The Right Fabric for the Perfect Thermal

Whether you’re hiking or just enjoying the great outdoors, wearing a base layer is the most crucial part of staying warm and comfortable outdoors. No matter how good your mid or outer layers are, without a snug and performing base layer, you’ll be far from pleasant. Thermals for women make a great base layer. 

• They manage moisture. This can come from two places. Sweat from the body, or perspiration from the outside. Either way, this moisture needs to be wicked away to the outside garment, where it can either evaporate or pass to the outer layer and keep you dry.

• It protects your skin. If you are only wearing a base layer in warmer weather, it can protect against UV rays and potential chafing from a backpack or vegetation.

• Women’s thermal underwear helps maintain your body’s natural temperature. In colder weather or climates, a base layer reduces the speed at which your body loses body heat. 

While the benefits of a sold base layer are substantial, not all are made the same. Thermals can be made from different fabrics. These fabrics range in price and personal choice, along with weight and weather conditions. 

• Polyester: This fabric is excellent for a base and mid-layer. It is widely used and relatively popular due to its price tag. While inexpensive, it still offers exceptional performance as it dries fast and wicks away moisture quite effectively.

• Merino Wool: Wool offers a natural and superb body temperature regulation. It is also anti-microbial. Not only will it keep you warm in colder temperature, but it will keep you cool in warmer climates. Though they have a lot of odor resistance, merino wool has a more significant price tag.

• Nylon: This is usually used for backpacks, pants, along with outer-layers. While it has an adequate performance like polyester, it suffers due to poor breathability. Its main advantage is its durability.

• Cotton: This fabric is best for mid-layers, socks, or pants. While it can be used as a base layer, it offers poor performance as a moisture-wicking material due to its extreme water absorbency. Cotton is hard to dry and can cause rapid heat loss in cold conditions. Usually, it’s blended with polyester for better performance.

• Silk: As a base layer, silk offers great performance as it provides a lot of warmth for its weight. It dries very fast and offers excellent moisture-wicking performance, plus it’s hard to deny it feels good against the skin. The only downside to this fabric is the price. Out of all the other materials, silk is the most expensive. They can, however, be used in all weather conditions. 

• Women’s thermal underwear comes in many different materials. Each one offers a level of comfort that depends on when they are worn, warmth, or cooler body temperature. Thermals for women make excellent base layers in many conditions. While most of these fabrics will work, for many, the price is the deciding factor. Each of them comes in different weights so choose one that fits your activity level. Staying warm and comfortable will make the colder months a great time of the year.