Thermal base layer tops

[17Degrees]

Boring title - but which are good makes please, any recommends welcomed thanks!

The M&S thermal ones two for £16 are wondeful, so warm, I wash on a 30 degree wash and I never tumble dry, put it on an airer or radiator. I would recommend these definitely, buy your regular size.

i find M&S Heatgen plus far superior to the Uniqlo - though i wear both for different purposes and necklines, i am definitely in the M&S ones through this cold snap. Soft and stretchy and thick

I wear a uniqlo or M&S thermal long sleeved vest pretty much every day, Autumn-Spring, as the clothes I wear most often (pinafores, short-sleeved Simone dress from Fat Face, dungarees) need something tight fitting layered underneath them. I must have about 10 at the moment! But I do find that after a while, they get stinky. (I mean, after one wear, a wash and wear again - I don't wear them more than once before washing, to try and avoid this.) I find this with a lot of tight-fitting clothing so maybe it's me? I wash daily with soap, I always use deodorant, it's just annoying that clothing eventually gets a residual stink after a while.

That said, I see the long-sleeved thermal vests as indispensable so I will continue buying and then recycle in a ragging bin.

Howies, Ice Breaker or Smartwool Merino

Excellent, non-smelly, not-itchy, last for decades.

Also sharing the love for Uniqlo. The scoop neck one is low enough to wear under open neck shirts and dresses and thin enough to not look bulky.
I picked up a cheap thermal in Primark last year which is surprisingly nice. It’s really thick fabric so good under jumpers.

ive tried merino ones, but find it too itchy, though very warm. Maybe I’m not buying good enough quality.

Anyone want to share how their experience of how the Uniqlo sizing works? I'm a size 14/16 and I suspect I need an XL or even a XXL. I'd prefer a fit that meant I could wear it on its own ie. not skin tight.

I’m a 16 and generally go for XL in tops with a bit of stretch as some of the clothes aren’t very boob friendly. A non stretchy top I might go xxl

Another vote for Uniqlo HeatTech.
They wash really well; are light, thin and keep you warm.
Sales make the price more reasonable.

They come up tight so get an XXL for some room!

That was for @redskydelight !

We bought the Mountain Warehouse merino base layers for a trip to Iceland before Christmas and they were great. Soft, comfortable and did the job. I think they are on offer at the moment.

I have both Uniqlo & M&S ones. The Uniqlo scoop neck (not crew neck) is great for wearing under dresses/tops as the scoop is low enough not to show & also doesn't show at the shoulder. The M&S ones are warmer but the crew neck is more visible under other clothes. Both wash well - I don't tumble dry but air dry on hangers. They are also both nice & long in the body.
I have XL in Uniqlo & 16 in M&S. (I am 5'8" with boobage). I wouldn't wear either on their own though as they are too thin. They are brilliant as base layers.

The whole M&S Heatgen range is brilliant - they do different thicknesses, different necklines & sleeve lengths, tops & leggings, good colours. Just brilliant!

Depends on your budget, what you are using them for and what you are wearing them under! My brother does a lot of ski-ing and recommends Icebreaker. I use Mountain Warehouse or Lidl ones for cycling in the cooler months - been very impressed with the Lidl ones this season. For every day wear I'm looking for some with a v neck as the ones I have don't go properly under a round neck jumper!

Best I've used are Jack Wolfskin. I've been out in -25c in them... And other clothes 😉

M&S are also pretty good. I think I'm wearing theirs at the moment. Roll on summer.

Agree that it depends whether you want 'proper' thermals or stuff for day to day use. Uniqlo (there are 3 levels of warmth) are fine for normal day to day use, but aren't great for seriously cold weather. Some of their thermals contain cotton which will get damp and can make you feel clammy, so avoid the cotton ones. The best reasonably priced thermals I've found are from TOG 24. They are half price at the moment too www.tog24.com/collections/womens-baselayers

If you need proper thermals, merino all the way. Cheap merino can be scratchy, but if you spend a bit more, it's beautifully soft.

Sorry for the essay, we had a holiday in -35° so I've done a lot of research

I agree with everyone on merino. Dilling are fab, some people might find the merino a bit wooly next to their skin, but nit me, I am wearing one of their long sleeved tops right now under my jumper and I love them. The Dilling silk/wool blends are softer, I wear them as PJ tops when it's cold. If you want super soft, Smartwool thermal long sleeved tops are 100% merino but are at least as soft as any synthetic, I would be amazed if anyone found them itchy, they don't feel like wool at all. They are also great worn as regular long sleeved tops instead of cotton. Icebreaker are great too and not itchy, although I prefer their thinner ones, for the thick ones I prefer the Smartwool above. They last for years, I still have the ones I bought 6 or 7 years ago and they are in great condition. The other advantage is that merino doesn't smell after wear and can be worn for multiple days, perhaps 3, 4 or 5, next to the skin, before needing washing. After buying my first merino base layer in 2016, an Icebreaker one, I have never bought a short or long sleeved top made from another fabric, other than a few silk or silk/wool blend tops. I wear them daily, short sleeved or sleeveless in summer and long sleeved in other seasons. I would try some and see, Icebreaker, Smartwool and Dilling are all great with returns.

For day to day - sainsburys do some nice ones but I only like the smooth ones which are often out of stock.

www.mountainwarehouse.com/ski/merino/ These are great value and merino. I like the half zip ones.

Hi @17Degrees thanks for posting! I can see you've had some great suggestions for base layers already - just wanted to point you in the direction of our page ranking the best thermal underwear in case you're still on the look out! Hope it's of some use, please feel free to let us know if you've any feedback!