Odlo NATURAL + KINSHIP Baselayer Review

Odlo NATURAL + KINSHIP Baselayer

In the fall and winter I wear baselayers on every hike, run and ride. I would rather wear a lightweight pant and midweight sweater than wear something heavy. I overheat easily and foregoing the heavy layers allow me to regulate temperature easier. If I can get away with it, I wear just the baselayer top alone. I generally lean towards merino wool too. I love merino for its warming and COOLING properties, as well as its ability to keep the stink down. When I am on a multi-day excursion, I don’t want my own stink to be what ruins my trip! With the Odlo Natural + Kinship Baselayer, I purposefully didn’t wash for a few+ days to see what kind of funk I could get out of it. Although it isn’t 100% merino, you’ll be happy to hear (smell), stink free!

Baselayer Top:

Like I said above, if I can get away with wearing just a baselayer top I will do it. To me, they are the perfect weight for great sun, wind and cool weather protection. However, the true test of a great baselayer is how they perform under a load of clothing. To me a great baselayer top stays in place, doesn’t bunch and regulates temperature. When I initially saw the garment was only 52% merino I was wondering what made up the other 48%. A healthy dose of polyester, polyamide and elastane round it out to give it some good stretch and keep that snug fit. One of my favorite parts of both the top and bottom were the thick sleeve ends, bottom of the shirt and end of the pant legs. This added a tiny bit of structure to the ends leading to a very comfortable fit. I ordered a large because 99% of my tops shrink a bit and expose my belt line. After numerous washes and some extra low dryer cycles, the top is still exactly where it started and that makes me very excited!

Would I recommend the Odlo Natural + Kinship Baselayer top as an expedition, day to day and race day layer? 100%.

Features:

Gear Tester:

ODLO: We were born in Norway over 70 years ago out of a need to create quality performance clothing that could function in notoriously harsh conditions. Innovating is in our DNA!

Baselayer Bottom:

I want my baselayer bottom to do exactly what it advertises and nothing more. In reality I don’t even want to know it’s there until I get home and start wandering around the house looking like Spiderman. These are those baselayers. Their merino blend have an extremely soft hand that doesn’t catch on you skin or your pants. They provide ample warmth in higher output activities like running and skiing. The bottoms have the extra thick layer of fabric at the waistband and the end of the pant leg. This aids in keeping the bottoms in position and not letting them travel around and get bunched up. The extra thick waist band also keeps it from digging into your waistline when a pair of ski pants are cinched over the top.

I should mention that these top and bottom layers also look really good. They have a white stitched-looking pattern all throughout that gives it that sporty/futuristic look. I’m pretty sure I look more buff than I actually am in these baselayers… Just sayin’. If you want to wear something with exquisite fit and form, the Odlo Natural + Kinship Baselayer is for you!