Smartwool Lightweight Zip T

I urge all review-readers: as always, shop around. I saw this top for as much as $80, but with a few Google searches found it for $30 on clearance.

Unlike the previous reviewer, I found the sizing chart to provide a good fit (I'm a small). I've been favorably impressed with this shirt. I did expect it to provide a bit more warmth, however.

To give a better idea, I'm a hot person in general and frequently hike with this as my shirt in 60ish degree weather with a 28lb pack with no problems. I would roast alive if I tried that with a long-sleeved shirt with any kind of insulation. Don't expect it to give you much insulation.

The wicking is awesome. I sweat a lot, even if I'm properly dressed, and I have not noticed wetness at all with this shirt.

It is also more durable than I expected. I did a weekend of bushwhacking through some tough underbrush this last weekend which shredded some of my gear, including the RidgeRest I had strapped to the outside of my pack. The shirt came through unscathed.

Bottom line: this shirt is awesome, but I wouldn't buy it at $80. Look around for a better deal.

Good wool layer with easy care

This is a great under layer, or for single layer wear without a pack. It washes well and dries pretty fast. If you work up a sweat on the trail it doesn't wick super well and takes longer than other products to dry. Although dryer time after washing is pretty fast.

This is an excellent light base layer, and the zip-neck adds versatility as you can unzip to ventilate if you get warm. What they say about merino wool is true--it doesn't itch, feels drier than synthetics when you sweat in it, and takes a lot longer to start smelling ripe than synthetics. Besides, at least for me, the fact that it is a natural material is appealing.

I wear mine for hiking and trail running. The fit is just right and it can be washed and tumble dried without messing that up--shrinkage is minimal. I seldom wear my synthetic base layers anymore since trying Smartwool and similar products.

This is supposed to be a either a baselayer or midlayer shirt that would do well in sports. I found the sizing terrible and uninteresting.

Pros:
Quality Merino
Flat seams

Cons:
Baggy and sized poorly with too long of length and misplaced shoulder seams for a size small

If you don't mind using it as the best sleepwear ever, which is what I've adopted it for, then intend it to serve similar purposes. This is a far cry from being an athletic shirt.