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Base layers
Rapha Women's Merino Mesh Base Layer – Short Sleeve Rapha Women's Merino Mesh Base Layer – Short Sleeve
Rapha Women's Merino Mesh Base Layer

Rapha Women's Merino Mesh Base Layer – Short Sleeve

9
by Tass Whitby
UPDATED Mon, May 22, 2017 19:46

First Published May 22, 2017

0
£55.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Beautifully soft and 'hardly there' light, it does a superb job of keeping you cool, dry and comfortable
Weight: 
58g
Contact: 
www.rapha.cc
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Beautifully soft, body-hugging without being restrictive, and keeping me free of clamminess on one of the hottest days of the year, Rapha's Women's Merino Mesh Base Layer is such a lovely undergarment it's almost a shame it has to be hidden away.

The design is very different to previous Rapha merino baselayers I've worn – the mesh fabric looks and feels very delicate, and you wonder how it can be of much use it seems so... 'hardly there'.

> Buy this online here

But if staying comfortable and dry for 80-odd miles on a 25°C day is a good judge of its prowess, there y'go. It does its job, very well.

The fabric – a 'low micron merino mesh' – is soft, stretchy and airy. It's 60% merino and 40% polyester and incredibly comfortable against the skin. Any moisture you create just evaporates, and you hardly realise you're wearing it.

The seams help. They're completely flat, and the top is designed in such a way that a single strip of fabric runs from the end of the sleeve, under the armpit and down to the hem – so no potentially chafing seam under the arm. It does mean you get two seams down each side, slightly to the front and slightly to the back, rather than a single side-seam, but they don't irritate in the least.

Rapha-Womens-Merino-Mesh-Base-Layer-Cream.jpg

Being a merino mix, the pong factor is low compared with 100% polyester tops. Even after a 100-miler – admittedly on not the hottest day of the year – it would have been wearable again without offending close riding companions. Being such a lightweight design it dries incredibly quickly if you did need to wash it...

I like the length – it's 2-3in shorter in the body than the same size 100% merino baselayer – and I really like the low scoop neckline, which hides away under jerseys with just the Rapha logo detail showing when you lower your jersey zip on a hot day.

> Buyer's Guide: The best cycling baselayers

One slight niggle is that the sleeves are a little long when paired with some jerseys and can poke out at the ends, and the only other black mark – sorry – is the black marks it's picked up from a new pair of bib shorts, which so far are refusing to wash out. Rapha says to wash it in a bag or by hand, but I've just popped it in with other sports kit on a 30-degree wash, making sure there's no Velcro involved. If the black marks don't go I might have to resign myself to doing a handwash.

At £55 it isn't cheap, but you weren't expecting it to be. It is £5 less than the 100% merino baselayer though, and it's softer, more delicate, looks beautiful, is so light you hardly know you're wearing it, keeps you cool and dry, is gorgeous, you're worth it, etc etc...

Verdict

Beautifully soft and 'hardly there' light, it does a superb job of keeping you cool, dry and comfortable

road.cc test report

Make and model: Rapha Women's Merino Mesh Base Layer – Short Sleeve

Size tested: Medium

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?

Rapha says:

A lightweight and extremely breathable merino base layer designed for year-round riding and racing

Designed to work in a full range of conditions, the Merino Mesh Base Layer offers exceptional breathability and warmth when required.

Made from a new, proprietary merino-blend fabric, which combines the natural properties of merino with a lightweight, open mesh structure, this base layer is a new addition to our women's range.

With a higher merino content than our previous men's version, this base layer has exceptional wicking, insulating and anti-bacterial properties, making it ideal for day-long and multi-day use.

Cut to sit flush against the skin, bonded shoulder seams ensure comfort and a clean finish, and reduce the chance of rubbing when layered with bib shorts. Cut to offer ample coverage across the back and collar and also available in a sleeveless version.

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

FEATURES

Low micron merino mesh for maximum comfort against skin

Naturally antibacterial and odour resistant

Close fit with flat-locked stitching for comfort,

Seams positioned behind shoulders to avoid rub from bags or bib shorts

Short sleeves and sleeveless versions

Washes beautifully

FABRIC

60% merino

40% polyester

CARE INSTRUCTIONS

Machine wash in garment bag or handwash 30C

Use Rapha Merino Wash, wool or non-bio detergent

Lay flat to dry in shade

Do not bleach

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10

It's a mesh weave and looks delicate, though no issues so far.

Rate the product for fit:
 
10/10

Second-skin fit, close and body-hugging without being restrictive.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
10/10

Perfect size.

Rate the product for weight:
 
10/10
Rate the product for comfort:
 
9/10

Superb forget-you're-wearing-it comfort.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Okay, £55 isn't 'good' value for a baselayer, but it's not bad either considering the quality on offer here.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Rapha says wash it in a bag, or by hand, but I just put it in with lighter-coloured sports kit. I wore it with some new bib tights which left some dark marks, and they haven't come out... yet...

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

If a baselayer's purpose is to keep you comfortable under a jersey, free of clamminess, this does a superb job. You forget you're wearing it.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The fit, and softness. And the look. And how well it works. And...

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The sleeves are long enough to poke out under some jerseys. A sleeveless option is available.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

It's an excellent baselayer, even if £55 is a lot to pay.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 51  Height: 169cm  Weight: size 10-12

I usually ride: Vitus Venon  My best bike is: Paulus Quiros

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, sportives, general fitness riding

Rapha Women's Merino Mesh Base Layer – Short Sleeve 2017
Rapha Women's Merino Mesh Base Layer – Short Sleeve
Rapha 2017
Rapha
Tass Whitby

Tass is our production pedant, who boldly goes hunting for split infinitives, rogue apostrophes and other things up with which she will not put. She joined road.cc in 2015 but first began working on bike magazines way back in 1991 as production editor on Mountain Biking UK, then deputy editor of MTB Pro, before changing allegiance to road cycling as senior production editor on Cycling Plus. She's ridden off-road but much prefers on, hasn't done half the touring she'd like to, and loves paper maps.

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