Long sleeved, to beef up the thermal properties of a wind-stopper jacket.

hh lifa always…

Have tried numerous different ones over the years and as TG says above, Lifa. They take a beating and keep coming back for more. I have two that have lasted (literally) over ten years (mind you, they haven’t had much use for the last three…but y’know) of running, biking, winter holidays etc etc.

Again helly Hansen are good and quite cheap. I’ve also been impressed with the autumn/winter base layers from assos- bike specific and a few quid more than the HH. Keep your eyes peeled for them in the sales. 🙂

Decathlon are good and can be had at great price. Their cheapest one, which is OK, was under £4 last month. If you go a bit further up range then they are great quality

Endura Baa-baa is my go to base layer at the moment

+1 Baa Baa. merino wool, nice and soft, not too warm, doesn’t stink. got 3.

Mark King is very good….

Always used lifa but tried a few others in the past 12 months, on one merino tops are good but a bit baggy. My favourite now is the craft windstopper long sleeved, happy enough skiing with it with only a jacket over and it’s nice and tight so goes under any Jersey, armour etc as required. Warm but wicks nicely.

EDIT – link error

I also have been using the Baa Baa for the last few years. Though OK I find that the material gets to saturation point fairly quickly, especially for a sweaty sod like me, and then you get wet material next to the skin which can chill the body very quickly when it’s proper cold.

Craft LS with Windstopper front panel is what you want.

End of thread.

Got a few Helly Hansen base layers which are good, but also have a DHB active base layer which is also pretty good.

Mountain Hardware had them for £6 a while ago and wick exceptionally well. Worth a check.

I really like the SuperNatural 140g merino/poly tops. They’re on sale at SportPursuit at the mo too. I’ve got 3 of em.

HH Warm.

All the goodness of Lifa with added merino.

Not merino unless you like getting cold in soaking, heavy baselayers.

HH Lifa for me 90% of the time, although Craft are good also.

HH Warm.

All the goodness of Lifa with added merino.

Yes they are very good, but they are very warm!

Even in Scotland I find they are winter only base layers.

Standard Lifa HH base layers the rest of the time

IMO nothing even comes close to Lifa. Until recently I had a Blue one that was around 30 yrs old that I found in the bottom of my running drawer.
There is no reason to even consider anything else IMO. Bit like Ron Hill tracksters! Just do what they are supposed to.

All you need:

IMO nothing even comes close to Lifa.

How much did you spend trying out every other base layer on the market? must’ve been thousands, there are loads out there.

Helly Hansen Lifa, can’t be beaten. Shop around and they’re just as cheap as the decent Decathlon ones. They last for years, work the best and fit just right.

A vest? It was good enough for your grandad!

Depends what you want it for and material etc!

HH are cracking but and do last a long time, however some of the merino wool stuff out there is amazing! Look at Embers merino, not cheap but again their products last a long time especially as a base layer under something else, I wouldn’t use them MTBing where they may snag though. Get some cracking bargains in the sale too.

OR as already mentioned a Craft Windstopped base layer, Prenda’s sell them and they are also good.

I have a HUGE range of base layers of varying thickness, materials for different weathers, activities and sports!

I just bought Mr MC a lovely Kalenji base layer from Decathlon was so soft and was relatively cheap close to £15. He’s using it for commuting daily and said it was ace

The best I’ve found was the Altura thermocool long sleeve baselayer, but I’m not sure if they’re available any more.

Subzero but get the right website otherwise you’ll be buying an expensive cooker or fridge.

Where is the like button?! Can I suggest Larry Graham?

Anyone tried Uniqlo’s Heat Tech base layer stuff? Looks interesting, and I’m a big fan of Uniqlo gear generally, but I’ve not tried the base layer.

I’ve found IceBreaker merino pretty comfortable, but it has to be the lightest weight version. The thicker ones seem to retain too much moisture.

A quick comparison I did about four years back to compare a HH, IceBreaker merino, and Byrnje base layers is easy to replicate. I weighed them, then soaked them in a basin, put them on a hanger for 10 minutes and weighed them again.

The least water retention was the Byrnje string vest type (by a big margin over the other two), followed by the HH, and then the IceBreaker.

I tend to wear the IceBreakers purely because it’s more comfortable as a T-shirt. The Byrnje has been banned by my wife for some reason, so it only gets worn when conditions are likely to be extreme (and it’s really good then).

I was going to replace the IceBreakers with HH when they wore out, but that hasn’t happened yet despite being all year round wear.

Uniqlo’s Heat Tech keeps you warm and washes well. I use them when working outside in the winter… They remain pretty good even when wet through.

If you get the long sleeve ones be careful how you layer or you might catch fire!

Anything made of Merino, keep looking on Sports Pursuit for cheap ones. On-One do cheap ones too.

I’m a clean chap, but i do sweat a bit, and HH/man made stuff seems to stink after a few wears and washes. Never have this problem with anything made from merino.

how do those HH Lifa things size up? I’m 6’0, fairly slim – generally go for a medium in most things…

If you go medium normally I’d stick with medium, that’s what I have and sound a similar size to you.

Byrnje string vest type these are supposed to be the dogs, but they have a credibility and looks problem that most can’t get past.

I’ve always used HH ones. Good value and durable.

HH Lifa, the damned things refuse to wear out.

They are called “smelly Helly” because, in common with all garments made from polypropylene, they get quite whiffy as PP has the ability to hold odour molecules.

Halo is needed for those Smelly Hellys. A couple of washes will usually sort out old stinking tops too.

must’ve been thousands, there are loads out there.

I had a lot of time on my hands.

Merino is good but it doesnt wick as well as Lifa, probably a bit warmer but it gets heavy and stays damp.

Don’t rate merino. It’s ok but not as good as synthetic. They might fend off smells for a bit but they do get smelly, I can prove it. Also not overly durable, my icebreaker wore through under my camelbak. It also shrank slightly when dry and would get baggy when damp.

As I said, £6 mountain warehouse vastly better, also much better than my HH merino mix one, which has also shrunk slightly.