Whether you’re bagging Munros, wandering through coastal paths, or simply making the most of a crisp morning in the glens, a good hiking T-shirt is the base layer you’ll rely on. We’ve tested a range of both synthetic and merino-blend tops paying attention to fit, breathability, drying time, durability and value for money. Here’s how they stacked up:
Berghaus: 24/7 Crew Tech Tee
RRP: £30
Fabric: 100% polyester Argentium fabric
Made from ultra-lightweight fabric that feels cool against the skin and wicks well. The women’s is a fitted design but retains a good range of movement in the arms as there’s a lot of stretch. Retains it’s shape on washing and has worn well, I’d expect it to last a long time although the thin fabric can snag on thorns etc so needs to be treated reasonably carefully. Berghaus claims their Argentium fabric has built-in resistance to becoming smelly, certainly I’ve worn this as a baselayer continuously for short trips and not noticed any ordour build up and as it’s incredibly fast drying it can be rinsed and refreshed quickly in good weather. Good range of sizes and a decent price. A good lightweight option, especially good for hot conditions.
Available in women’s 8 – 20 and 4 colours and men’s XS – 3XL and 4 colours. Long sleeve version.
Klättermusen: Fafne SS Tee
RRP: £130
Fabric: 56% Tencel, 38% Merino Wool, 6% Elastane
Apart from the striking design, the first thing you notice about the Fafne SS Tee is the lovely soft feel of the fabric. This is of course common to merino wool garments, but here merino is actually only 38% of the mix – it is combined with tencel (derived from wood pulp) to help it to retain shape and aid durability – giving something of the best of both worlds. It is lightweight and wicks well although I found it does hold a little more sweat that pure synthetics in hot conditions. It’s both a luxurious and very practical tee for summer conditions – but that price tag is rather a painful one.
Available in men’s XS – XXL and 5 colours; women’s XXS to XL, four colours (also available as a tank top in women’s).
Smartwool: Merino Short Sleeve Tee
RRP: £75
Fabric: 88% merino wool, 12% recycled nylon
The fabric feels super soft with merino next to the skin and a nylon core to add strength. Cut is slim fit but there is a good range of sizes including plus sizes which come in a more generous relaxed fit. Wicks and dries reasonably fast although it does show sweat on light colours in a way man-made fabric don’t tend to. Needs reshaping after washing but it has worn well and I’d expect the nylon content to make it longer lasting that some previous higher merino content T-shirts that have developed holes after a few years. A good all rounder as it provides base layer warmth as well as being cool on warmer days.
Available in women’s XS – XL and plus sizes X1 – X3 equivalent to UK 18, 20-22, 24 – 26 and 5 colours and men’s S – XXL and 5 colours.
Artilect: Utilitee
RRP: £70
Fabric: CoolYarn – 40% merino, 40% tencel, 20% nylon
Similar in feel to the Patagonia top, the fabric in this robustly-made top is super soft making it a pleasure to wear. The fit is slim and the fabric is very stretchy (needs to be re-shaped after washing (cool wash only) although the design and the nylon content means it hasn’t become shapeless) and it wicks well although shows wet sweat on light colours. Drying is reasonably fast and the wool content gives it a good degree of natural odour resistance. Sustainable manufacturing certification and well made with comfortable flat seams. A nice looking top, with no visible logo, that is warm and cool when needed but will require care with washing to ensure it lasts a long time.
Available in women’s XS – XL and 5 colours; no direct men’s equivalent.
Keela: Trail Pro Short Sleeve Top
RRP: £29.95 (currently on offer)
Fabric: Polyester and spandex with Polygiene StayFresh/ViralOff
This is a comfortable, cool to touch, t-shirt which wicks well and dries very quickly. The fabric is super stretchy and the cut is generous, not slim-fit but not overly baggy either. Titanium dioxide and silver chloride is built into the fabric to prevent odour and bacteria build up and may be more familiar in some thermal base layers socks. Whilst I’d be a little sceptical about the usefulness of the claims that the fabric reduces 99% of viruses on the material over 2 hours, I can report that the shirt can be worn repeatedly without becoming smelly. I have worn Polygiene for very long periods with no smell developing and would make an effort to repeat wear this top in order to reduce the amount of washing and the impact of that on the environment as well as making it a good item for multi-day hikes or travel. A good value top from a Scottish brand with the added advantage of staying fresh for longer.
Available in women’s sizes 8 – 20 and 3 colours, men’s sizes 2xXS – 2xXL and 3 colours.
Patagonia: Capilene Cool Merino Blend Shirt
RRP: £70
Fabric: 65% merino wool, 35% recycled polyester
The highest merino-content top on test this still has a high amount of polyester to provide a robust fabric that should last well with good care. The construction is good with well made flat seams and side slits at the bottom hem providing extra movement. Fairly quick drying, provides warmth and coolness when needed and has a degree of natural odour control. Slim fit but not overly fitted with a good amount of stretch. Wash on cold and reshape on drying. Made to Patagonia’s usual and certified sustainable and ethical standards, this is a comfortable, good looking top with no visible logo and a good range of sizes and nice colours.
Available in women’s sizes XS – XXL and 4 colours, men’s sizes XS – XXL and 5 colours.
Sprayway: Trail Tee
RRP: £25
Fabric: 100g recycled, polyester/polyester blend
This very lightweight summer tee is made from polyester with a waffle-type structure. Whilst this means that it lacks the soft feel of some of the other tees in this test, it wicks superbly when working hard on hot days, and also dries very fast indeed – you cannot fault the practicality. To help prevent the build up of body odour you might associate with polyester, the tee uses HeiQ Fresh odour neutralising tech – I’ve worn it for three days on the hill without a problem. It’s bluesign approved too. I have noticed a slight snag in one part of the fabric – it doesn’t affect performance but does mean the appearance may deteriorate over time. That said, for this price the Trail Tee provides excellent value for money.
Available in men’s sizes S – XXL and three colours; women’s version sizes 8 – 18 and three colours.