Baselayers | Alpine Skiing

More baselayer facts

The first snow of the year is falling and you are already itching for winter sports? Then all you need is the right ski underwear and you're ready to hit the slopes!

To enjoy the snow all day long without freezing or sweating too much, it is important to wear comfortable, functional ski underwear under your ski pants and ski jacket. Choosing the right "first layer" is important for maintaining a comfortable body climate during high performance activities. But with so many choices of functional underwear made from different materials and from different manufacturers, it's not easy to make the right decision. To make it a little easier, we present the most important facts about functional underwear.

Functional underwear as a base layer in winter sports

In our assortment you will find long sleeve shirts, short sleeve shirts, long pants, functional shorts and sports bras. But this is not just any underwear. It is carefully selected and made from highly functional materials. After all, the right functional underwear should support your body's natural cooling mechanism and make you feel good. So it is important that it is breathable, dries quickly and keeps you nice and warm. In order to ensure good moisture transport, the fit of the underwear should be close to the body.

Merino wool is the go-to functional material

The robust merino sheep is at home in harsh climates, but thanks to its special wool, it can withstand temperatures as low as -10 degrees in winter and +30 degrees in summer, and always feels comfortable in its wool coat. This makes merino wool the ideal material for outdoor clothing. Manufacturers such as Icebreaker, Ortovox and others have discovered this and use it for their functional underwear.

Merino wool is a renewable natural resource and is very comfortable to wear on the skin because the fibers are very fine and soft, unlike other types of wool. It also has excellent moisture management and temperature regulation properties. Other advantages of merino wool are that it warms even when wet and is odor neutral, which means you can wear your performance underwear more than once and simply airing it out overnight will eliminate the odor.

Merino wool in combination with synthetic fiber

Often, brands use not only 100% merino wool in their functional underwear, but also a blend of wool and synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers are usually used to make the material more durable. They are also quick-drying and help wick moisture away from the skin.

Icebreaker, for example, mixes some spandex underneath the merino wool in their base layers, as this ensures optimal fit and elasticity of the underwear as it stretches with the wool. Ortovox uses Nuyarn yarn in its Merino Ultra line. In an innovative manufacturing process, the finest wool fibers are spun around a polyamide core. The result is a lighter yet more voluminous fabric that is even warmer and more comfortable to wear. In addition, the yarn is more elastic, stronger and dries even faster than conventional Merino yarn.

Laid-back designs and cool colors make functional underwear a head turner

The functional underwear in our range not only has a lot to offer technically, but also makes you look good. Functional shirts, pants and more come in beautiful, bright colors and cool designs, such as Kari Traa's functional underwear. The unique patterns and colors are inspired by Norwegian traditions and interpreted in a modern way.

Choosing the right material for functional underwear

In summary, when choosing the right functional ski underwear, the material is very important. Most ski underwear is made of polyester or even merino wool. In the case of a blended fabric, the cotton content should be low, otherwise the breathability will be compromised.

Wool ski underwear is odorless, very warm, and easy to care for, making it ideal for multi-day trips, endurance activities, and cold weather. However, wool is inferior to synthetic fibers when it comes to drying time. On the other hand, functional underwear made of polyester is very suitable for short trips with highly physically demanding activities, because the synthetic fiber is fast drying, light and very breathable. The downside to polyester is that it tends to pick up odors more quickly. But whatever you choose, our wide range of products from Devold, Under Armour, Dynafit, Crazy, Icebreaker, Kari Traa, Löffler, Odlo, Ortovox, CEP, Scott and Peak Performance will ensure that you find what you need and that winter can come!