Le Col Womens Deep Winter Base Layer

The Le Col Women's Deep Winter Base Layer provides excellent warmth while maintaining breathability, and it covers the neck nicely. It is expensive, though, and for the price I would have hoped for a more comfortable fit.

Check out our guide to the best cycling baselayers for more options.

> Buy now: Le Col Womens Deep Winter Base Layer for £80 from Le Col

Materials

The Deep Winter Base Layer is made using Polartec Alpha, a teddy bear-like fleece material I haven't tested before. Polartec says it's been designed for the US Special Forces 'for consistent warmth, while allowing greater breathability during activity'.

The Alpha fleece material is used across the front of the garment and upper back, made up of a loose knit so it provides airflow yet warmth at the same time. It kept me very warm and seemed to regulate my temperature well.

The rest of the garment – arms and lower back – is another Polartec fabric, Power Grid, which has a woven pattern on one side and a more conventional finish on the other. This aims to increase warmth and breathability while keeping a low weight.

A great addition to the baselayer is the long neck, also incorporating the Power Grid fabric. I'm not usually a fan of separate neckwear so I welcomed this feature. It provided a snug yet non-restrictive fit and helped prevent wind chill effectively. It can't be removed, so some may find it limits temperature regulation, but then this baselayer is designed for the coldest of days.

I combined the Deep Winter Base Layer with a fleece-lined long sleeve jersey in temperatures of between 3 and 6°C and my core stayed very warm. I didn't feel like I was overheating up climbs or cooling down too quickly on descents. I did notice a bit of 'dew' on the outside of the fleece, showing that the fabric was transferring moisture away from my skin, but positively, the baselayer never felt wet.

When paired with Le Col's Women's Hors Categorie Jacket II, which also features Polartec Alpha fabric in the thermal lining, I was at no risk of being cold on rides down to freezing, even having to unzip my jacket slightly when going uphill. However, I would have preferred for the Alpha fleece material to have extended down my back further, to help keep my lower back and kidneys warm.

While the mesh-like structure of the fleece material feels relatively fragile and prone to snagging, it is an inner layer so should hold up over time, and has survived multiple washes so far.

Size and fit

This baselayer is available in five sizes ranging from XS-XL (though it's currently only available in XS, L and XL); I chose a size S based on the size guide and my usual size in cycling kit.

I was disappointed with the fit of this garment, which reduced the overall comfort. The Polartec Power Grid fabric is tight-fitting and stretchy, while the Alpha fleece material is loose-fitting with minimal vertical stretch. This resulted in the body being short and loose, barely reaching my belly button at the front and slightly shorter at the back, and the minimal vertical stretch meant it couldn't be pulled down, which compromised the warmth of my lower back.

In contrast, the sleeves felt tight to put on, although once on they weren't restrictive. The snug fit actually allowed for effective layering underneath a winter jacket if needed. Despite the initial snug fit, the sleeves were still a good length on me, which is something I tend to struggle with.

At this point, I would typically recommend going up by at least one size, but the other parts of the garment fitted well, and I'm unsure if opting for a larger size would add enough extra length without making the baselayer excessively baggy.

Value

The Le Col Women's Deep Winter Base Layer doesn't come cheap, and you can certainly pay less.

The Craft Active Extreme X Round Neck Long Sleeve Women's baselayer retails at £45 and you can currently get your hands on it for £25. Tester Emma said that it was difficult to fault, ticking all the performance boxes for breathability, wicking, ventilation and warmth, with a functional and comfortable fit.

Another baselayer specifically designed for extremely cold weather is the Assos Women's Ultraz Winter LS Skin Layer. It's even more expensive at £110, but Emma found that it was top notch in every aspect – fit, comfort, warmth and moisture management.

Overall

This baselayer has a lot of potential, as the performance is good and the fabric works well; I would struggle to justify the price given the fit on me, but if you think it'll work for you, it's worth trying.

Verdict

Very warm and breathable fabric, but the fit won't suit all and can affect comfort