Under Armour have kindly sent me one of their new ColdGear Thermal Mock tops to try out and review.
The blurb on the website states that it features a double sided fabric that wicks moisture from the skin and circulates body heat. It keeps athletes warm without weighing them down and contains odour control.
By time I got hold my Under Amour Cold Gear long sleeve mock temperatures were starting to rise in The Alps. I knew this garment was especially designed for use in the extreme cold, and I was out in – 30 degrees centigrade in December and would have given anything to keep me warmer than I was at that time.
Still, I was sceptical that even the best thermal base layer would not help me out in those temperatures.
The first time I put on my Under Armour Cold Gear garment was in an apartment, first thing in the morning. I sat and had breakfast just wearing the top. The apartment was not particularly hot but I immediately started to feel that this was not an item of clothing to wear indoors.
The day was sunny and the minimum temperature on the mountain was about – 3 degrees, so not really cold at all. I simply wore the Under Armour top along with one other thermal layer, a stretch fabric zip up and a shell outer jacket.
My first impression before I wore the top was that the fabric seemed a bit ‘shiny’. Like it looked a bit cheap. But once I got it on the stretch material hugged itself to my body and felt really good. Sometimes my skin gets a bit sensitive to artificial fabrics that are used in this garment (Nylon and Polyester) but I did not experience these issues, after several days of wearing it. It also didn’t start to smell of body odour, even after 4 days of skiing. I would not usually think about wearing this kind of garment for more than two days without washing it normally. Thinking about my early seasons when I didn’t wash clothes for months, this would have been great!
I have noticed the Welsh Rugby team wearing Under Amour clothing, in the 6 nations tournament, this winter. I was interested to find out if something that works on a rugby field would translate onto the ski slopes.
Certainly, I never felt cold at all during the several days I have worn the top, although I am yet to try it out in the extreme cold. I‘m looking forward to it though as I do think that it will make a difference. I suffer from the cold weather and being out in the mountains in anything under -10 degrees for me feels unpleasant.
I’m very pleased with my Under Amour Cold Gear mock and it’s a great addition to my various thermal base layer garments. I’m not looking forward to the temperatures dropping to below – 10 again!