tempted to say that i'm neither a man nor a baby, but a woman - the joke suggests itself, but unfortunately (?) it's not true... anyway, joking apart, i like a proper tight fit in a baselayer and a zip neck, which both the smartwool and the icebreaker have. the only remaining question is whether one of them is better in terms of material and workmanship. any experiences?
We could stock Icbreaker. We don't because Smartwool is superior product.
If Icebreaker have sorted out their seams (ie if they are now flatlock) and their cuffs then they'd be nearly as good. And you'd be better with Icebreaker or Rab merino than a polyester. But Smartwool is better.
I should add hat my Icebreaker stuff has not got flatlock seams so I have to wear it inside out. Not the end of the world but something that's not necessary with Smartwool (which may be US but uses the highest quality NZ merino and is manufactured in Fiji).
In reply to nb290:
The ones from Aldi are the best value, though more prone to shrinking so take care when washing.
The M&S ones aren't pure Merino (unless they've changed recently).
nb29017 Oct 2005
In reply to Dave Hunter, Rock + Run: I take your word for it. The only easily visible advantage of the icebreaker techtop may be the very long collar, which you can either double (or triple) up for a nicely protected neck or pull up all the way to your chin. there's something about that for babies like me, but perhaps it's not an important feature at the end of the day.
In reply to nb290:
We used a lot of different Smartwool stuff during an expedition to the Andes over the summer. I was really impressed with it (think everybody else was too), especially it's ability to not smell after two weeks without a wash.
gbuchanan17 Oct 2005
In reply to nb290:
Icebreaker is now generally flatlocked for base layers (bar a couple of more 'fashion' items). The Tech Top is considered to be base layer, so it may well be flat stitched now. It's worth checking on the current I've got a lot of Icebreaker, and personally find it excellent. Flat stitching really has little advantage for me, so I don't pay attention to that - never had a problem that inspired me to worry about it.
Icebreaker and Smartwool do the job equally well for me. I haven't been troubled by seams flat or otherwise, and they're both well-made and comfortable. They do seem to use finer wool than some of the other manufacturers (like Aldi) and are not in the least bit itchy. The same can be said about Howies merino baselayers. Have a look at the sale page of howies.co.uk for some improved deals on their stuff (and support Cardigan Bay's third biggest clothing company!)
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