Under Armour's ColdGear compression mock is my favorite winter accessory
It doesn't look like much, but it insulates, wicks sweat and keeps my body temperature balanced even below freezing.
The mock is made of a blend of polyester and elastane, or spandex, and, according to the company, the material has “4-way stretch,” so it moves and stretches well in every direction. The company also says the shirt has anti-odor protection. It fits right on the skin, so don’t be alarmed if you’ve never worn anything quite this tight before — it’s supposed to be that way. The fit on the neck provides good coverage, in my experience.
There are very few negatives I can point to, other than the tightness being a bit uncomfortable over very long periods of time — it’s great for a few hours, but after a full day (or more, if you’re a camper), it feels like my skin hasn’t breathed in a while. And sometimes the shirt can bunch up — I don’t have especially long arms, though, so it may just be a fit issue.
Compression isn’t for everyone, but there are plenty of ultra-warm base layer shirts out there to try that may provide a better fit for you while keeping you warm. Here are a couple highly rated options.
According to the company, this shirt is 2.25 times warmer than regular HEATTECH. It’s not a compression shirt, so while it may not fit like the UA for athletic performance, you can wear it like a regular T-shirt. The shirt is made of acrylic, polyester, rayon and spandex. "I own a couple of Uniqlo HEATTECH base layers,” Select editor Michael Park said. “They’ve kept me warm in the Rockies during a once-in-a-century blizzard, right outside the Arctic at a polar bear research center, and even at what was briefly the coldest recorded spot on the planet in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. As soon as he was old enough, I bought my toddler a HEATTECH base layer, too."
This shirt is 51 percent wool — which meets the Responsible Wool Standard — and 49 percent recycled polyester. According to the company, the fabric blend keeps you warm and protects against odor and moisture, and Patagonia says it dries very quickly. It has an average rating of 4.6 stars from over 180 reviews on the Patagonia site.
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