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review
Base layers
oneten Sleeveless Mesh Baselayer oneten Sleeveless Mesh Baselayer
oneten Sleeveless Mesh Baselayer

oneten Sleeveless Mesh Baselayer

9
by Stu Kerton
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Aug 16, 2014

0
£15.99
Buy this online

VERDICT:

9
10
Comfortable, fast wicking baselayer for those hot summer days, with a very impressive price tag
Weight: 
70g
Contact: 
www.chainreactioncycles.com
How we test

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A simple mesh undershirt for warm weather use, the Oneten Sleeveless is the cheapest baselayer we've ever tested at just £15.99 which considering the quality is a bit of a bargain.

The material is 95% polyester and 5% spandex giving a small amount of stretch for movement on the bike, though the fit isn't designed to be too figure hugging. The medium on test is actually on the larger side compared to the very similar Craft Cool Mesh I usually wear at this time of year so I'd suggest going down a size to get the full wicking benefits.

While we are on the subject of wicking the Oneten also scores highly here too. With temperatures here in the south-west nudging 30°C recently and a rucksack strapped to my back for the daily commute the Oneten keeps me pretty dry and lets the breeze travel through taking the sweat with it. If you do overload it on a long climb or whatever it dries so quickly that getting cold on the following descent is really not an issue.

For comfort all the seams are flatlock stitched so there isn't any irritation and as it's so light anyway you never actually feel like you are wearing a baselayer at all.

The arm holes are plenty big enough too, I've worn some sleeveless layers that can irritate the armpit area when your arms are stretched out in the race position but thankfully there is none of that here.

White is the only option and it does get a little grubby between washes but so far it has come up clean every time on a 40° wash. Using man-made materials it can get a bit whiffy after a couple of days of use but not as bad as some, I think the thin mesh material passes perspiration out into the atmosphere before it gets chance to linger.

Overall the Oneten Sleeveless works brilliantly in hot weather especially once the humidity starts to ramp up. The quality and fit are good as is the durability considering how many times this has been worn and washed over the last six weeks. All this for £16 means you can pick up a couple of them for a bit of stock rotation.

Verdict

Comfortable, fast wicking baselayer for those hot summer days, with a very impressive price tag

road.cc test report

Make and model: oneten Sleeveless Mesh Baselayer

Size tested: Medium, White

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Oneten reckon,"The perfect solution to hot weather riding, our super light sleeveless mesh baselayer has been designed for enhanced temperature regulation with fast wicking properties to ensure rapid dispersion of moisture and sweat."

Yep, I reckon that pretty much covers it.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

*Super light fabric 83g/m2 (95% polyester-5% spandex)

*Open mesh construction for maximum moisture transportation

*Flatlock stitching on all seams

*XS-XXL

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

All looks pretty good and you can't quibble at this price.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

Does exactly whats it designed to.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Looking pretty good so far. Other baselayers I have that use this style of material last for years as the material is thin yet very hardwearing.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10

Super light.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
9/10

You barely know it's there.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

The cheapest we've tested but has the performance to back up the price.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Spot on, its designed to be comfortable and wick sweat away from your body which is exactly which is exactly what it does.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The performance vs value equation.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

You might need to size down as the medium was quite generous on me.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

For those really hot and sticky days when you don't want material sticking to you as you sweat the Oneten is brilliant. Its not as technically advanced as some but it does a good job especially when you consider the price and durability and its that price that warrants the 9/10.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course!  My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

oneten Sleeveless Mesh Baselayer
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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