How to choose men's thermal underwear for cold weather?

Tags: #Lycra #Merino #Spandex #Cotton #Wool

A typical set of men's thermal underwear consists of long johns and a jacket. Each component is replaceable. Instead of a long sleeve, you can buy a sleeveless T-shirt, instead of pants - swimming trunks, and sometimes one-piece overalls are used. To choose the right one among the existing options, you need to take into account the expected operating conditions and become familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of all existing solutions.

What to look for when choosing thermal underwear for winter?

Before you go to the store, understand your goals. This is necessary, since thermal underwear is divided into 3 categories:

sports (provides normal conditions during high activity);
everyday (it warms, but does not cope well with moisture removal, so it is not suitable for sports);
hybrid (combines the advantages and disadvantages of the options listed above).

Sportswear, in turn, may have normal hygienic characteristics or not have them at all. If the manufacturer has not taken care of this issue, then for safety reasons his product can only be worn for 6–8 hours. This option is definitely not suitable for hiking and fishing.

Important! Cuffs provide additional protection. You can’t do without them if you plan to be physically active, and not just spend a long time outdoors. The presence of an elastic waistband on the jacket will also help prevent hypothermia.

The principle of “work” of this clothing

The classic model of thermal underwear has 2 layers. The lower one warms, the upper one repels and removes moisture. The presence of an additional 3 layers is an indicator that the item has specific characteristics. For example, it may be aimed at allergy sufferers. In this context, the material adjacent to the body is distinguished by its respect for the skin.

Wool, synthetics, natural fabrics?

The listed options are standard materials for thermal underwear. Each of them has advantages over its analogues, but is not without its disadvantages.

Synthetics. Main function: moisture removal. It works better in this direction than many analogues. Products consisting of several synthetic materials at once, including modified polypropylene, are especially valued. Due to the balanced combination of different fibers, such a thing dries quickly, fits well, does not wear out for a long time and does not accumulate liquid at all. Thanks to zero hygroscopicity, thermal underwear does not cause the body to cool down.

Important! These characteristics belong to good quality synthetics.In cheap goods, the listed properties are less pronounced or absent altogether. However, in terms of price they have no equal.

Wool. Really warms, but absorbs moisture and dries much longer than synthetics. Not suitable for high activity and conditions in which the wearer sweats profusely.

Cotton. This linen creates a thermal insulating pillow, pleasant to the body, more affordable than wool and good synthetics. At the same time, it accumulates moisture, which indirectly leads to cooling of the wearer’s body.

Also there is a combined version of thermal underwear. Its inner layer, adjacent to the body, is made of natural fabric, and the outer layer is made of synthetics. This combination guarantees a pleasant wearing experience and better protection. The latter quality is more pronounced in three-layer thermal underwear. In such a thing, the intermediate material is responsible for removing fluid from the body and due to this, the secretions, well absorbed by the inner layer, cease to affect the body temperature.

What material should be used for cold weather?

You should not be guided only by temperature. Very It is important to consider the type of activity and length of time spent outdoors.

Guidelines and tips:

for a sedate walk around the city in extreme conditions, you should buy woolen underwear;
pure synthetics - the choice of lovers of diving to depths (the icy water of the lower layers does not cause hypothermia if such a jumpsuit is on the body), real athletes, tourists skiing;
fleece is the choice of fans of winter fishing and hunting.

Features of choosing winter thermal underwear for men

Key points: size (big or small does not fulfill its functions), type of seams (they should be external, not hard), additional processing, composition. Cost is rarely the right guide. Sometimes you have to pay extra for an item only for a label or an essentially unnecessary but fashionable “feature”, but in other cases the pursuit of cheapness ends in the acquisition of synthetics of the lowest quality.

Important! If you don’t have a large budget, then save not through materials and accessories, but through sales. You should start looking for the best prices for thermal underwear at the end of January. In February, discounts reach their maximum and approach the 70–80% mark.

How to choose the size?

There is a special size table. It is universal, but not all manufacturers rely on it. Therefore, it makes sense to familiarize yourself not only with it, but also with the contents of the brand’s official website.

Having approximately determined the size, go to the store and start trying on. The right thing does not hang, fits the body, but does not pinch anywhere. If at rest the thermal underwear meets the specified characteristics, try sitting down. Normally, this action should not lead to unpleasant sensations in the knee and groin area. Next, look to see if the top is lifted up and if the back is exposed. A product that is correctly selected in size and style protects the lower back of its owner during activity.

Important! You won't be able to avoid fitting. The size on the label does not guarantee that the item will fit exactly to your figure. This is primarily due to the different composition of thermal underwear. Some materials have higher elasticity, others have lower elasticity.

Checking the top: raising your arms up, raising your arms to shoulder level and turning them around. An unsuccessfully chosen item will make itself felt by a bare lower back, raising the shoulder area or pressure in the chest.

Material quality

Notes and recommendations:

Good clean cotton suitable for daily wear. During sports activities, it is not an important assistant.
Pure wool is practically never found. Thermal underwear is a mixture; fibers of animal origin are presented only as the main or additional component. The hypoallergenic, heat-protective and hygienic properties depend on how this ingredient is combed out.. Poorly treated wool begins to stink over time, and pathogenic organisms actively multiply in it. Such fibers heat much worse, but they actively absorb water.
Low quality wool is prickly. Merino belongs to the category of luxury yarn. It is additionally credited with a variety of properties: preservation of heat-protective qualities when wet, increased drying speed, and a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system.
Low-quality synthetics quickly wear out and become electrified due to constant contact with outer clothing.

What should the equipment be like?

You can and even need to choose a one-piece suit that is not divided into top and bottom. With rare exceptions, such things provide the best protection from the influence of external conditions. However, wearing them is associated with a number of inconveniences, which is why tourists often purchase a separate jacket (long sleeve) and separate pants (long johns).

It makes sense to expand the basic set of warming underwear with socks. They also belong to the category of thermal underwear: they wick away moisture, provide warmth, and keep your feet from smelling longer. Gloves with the same functions are provided to protect hands, and underpants are provided for the organs of the reproductive system.

Important! The thermal underwear pants have a reinforced groin area. Therefore, additional swimming trunks become necessary only on long hikes.

Looking at the label

label The key point is temperature. You should not take linen that is designed for lower temperatures than usual in the region. Wearing such products is fraught with profuse sweating. The thing will not have time to cope with the volume of moisture released, because of this, at best, it will simply become useless.

If the composition contains elastane, spandex or lycra, then the thermal underwear will stretch well and retain its original shape after stretching. Well, a high proportion of wool means that a particular thermal underwear is not suitable for exhausting loads and water sports. Such a thing will not provide adequate comfort and protection to yachtsmen, kayakers, and climbers.

The mention of antibacterial impregnation is a big plus. Especially for those planning a long – multi-day – stay in the same underwear. Due to this feature, the item does not accumulate unpleasant odors and helps maintain hygiene. However, we need to be realistic: dyes, even the most persistent ones, are washed out during washing. Their effect, on average, lasts up to 5-6 washes. In other words, such thermal underwear will lose its “trick” before the season ends, but you will have to pay a significant extra for this feature.

Hypoallergenicity also ensures long-term comfortable wear. However, not a single existing material can be called absolutely safe. There will always be a person in whom this particular fiber or matter will cause an inadequate immune response. Hypoallergenic items are simply less likely to trigger the condition.