A base layer designed with 50% extra sturdy wool, fewer uncooked supplies, and sustainable manufacturing? Sure, please.
ARTILECT could also be a brand new model (as of January 2022) but it surely has hit the bottom working. Already, the Boulder, Colorado-based firm is bringing some nice attire to market. Better of all is its new A/SYS 1 and a pair of layering system.
The A/SYS class consists of some completely different layers, all made with varied weights and blends of Nuyarn Merino wool (a 100% renewable material).
Briefly: The inaugural season of ARTILECT’s attire assortment begins with the fundamentals: a base layer system. We obtained just a few layers upfront to put on all through winter, spring, and fall to place the system to the check. And we’ve already fallen in love. This base layer set’s zoned paneling for excellent breathability and a balanced, heat really feel. You’ll pay barely extra for the model’s particular wool material, however we predict it’s price it — the ARTILECT layers had what we had been in search of.
ARTILECT A/SYS-1 Flatiron 1/4 Zip Base Layer Evaluate
First off, all of ARTILECT’s base layers use Nuyarn Merino Wool, which is third-party confirmed to be stretchier and extra sustainable than customary 100% ring spun merino (in keeping with impartial testing by AgResearch, New Zealand). It’s obtained 35% extra stretch and 35% extra loft. It’s 50% extra sturdy, dries 5 instances quicker, and makes use of 30% fewer uncooked supplies in spinning.
Your complete A/SYS-1 and A/SYS-2 collections use responsibly sourced and authorized non-mulesed Nuyarn wool.
That’s all to say, the layer was made with excessive use and equally excessive sturdiness in thoughts. Sure, it’s gentle, pretty mild wool — however general, it proved to be a succesful base layer for all-day and multiday use. We undoubtedly seen the stretch and quick-drying issue, not a lot the loft — it appears on par with different related weight base layers.
I examined this nightfall blue Flatiron 185 quarter-zip base layer high, in addition to the matching base layer bottoms. The 185 refers back to the weight of the material. I’d put this within the lighter-weight class — finest for milder circumstances while you need one thing heat but additionally breathable.
Whereas it’s marketed as a quarter-zip, the size of the zipper feels longer — stretching from the highest of the collar to simply beneath the sternum (for a measurement small on my 5’8″ body).
I are usually pickier concerning the weight and contact of materials I’m donning earlier than crawling into my sleeping bag. There are only a few base layers I’ll sleep in — and these are certainly one of them. The bottom layer bottoms are the proper steadiness of soppy and heat, however not too heat. I undoubtedly attribute these layers’ potential to breathe and dump heat higher than others to the zoned mesh panels.
ARTILECT Flatiron 185 Specs
- Material: 100% Nuyarn wool
- Material weight: 185 gsm
- Options: Half-zip entrance (high), excessive collar, thumbholes, zoned mesh paneling (high and backside)
Conclusion
With a worth vary of $85-125, ARTILECT is unquestionably aiming to be a participant within the higher-end efficiency attire market. The bottom layers we tried had been heat but breathable, gentle, and of very nice high quality.
Most notably, I wore my A/SYS-1 zip base layer 5 days in a row on a ski journey. I by no means washed it — simply hung and aired it out in between. The merino did its job as a result of it didn’t scent in any respect. Most lately, I wore the set in a single day backpacking in 30-50 diploma climate.
I additionally actually admire the muted coloration choices and normal fashion of those base layers. They’re versatile — from train to workplace or morning ski to après — they usually had been tremendous straightforward to layer with varied midlayers and jackets.
In case you don’t already personal a merino mix base layer, and wish to put money into one which’s snug, sturdy, and made with as few uncooked supplies as doable, take a look at ARTILECT’s A/SYS assortment. Mine have lasted from final winter, to spring, into fall, and I haven’t been upset with the efficiency thus far.
