of our faves for this season.
Burnt Custard Epics Hi Cow
£55
Make your mark in the moo-ntins this winter in this epic cow print baselayer top from the BC crew. Made from meryl microfibre, it’s a loud and proud, stretchy, lightweight, breathable, moisture-wicking, anti-bacterial, water-resistant top. With built-in UVA/UVB protection, it’s perfect for long, sunny booty-shaking après sessions… Available in men’s, women’s and kids’ versions.
Black Diamond Solution 150 Merino base crew
£90
The new Solution is no ordinary baselayer. Made from NuYarn’s fancy patented stretch merino technology, it claims to be warmer and dry faster than other merino fabrics. Perfect for high-output mountain adventures, this high-tech 150 merino baselayer crew comes with reinforced shoulder panels to reduce rubbing when carrying a heavy pack. Also available in women’s.
Dare2B In the Zone Performance baselayers
£35 (top) £30 (bottoms)
Embrace the pink and get in the zone with this great-value baselayer combo. Soft next to the skin, this stretchy, body-mapped top and pants are made from Q-Wic Plus Seamless tech that will keep you warm, dry and stink-free.
Finisterre Eddy baselayer
£60
Super-soft, mega-comfortable, uber-sustainable and warm as all hell, the Eddy is way more than a simple baselayer. Using all of Finisterre’s cold water surf experience, it’s a highly technical piece made from the latest in baselayer tech – a breathable, durable stink-free 80% merino wool layer that’s fully traceable.
Floa The Backcountry baselayer
£99
With targeted breathability, body-mapped compression and specially designed cooling channels, this is a technical layer designed to keep you in the best shape possible so you can go further, faster and higher in the backcountry. Constructed using a merino-poly blend, it has the most backcountry and freeride-specific features we’ve seen in a baselayer and is comes with matching pants. Also in women’s.
FW Raw balaclava hoodie
£120
Blasting onto the baselayer scene for winter 2020 is FW (a new clothing brand pronounced ‘forward’) and this hoodie epitomises what the crew are all about – functional, progressive designs with understated style. Made from 90% midweight merino wool, this is a stretchy, stealthy baselayer with thumb loops and a balaclava hood that can be worn under your helmet or as a high collar on cold, deep days.
Helly Hansen H1 Pro Lifa Seamless Half Zip
£130 (top) £100 (pants)
Softer than the lightest of cold, dry snow, this primo performance baselayer combo is rammed full of tech to keep you warm and comfy on the mountain. With thermal mapping, seamless construction and merino wool combined with Helly’s infamous Lifa tech, these lightweight baselayers are ideal for high-output adventures in the backcountry. Also in men’s.
Icebreaker Bodyfitzone 260 Zone LS Half Zip
£110
Ideal for cold, snowy deep winter days, this zip-neck top will keep you you warm on the inside when it’s freezing on the outside. Constructed using Icebreaker’s most advanced temperature-regulating tech, it’s a really soft body-mapped layer designed to breathe and adapt to conditions and exertion levels. Also in women’s.
Jöttnar Heimdall baselayer top
£135
Loaded with tech, this limited-edition 239g winter weight baselayer is designed for big-mountain terrain and wilderness exploration. The merino/Lycra combo makes for a performance orientated close-fitting top that will work well for lift-accessed deep powder days or heli trips in far-flung destinations. Japan anyone?
Mons Royale Supermons
£180
This lightweight, breathable ¾ ‘Monsie’ is a cosy camo baselayer that’s ready for the stealthiest of mountain missions. With bang-loads of tech including 100% stink-free merino wool thumb loops, ¾ length for boot compatibility, and easy access rear zipper, it’s perfect for laying down lines in the backcountry and shapes at après. Also available in women’s.
Mons Royale Yotei Tech BF high-neck
£100
Keep the cold and snow on the outside where it belongs with this cracking-looking technical top with built-in neck tube. Made using 100% merino wool, the Yotei has all the tech you’d expect from a premium baselayer with a slightly looser fit so you can bounce from the backcountry to the bar in style.
Odlo Performance Warm LS baselayers
£50 (top) £50 (pants)
These close-fitting stretch-tastic seamless body-mapped baselayers have been designed for ultimate wicking and warmth. The polyester/polyamide/elastane blend means they dry as fast as you can build up a sweat and the anti-odour treatment means you can keep moving at speed all day long and still be socially acceptable when après rolls around.
Odlo Natural + Kinship Warm baselayer top
£75
Tech + nature = the Kinship. Combining Odlo’s legendary seamless bodymapping tech with 50% merino wool for that super-soft next-to-skin feel, this baselayer offers uncompromising comfort and performance with a funky pattern design. There’s also a version of the top that comes with integrated facemask. Both versions are available in men’s and women’s.
Ortovox 120 Comp Light LS
£80 (top)
Ideal for spring touring and late-season sunny sessions, the mega-light 120 Comp offers bodymapped breathability in a quick-drying, super-stylish three-colour baselayer. Made from ethically sourced merino wool, this sustainable baselayer feels super-soft next to your skin. Also available in men’s.
Ortovox Rock’N’Wool Sport top and hot pants
£45 (top) £45 (pants)
The very first layer of your system is arguably the most important so be sure that what you wear next to your skin is fit for purpose. Ortovox does funky and functional very well indeed and this breathable, soft, moisture-wicking merino wool top and pants will keep you warm and dry so you can stay focused on the freeride adventure in hand.
Patagonia Capilene Midweight zip-neck
£65
Patagonia know that merino doesn’t work for everyone so if you’re in the market for an affordable mid-weight synthetic baselayer, this is the one for you. Made from 100% recycled polyester, this breathable, quick-drying, moisture-wicking versatile top is also bluesign approved and Fair Trade sewn so it gets a big sustainable tick from us. Also available in women’s.
Protest Diondra Thermo top and Zeta Thermo pants
£40 (top) £45 (pants)
If you’re into functional, fun baselayers you’re bound to go starry-eyed over these. Stretchy and close-fitting without being restrictive, these moisture-wicking, breathable and fast-drying thermals have mega on-the-mountain credentials with legit off-the-mountain style. Great value too.
Salewa Puez Hybrid Dry long-sleeve tee
£45
Ideal for year-round mountain adventures, this technical long-sleeved top has a body-mapped split personality. Made using two different weights of quick drying and moisture-wicking Dry’ton fabric, it’s a cleverly designed, low-profile top that’s built to respond and perform no matter how hard you push. Also available in women’s.
Salomon Primo Warm Seamless tee
£68
Technical, warm and constructed using 37.5 Technology, this baselayer has been designed to help keep your body at its ideal core temperature of 37.5 degrees. Blended with polyester, the Primo Warm is breathable and fast-drying, wicking away sweat so you can keep on keeping on. The design also comes with the benefit of making you look like a superhero which is always a plus. Also available in women’s.
Smartwool Intraknit 200 Crew Neck
£110
Smartwool’s new merino Intraknit series features all the latest in baselayer technology from 3D articulation to gender-specific mesh ventilation and targeted insulation. Ideal for rapid-intensity adventures, the 200 Crew is perfect for energetic mountain athletes. Also available in men’s.
The North Face Summit Series L1 bottoms
£90
Serious baselayers for serious mountain athletes, these L1 tights are built to perform and respond to the toughest of vertical challenges. Minimal seams keep chafing at bay, the Thermolite fabric ensures you keep your cool when things get on the gnarlier side of steep, and the articulated design lets you keep moving at speed. Also available in women’s with matching top.
Wed’ze M 900 baselayer top
£35
Warm, breathable, stretchy and fit for purpose, this is the top to go for if you’re looking to make your hard-earned pennies go as far as possible. With 3D knitting, Seamless Technology, body mapped moisture management and odour control, this polymaide/DryYarn baselayer top packs an impressive amount of features into an affordable package. Also in women’s.