The Gorewear M Women Base Layer Thermo Long Sleeve Shirt is a lightweight feeling winter base layer that delivers more warmth than expected. The soft and stretchy fabric offers excellent comfort, while the longer body worked particularly well for me.
The Gorewear M Women Base Layer Thermo Long Sleeve Shirt is made from 92% polypropylene and 8% elastane, which the brand says offers a second skin feel. The thermo-stretch functional fabric is soft to touch and very stretchy, hugging the body nicely without feeling restrictive.
Flatlock seams mean it’s very comfortable under jackets, with nothing digging in. The fit was excellent for me, with extra length in the body that’s perfect for tucking in. The arms were just right too – not too long, baggy or tight, and allowed plenty of movement. My pet peeve is long-sleeve base layers that bunch up or restrict motion under a jacket, and this didn’t do that.
The neckline is more generous than I’d prefer for a winter base layer. It’s slightly loose, letting more air in than I’d have liked, though this was helpful on rides where I overdressed. A slightly higher or tighter neck would have offered better insulation for deep winter.
I tested a size S (recommended for UK 8-10) and it fit perfectly. The garment’s available in six sizes from XXS to XL and comes in black or white. White wouldn’t be my first choice for a winter base layer, but it’s holding up well so far. My size small weighed 116g, which is slightly lighter than Gorewear’s claimed 140g.
For a base layer that feels relatively thin, it performed very well, providing excellent warmth at 5-6°C when paired with only a long sleeve winter jacket. I initially overdressed with it, underestimating its warmth and overheated quickly. Although Gorewear doesn’t specify a recommended temperature range, I’d expect this base layer to perform well into sub-zero temperatures when layered appropriately.
The fabric manages sweat reasonably well, but does pick up odour more rapidly than I expected, particularly when overdressed.
Value
At £59.99, it is a lot to shell out on a base layer, but many cycling-specific options are more expensive. For example, Le Col’s Womens Deep Winter Base Layer that I tested costs £80 at RRP. It features Polartec Alpha fabric and provided excellent warmth, though the fit was off.
> Wick away sweat and stay comfortable with one of the best cycling base layers
However, Galibier’s Female Specific Barrier Base Layer is around half the price of the M Women Base Layer Thermo Long Sleeve Shirt and comes in a good range of sizes. Charlotte praised the high neck, overall quality and performance.
Overall
The Gorewear M Women Base Layer Thermo Long Sleeve Shirt is a soft, stretchy and well-fitting baselayer that performs impressively. It offers excellent warmth in cold conditions and good freedom of movement, though the neckline could provide slightly better insulation and the fabric picks up odour faster than I’d have liked.
Verdict
A warm and comfortable base layer though some compromises with odour control
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Gorewear M Women Base Layer Thermo Long Sleeve Shirt
Size tested: S/38
Tell us what the product is for
Gorewear says: “This classic and best selling under-layer feels like a second skin”.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Gorewear lists
– Thermo-stretch functional fabric
– Minimised seams for less chafing
– Flatlock seams
– MAIN: 92% Polypropylene, 8% Elastane
Very warm base layer but some issues with odour resistance when I overheated.
No issues so far.
Fitted me well. I appreciated the longer body and arms.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
No issues – washed as normal.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Keeps you very warm despite the thin fabric. The fit and materials are very comfy when layering up in cold weather.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The fabric and fit.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Lack of odour resistance.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It’s a lot to shell out on a baselayer, but there are plenty of cycling specific options that are more expensive. Le Col’s Womens Deep Winter Base Layer that I tested costs £80 at RRP, though Galibier’s Female Specific Barrier Base Layer is around half the price.
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 overall score
It does the job of keeping you warm well and the fabric is soft and stretchy. It fitted me especially well with a longer body and arms, though the fabric starts to pick up odour faster than I’d have liked.
About the tester
Age: 25 Height: 175 Weight: 64
I usually ride: specialised tarmac sl6 My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,
1 thought on “Gorewear M Women Base Layer Thermo Long Sleeve Shirt”
Sure that is designed for
Sure that is designed for females with shorter torsos?