Pearson Long Sleeve Base Layer Iron Grey

Pearson's 'Skin in the Game' Long Sleeve Base Layer is made from a mid-weight merino wool blend – and fits like a glove (or a good-fitting baselayer). It doesn't wick sweat quite as well as synthetic base layers, but I've found that equally true for all merino base layers and, on the flip side, merino's odour-eating properties mean you can wear it for a whole week(ish) before the whiff beats you. And at £55 the price isn't bad either.

Fabric

For its Skin the Game base layer, Pearson has specified an 80% merino, 20% nylon fabric mix. The idea is to retain merino's warmth and anti-smell properties while avoiding the durability issues you can get with 100% merino wool tops. Though as our best base layers buyer's guide shows, all sorts of materials – natural and manmade – can work well.

So far, I'm pleased to say the base layer isn't showing any of those small holes that are often the first sign of a fabric failing.

This merino-mix strategy has worked on other cycling tops I've had for longer, so I've high hopes this one will go the distance too.

Temperature

I'd call this a mid-weight, long-sleeve base layer that's designed to keep you warm – and it does this really well. Pairing it with a decent winter jacket such as Stolen Goat's Climb and Conquer has kept me warm on rides where my Karoo computer was telling me it was six below freezing.

Wicking the sweat

As with all merino base layers, wicking is not its superpower. When you stop for a mid-ride coffee, it looks and feels damp.

But unlike a synthetic base layer, a merino or merino-mix top will still keep you warm when it's damp.

Also, unlike a synthetic base layer, it laughs the stink of sweat away. Purely in the interest of scientific research – and so you won't have to – I wore it for six straight days skiing, and my wife agreed its olfactory status was still passable.

A 'Smelly Helly' would have failed the test after half a day, with who knows what effect on my wife?

But both synthetic and merino base layers have their place, with merino or merino blends still my top choice for longer but less intensive activities, especially when it gets colder.

Sizing and cut

At 178cm and 77kg – on a good day – I'm usually a medium in non-Italian cycling brands. My chest measurement of 98cm is exactly what Pearson's size guide suggests for medium, and the base layer fits me perfectly.

The cut works well for me too, without any bunching up or tightness around the shoulders or armpits.

Value

The Skin in the Game's £55 price is about par for a long-sleeve merino base layer.

The Altura Merino 50 Unisex base layer that Liam liked is a fiver cheaper, though you could spend the same on a synthetic base layer such as the Specialized Seamless LS Baselayer that Jamie found warm and comfortable.

If you're not bothered about merino, Liam also liked the Madison Isoler Mesh Men's LS baselayer when he reviewed it, and this costs just £25. 

As ever though, this being cycling, you could very easily spend a whole lot more. Santini's Grido Thermal Unisex Long Sleeve Base Layer that Adam thought 'near perfect' but expensive at £120 is now a whopping £150 – although for that money you do get a clever two-layer construction with merino on the inside and polyamide on the outside.

Conclusion

Pearson's Long Sleeve Base layer is a decent choice to eke a bit more warmth out of the winter jacket you already own. It's worth bearing in mind that like all merino base layers, it's not the best at wicking sweat away, though it does still feel warm when it gets damp. I found it worked best well for long, less intensive activities in colder weather.

Verdict

Decent quality merino base layer that will keep you warm and comfy on less intensive cold-weather rides