Our Editor’s Choice Award goes to the Smartwool Midweight Crew. In all honesty, it was difficult to find anything we didn’t like about this baselayer. It is durable, provides excellent breathability and temperature regulation, looks good, and is totally versatile. While more expensive than some of the other tops, it proved to be well worth its cost. This is the baselayer to buy if you can only have one in your life, and if you can have more, it needs to be in the arsenal.
[Smartwool base layers–also called NTS, for “Next To Skin”–come in three different weights: Micro (“150”), Light (“195”), and Mid (“250”). The numbers indicate how heavy the fiber is, in grams per cubic meter. Here’s a quick summary, from the packaging itself:
- NTS MICRO 150: Single layer for warm weather performance. Base layer for cool weather.
- NTS LIGHT 195: Single layer for cool/cold weather performance. Base layer for cold weather.
- NTS MID 250: Single layer for cold weather performance. Base layer for very cold weather.]
The Best Buy Award goes to the Patagonia Capilene 3 Crew because it is a durable, versatile base layer that will withstand the test of time and not empty your pocketbook. Backed by the brand name and company reputation, it is a safe bet that will perform well.
via Long Underwear Reviews – OutdoorGearLab.
