My long sleeved rapha one has been great but after 5 years litte tears have become gashes* and it really needs replaced. Worth putting the cash for another rapha one or should i look elsewhere eg icebreaker? Got a couple howies short sleeve but tbh never been that impressed with them

Smartwool ones are great.

I was in Shanghai yesterday looking at Merino. My first time. Learnt a lot.
Might stick to designing suspension frames. Much easier!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-merino-longsleeve-roundneck-baselayer-m-150/

this is good

Aldi 15 quid long sleeve but like all things Aldi not often in stock

Endure BaaBaa. Not so thin but they keep on going with no shrinkage.

I have a couple of short sleeve orca ones that are great, prefer them to my short sleeve ice breakers although for long sleeves I’ve only tried ice breaker.

endura seems to be lasting well

I’ve got a 200g Icebreaker Oasis, which I really like. I haven’t had it that long so can’t comment on longevity.

macpac

On ones are dirt cheep, don’t seem to shrink like their thicker ones either.

APF

Icebreaker Atlas 150. Lovely. Makes the BaaBaa feel like a sack.

Vote for Icebreaker 150’s here.

I have only used icebreaker and dhb, and the latter have fallen apart inside 1 year, and one has shrunk. icebreaker has been faultless for three years. HTH.

the thin Howies ones are good – NBL Light I think they call ’em. Way overpriced normally, have picked up a couple over the years in their sales at much more reasonable prices.

I picked up a Howies NBL half-zip a few years ago, bit weightier than the Light but it’s been excellent and is always the first layer I reach for when things get chilly.

Should have been £50 but I got it 50% off. Probably wouldn’t have bought it otherwise but wouldn’t be complaining if I had paid full whack.

IceBreaker stuff is excellent, although I find them not particularly technical in their cut.

Rab does a merino/Cocona mix they call MeCo – it’s mostly merino with a bit of carbonised coconut husk thrown in. The fabric still has merino-like qualities, but it wicks significantly better and dries a lot faster. It’s also more durable ime. Good stuff.

This stuff…

The thing that the reviews rarely tell you about merino is that it’s relatively fragile and tends to hole easily with sustained use. Also that it doesn’t so much wick, as hold moisture away from your body, so it still feels comfortable, but there’s a point where it stops holding moisture and gets wet plus takes a long time to dry. Just saying

howies is delicate compared to icebreaker IMO. i was very impressed with the on-one stuff. very similar feel and fit the the icebreaker, in the 200g weight anyway.

id on’t like Merino. Still find it itchy.

another vote for Icebreaker, however my Howies nbl is outlasting all my other Merino

I have a BaaBaa, had it for 2 years and still going strong.

Lab-Gear

Had one for the last 7/8 years still good

Ok might go for icebreaker if can afford it, ill also check out baabaa and lab gear, ta!

I got a half price one from Blacks the other day. £20 and very similar to the one I got from Kathmandu about 4 years ago. Not itchy or bobbly like the Endura ones at all.

I bought the thin and thicker ones from on-one, the thick ones seem ok but I put my fingers through the thin one twice whilst putting it on…

recently got the dhb one from wiggle good value at about £20

I love my icebreak one – has lasted 18 months as is like new.

Torm

/Thread

if it wasn’t £15 for lab gear shipping i’d go for that one

(torm don’t do a long sleeve baselayer)

If you got 5 years out your Rapha I’d get another.

My longsleeve Rapha one is 3 months old with big holes appearing at the cuff seams. Grrr

maybe they’ve switched supplier/quality control? i’d be gutted with 3 months

Cycle surgery doing icebreaker top for £45 or custom coloured one from lab gear at £62

@jonke it may be the chlorine rather than the merino that you are finding itchy. sadly finding merino treated with an enzyme wash instead of chlorine to make it shrink free is pretty difficult

I have a labgear merino top and it is excellent. It is well designed, is an excellent cut and is just the right weight. I wil be ordering a new one for my birthday as the old one has worn out.

Dogsby

Another vote for Icebreaker, worth the premium price