Gear Review: Ortovox Supersoft LS Zipper

[softest]

“The name doesn’t lie. It’s the most luxuriously soft baselayer we’ve worn,” say testers who used this midweight zip-T (and a short-sleeve version) while biking, running, and hiking in Bend and Boulder. The remarkable silkiness comes from a 75/25 blend of 18.5-micron merino and modal, a rayon-like yarn spun from reconstituted beech-tree pulp.

The stretchy modal enhances shape retention and makes the merino, already soft, as cozy as well-worn PJs. Another tester notes, “Despite six straight days of wear and constant sweat while skinning across rolling glaciers in Norway, stink was never an issue.” Downside: pilling on the elbows and shoulders from packs and washings. $79; 11.4 oz. (m’s XL); m’s S-XXL, w’s XS-XL; en.ortovox.com