Smartwool Merino 250 Asym Bottom

Our take 

There’s no such thing as bad weather when you have good layers—at least, that’s how these midweight, women’s-only merino tights made us feel on the coldest days. Under snow pants, they kept us toasty and dry on subzero ski tours across the Rockies in Colorado and Wyoming. The warmth derives as much from the cut as the material. Testers praised the Asym’s tailoring, which reaches up to the belly button in front, while a higher rise in back prevented gaps when we bent over. The merino also kept up with the sweat we produced on sunny days up to 40°F, but these tights’ sweet spot is low- to moderate-intensity activity in cold weather.

The details 

The Asym adds all-day comfort with a snug, 3-inch waistband that never dug into our sides: “I never got that stuffed-sausage feeling,” one tester says. While not as flexy as elastane blends, merino’s slight natural stretch proved sufficient.

Trail cred 

“These tights aren’t thin, but they’re stretchy enough to skin up steep terrain with zero mobility issues,” reports one Colorado tester. smartwool.com