Rapha Merino base layer review: 100% Merino to keep you comfortable

Bradley Wiggins would choose to ride in a Merino base layer year-round when riding for Team Sky or so the story goes. 

Wiggins probably chose a Merino base layer due to the wool's strong ability to help regulate temperature, deal with moisture and help keep the wearer feeling comfortable. Merino is a popular choice for all kinds of garments for outdoor pursuits - including cycling and generally, it’s for good reason. If you weren’t sure though, Merino Wool is a natural fibre which comes from the Merino sheep, which have particularly fine wool and are generally acknowledged to have originated from Spain, though the wool in this base layer is from New Zealand sheep. 

Merino wool helps to regulate the wearer's body temperature and deals with odours, sweat and moisture very well. You’ll often read about its ability to be worn for days in a row without odour and it’s true, it does just seem to get less stinky after use than synthetic base layers. 

So that’s Merino, now to Rapha. The brand quietly overhauled its base layer offerings this year and now has a slightly different base layer range which contains three Merino options. There’s the piece we are looking at here, a 100% merino short-sleeved base layer. A long-sleeved version, and a Merino/polyester blend option. 

This base layer retails for $90 / €80 / £70 but is currently discounted in all three territories by around 20%. It's available in blue, cream and black. You can peruse lots more quality base layers in our best cycling base layers buyers' guide 

 Design and Aesthetics  

A previous Rapha Merino base layer I owned was manufactured in Vietnam, this one is from China, if you are interested. Elsewhere there have been a few aesthetic tweaks and updates though the recognisable Rapha styling remains.

I've tested a black version of the base layer, and it just looks like a smart black T-shirt. There isn't too much in the way of branding or labels, everything is simple. There is a stitched-on Rapha label on the outside of the neck and another stitched-on, and helpful garment care label on the outside left of the hem, which is classic Rapha in looks and will be well familiar if you have any Rapha pieces in the wardrobe already. 

The elimination of any interior labels aside from a tiny neck label should boost comfort and show the design has been thought about. The fabric weight is 150g/m2 which is light to medium weight. Flatlock seams also feature internally and do sit nice and flat, I haven't been able to feel anything in use. The base layer is very stretchy, my size small test piece was true to size but the stretch is there, the wool appears to have some natural elasticity and returns to fit you nicely. The base layer is also cut just a little bit longer, which contributes to the t-shirt-like feeling. 

There are a few more specific care instructions that come with the base layer. It can go in on a 30-degree synthetic wash, though Rapha does recommend using wool detergent.

The Rapha website recommends use with ‘midweight jerseys and jackets depending on conditions’. Depending on conditions is key, of course, but I think this sells the base layer a bit short and you can do an awful lot more with it than that. 

 Performance  

I found the Rapha Merino to be super soft and comfortable There is zero hint of the woolly scratch that can sometimes be felt from some Merino-based pieces. It really does feel luxurious when being worn. I have also tested the Albion long sleeve Merino base layer and find the Rapha far softer and more comfortable to wear.

The cut is more akin to a fitted t-shirt than a performance base layer, and you could get away with wearing it as a t-shirt or with bib shorts on its own, such is the trend. I most recently wore it for an evening gravel ride that started pretty warm but finished in the dark, after a visit to the pub and I knew the temperature would be dropping.

Wearing the base layer under a more relaxed-fitting short-sleeved jersey was perfect and it kept me dry and comfortable on a muggy night where I did plenty of sweating. After being out in it for four hours, it was pretty much dry and odour-free when I got home, I have deliberately left it for a few days without washing it in between rides and coming back to it, it does prove to be smell-free. I know a polyester base layer would have been a bit whiffy if I had done this. 

Due to its more relaxed cut, and fabric which is slightly thicker than a thin summer, mesh base layer, I’d say this base layer will generally pair better with looser-fitting jerseys for summer. It would also sit nicely under one of the technical riding t-shirts that lots of brands offer now for gravel and all-round riding. Although you can, of course, wear it with whatever you like. The sleeves for example will just bunch up under a tight aero jersey’s tight-fitting sleeves and you might have to do a bit of tucking in and smoothing out here and there. I tried it under my tightest aero jersey, the one I'd wear to race in or try to go fast and it wasn't a disaster and still felt comfy, but if you're looking to feel light and fast you may want to go with a vest, lighter piece or no base layer at all. 

It’s cool morning or evening overlaps where the merino will also really prove itself. If you're starting early and there’s still some chill in the air or finish in the dark like me recently the extra comfort and thermal properties from the wool, will look after you.

For winter and generally cooler weather, I think it will also perform strongly, you will be able to pair it with loads of jackets and layers. I'm thinking of a cafe stop on a cold winter ride and the Merino keeping you that little bit more comfortable, especially if you have been sweating. 

Verdict

The Rapha Merino base layer is very nice to wear and use. It's comfortable and soft and the 100% Merino up to this point does exactly what it says on the tin. It deals very well with moisture and sweaty odours. 

The retail price is slightly higher than plenty of other synthetic base layers on the market. But you are getting a 100% Merino base layer that should offer pretty much year-round versatility. It may be a bit heavy for riding in hot conditions and I suspect most riders will want to wear something else, myself included for higher temps. But it's a versatile and useful base layer for pretty much everything else.