UKC

I just got an icebreaker 260 crew neck in a small and it's a bit on the big side. I'm pretty skinny but I was surprised how loose it was, a helly Hansen medium is tight on me and smartwool small is fine.

I wondered if anyone could tell me whether they shrink a bit in the wash, I know the smartwool ones say they do.

Also, is the size consistent throughout the range, it's an active top as opposed to their everyday range. Are the lighter weight ones tighter?

Thanks
Ben

In reply to Sharp:

i find wool will shrink a bit first wash, then it starts to stretch. to the point where i dont bother with it any more as after a year it doesnt function properly by being too loose.

ive found this with IB and marmot tops.

In reply to ice.solo:

Cheers, you just can't beat the anti smell though. I quite rate the helly Hansen merino ones, they're not as soft and comfy for everyday wear but for use outdoors they're great, abused the hell out if one for about 6 years and it still looks and fits the same. The liner seems to hold it together and stop it from pulling/ripping or getting holes (despite a few undignified running falls!)

Recently got to try the rab meco base layers and was quite disappointed, very thin, bobbled quickly, label peeled off and a loose fit. All after very little wear. It does wick better than merino and the anti smell is there but after rave reviews I was expecting more.

In reply to Sharp:

true, the anti-reek thing is worth it. i suppose if the possible stretch-factor is simply accepted then they cant be beat for that.

rab seems to be having quality issues left, right and center these days.

ibex gets good reviews but not tried any of ther stuff myself.

In reply to ice.solo:

Just out of interest what else have they had trouble with? I've only known one person whose used their waterproof stuff but not really come across any complaints of their other products. Certainly their down range is up there with the best of them, the softshell (and esp. VR), primaloft jackets I've used and come across have all been good quality. I think their prices are pretty reasonable too, for example the likes of their torque and calibre pants are almost half the price of softshell offerings from similar brands.

In reply to Sharp:

seems theres construction issues and matters regarding water resistance. perhaps its just a spate of complainers, or a few bad batches of fabric/teething problems at new facilities or something.

ive always liked their gear and have no complaints myself other than export prices that get up there.

In reply to Sharp:

Very impressed with the icebreaker.

I got a zip neck ,and wear it to my work (currently slating a roof) and it keeps me alive.

Don't think it's shrank/shrunk.

At the other end of the scale ,I be got a OMM half zip in (S) and the forearms are quite tight.

Hope they will stretch.

In reply to Sharp: Hmmm. I'm surprised ice.solo has found wool stretching. My experience has been that Icebreakers do shrink a certain amount over their life so a little baggy at first is fine. Never had one get any bigger.

In reply to Sharp:



No, the sizing varies considerably over the ranges and over the last several years - slimmer in the sportier/active lines and looser in the original/basic lines. I have around 12 Icebreaker garments and probably only two of the six t-shirts (Tech T Lite etc) I have fit the same. In some I can wear XL but most are XXL. The Beast / Anatomica shirts are very form-fitting and thin, but thinness is no guarantee of a slimmer fit.

I have not found them to shrink. I have successfully stretched a 200 Tech Top as it was too short in the body (wash it, hang it on the clothes line upside down, well pegged, with a coat hanger in normal position with a 1kg weight disc on the hanger hook) . Stretching it like this makes it a bit tighter around the shoulders and upper torso, but not much. Maybe to shrink it try a quick wash in very hot water, followed by time in a tumble dryer on high heat?

In reply to AdrianC:

Maybe it is how they are washed and dried? I've used icebreaker for over 7 yrs and never had any shrinkage, but have also noticed in some of the larger heavier weights that some stretching does appear to happen. I never force dry and always hang icebreaker on hangers to dry, and by habit have a tendency to pull to shape immediately it is out if the washing machine . That may stretch the stuff a bit!
If the OP wants to shrink the tops, then he could try a bit of heat both in the wash and dryer?
As to "Also, is the size consistent throughout the range, it's an active top as opposed to their everyday range. Are the lighter weight ones tighter?" My view is that the the lighter weight ones are a bit smaller than the mid and heavy weigh ones but is that not what they are designed for? They do seem to be variable and a try on the what is needed if you have a preference.

Washed carefully they don't usually shrink. However I accidently did a hot wash with one of my icebeaker pieces and it did.

Cheers everyone, it fits ok I guess but hopefully it'll shrink down a little bit as I prefer it closer fitting if it's under stuff. It's always disappointing when a size small blouses around the waist, i wish supposedly active wear was a little more fitted. Maybe the festive season will sort it all out for me, but then i wont fit into the gimp suit.

In reply to Sharp:

Some of my older icebreaker tended to get shorter and wider with age, particularly thicker garments - wonder if this is what Ice Solo found? Recent stuff (last 5 years?) has been denser knit and really impressive - though possibly very slight shrinkage sometimes.

Ibex - I've got a couple of bits, very much on a par with Icebreaker/Smartwool. If I was being very fussy I'd say Icebreaker are best, then Ibex, then Smartwool.

In reply to Carolyn:



Yes, I have an Ibex midweight top and a hat and both are very good quality. They're a bit rougher and denser than Icebreaker but the top has a really slim fit and long arms, which I like.

Smartwool stuff is also nice and have some interesting and useful designs, but their XL is too small for me and I've never seen them do XXL. So the three brands also fit quite differently, which means anyone wanting the best fit really needs to try them on.

The Icebreaker top I stretched in the post further above was a 260, not a 200. Stretching them lengthwise makes them fit a bit tighter in the lower torso, which is fine for me.