Pactimo High Grade Wool Base Layer

Pactimo's High Grade Wool Long Sleeve Base Layer functions as a good quality three-season under layer, with thought given to breathability over outright warmth. It costs a lot, though.

• Pros: Temperature regulation, breathable
• Cons: Very expensive, tight and short on the arms

The weather has well and truly turned now, the summer baselayers have been put away, and thicker, long sleeve options have started to take over. The good news is that Pactimo has a product here that manages to straddle the gap between something for the coldest months and the mild weather – it's a very good three-season layer.

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The wool used in it is merino – the wonder natural textile of recent times – blended with polyester to create a fabric designed to boast the performance of the natural material and the tried-and-tested resilience of the synthetic.

It's a great mix that feels wool-soft against the skin, but is thin and light enough (pure merino feels thicker than this) that you don't start sweating as soon as the sun peeps out from behind the clouds. It does its job of wicking moisture from the skin as well as any baselayer I've come across, and the wool component means it doesn't retain odour.

> What's best for cycling, synthetic or merino baselayers?

The stats are 69-31% in favour of the polyester, but that takes into account the mesh panels on the rearside of the shoulders. They're positioned for additional cooling in an area that obviously doesn't face the wind, and although it somehow looks a little fussy, when the baselayer is on you can't have any complaints of how it works.

In a long sleeve baselayer, this is as cool (not cold) as I've felt on a mild 10°C autumn ride, while the full sleeve coverage sees you through – with a winter-weight jersey or jacket on – until right into low single figures. I'm not sure about the claims of performance in -17°C, but I suppose you'd wear more layers in that situation.

The construction is high quality, but although I had a medium on test when I tend to size between and medium and a large in most tops, I was surprised at just how tight the sleeves were, while they pulled up a little higher than I'd like too. The former is probably a side effect of the latter – cuffs designed to fit around wrists being pulled up thicker forearms.

> Buyer's Guide: 15 of the best cycling baselayers

I found a similar thing with the brand's Torrent rain jacket too – while I was wearing a half size smaller than I'd consider perfect, the amount the sleeves wanted to pull up my arms was a little too much even with this taken into account. I do have long arms, but this isn't an issue I find with other brands' kit (on the whole), which suggests to me it's a feature of Pactimo's sizing.

It's worth bearing in mind that in a baselayer this can be more easily forgiven – after all, you'll be wearing a jersey or jacket over the top, so as long as the outer garment gives you complete coverage to your satisfaction, then it's arguably a non-issue. Opting for the bigger of two sizes if you sit between, or simply trying one size up is likely to make up for much of the fit shortcomings.

Otherwise, it's an excellent product. The cut is slim and figure-conforming – so a size bigger shouldn't suddenly give you bags of excess room that you don't need – and the polyester content adds enough resilience that you can get away with a 40 degree wash (low spin, though) despite the recommendations for a 30 degree delicate cycle. Just don't put it near Velcro.

Anything with merino wool in it tends to cost a fair amount, and this is no exception: £70 is a huge amount of money for a garment that – let's be honest – no one is going to see. (Lusso's Bioactive baselayer does a similar job for half the money.) That said, baselayers are all about their wicking performance in that key zone right next to the skin, and on that basis alone the Pactimo at least partly justifies the price thanks to its three-season suitability.

Verdict

A great performer, but it'll cost you a fair chunk of cash