The Finest Base Layers for Males of 2024-2025

Staying warm this winter starts from the ground up, and we’ve been testing the best base layers for men all season to pad out your closet. From high-output ski-hill romps to tucking into something warmer to tend the woodstove, we’ve settled on the top 12 sets of tops and bottoms that will get you through to spring in fine fashion.

It’s far easier to splurge on a shell jacket or puffy, but baselayers play an important role in your layering, and they can be the key to sustained comfort on the coldest days. If you’re seeking layers for active pursuits, it’s important to purchase a full-body set, like the Ibex Woolies Tech — but don’t think you’ve got to drain your accounts to make it happen. The budget MEETYOO Thermal Underwear Set gets the nod from us as well.

Our primary tester of men’s base layers is Steve Graepel, an experienced skier, climber, and trail runner based in Idaho. During testing, Graepel wore various base layers in all sorts of winter conditions. From thick heavyweight options to thin, barely there layers, Graepel assessed fit, feel, warmth, durability, and more.

In our handy Comparison Chart, we compare the price, materials, pros, and cons of every base layer on our list. Be sure to also check out our comprehensive Buyer’s Guide, and Price & Value sections for help in narrowing in on the best base layers for your needs.

Editor’s Note: We updated this article on October 28, 2024, to add the Brynje Thermo Base Layers — an excellent mesh set with an expedition pedigree — as well as a new Price & Value section to explain what you’re getting for the money when it comes to base layers.

The Best Base Layers for Men of 2024-2025

Men’s Base Layers Comparison Chart

How We Tested the Best Base Layers

The GearJunkie testing team has tested scores of base layers over the decades, from lightweight sleeping sets for summer backpacking to polar-weight onesies for deep expeditions. Guide author Steve Graepel compiled this guide in 2021 with an initial slate of 20 worthy base layers, and our team has tracked the trajectory of base layers since then — testing more than 50 sets since then.

To narrow in on the best base layers for men today, we researched, obtained, and sent these layering essentials out to a diverse team of outdoors athletes, trail crew leaders, and iterant fisherfolk — to name a few. Testing feedback is reported and compiled in addition to Graepel’s own field tests, and we make recommendations based on the whole picture.

The beauty of a good base layer is in its versatility — we often use the same sets for skiing, winter camping, and early-morning fishing. Because of this, we aimed to use them as part of our layering systems in a variety of activities, and we’ve gone pretty far flung doing so.

Field Testing

We have taken these baselayers on months-long thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail, heli-skiing in the Monashees of British Columbia, and across 300-mile bikepacking trips across the rural U.S. Longevity is a big deciding factor when it comes to recommending a base layer, so we wear these sets for entire seasons of use before landing on the final say.

We’re looking for piling and snags, poorly running zippers, and fabric stretching, and any base layer that doesn’t make the cut doesn’t make the guide. We look at breathability when really using these layers under load, and at static warmth when worn solo to shore up the rating on a sleeping bag.

Finally, whenever possible we also have multiple testers in the same sets of baselayers, giving us the best possible understanding of these base layers when it comes to all body types. Our female testing team members have also pulled together a Best Base Layers for Women guide.

Bench Testing

Beyond the real-deal testing, we also take a deeper look at these base layers as pieces of apparel, and consider the general fit, ease of laundering, and long-term durability in our overall impressions. Because base layers are know to sometimes accumulate a funk, we also, yes, conduct smell tests to relate the performance of Merino wool versus synthetics, and understand how well antimicrobial treatments work.

Why You Should Trust Us

Steve Graepel — the author of this guide — has spent the last 10 winters living and skiing in Minnesota. In an ongoing battle to remain warm and comfortable on the slopes, he’s made quality base layers a standard part of his wardrobe.

In addition to frequent skiing, Steve also puts base layers to the test while running and cycling throughout the northern winter. While actively testing base layers, Steve pays careful attention to overall comfort, warmth, and durability. Other more subtle factors also play a role in the evaluation process. We note the quality and feel of the seams, the breathability of the fabric, the tendency for piling, and much more. Overall, we’ve tested over two dozen base layer styles over three-plus winter seasons.

To complement Steve’s personal expertise, half a dozen male editors across GearJunkie’s entire staff base weighed in with their favorite base layers for snowsports, daily wear, and much more.

Buyers Guide: How to Choose the Best Base Layers

Everyone who plays outside in winter needs base layers, and it’s hard to have too many. Start by considering how you play outside.

Are you active, working hard in the backcountry, and needing it to wick and breathe? Or do you need to stay warm on the lift or hunkered over the lake fishing? There’s no right or wrong answer, but knowing how you’ll use these layers will help narrow the field.

One tip before we dive in: Everyone has an internal thermostat. If you tend to run cold, buy warmer. If you find yourself stripping off layers when others are bundled, go lighter.

Styles of Base Layers

Technically, base layers feature a range of designs including tank, long-sleeve and short-sleeve tops, hoodies, bottoms, knickers, briefs, and the traditional full-length underpants. In our guide, we focus on the best options for cold weather and the winter season, which are usually long-sleeve tops and ankle-length bottoms.

The fabric blends of base layers include Merino wool, synthetic fibers, or a blend of the two. Within those fibers, there are various densities from ultralight to light and midweight and at the far end, heavyweight.

Some tops feature a hood, partial zipper, or thumb holes. Others are tailored with a crew, mock, or turtleneck.

Base layer bottoms don’t have pockets or belt loops. These pants are effectively long underwear — they’re meant to be worn against the skin in a seamless way that’s comfortable beneath other midlayers and outer layers across various activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing and snowboarding, snowmobiling, or working on a farm.

Fabric Weights

Ultralight base layers are lightweight and form-fitting. The ultralight base layer will prevent heat loss on an autumn day, shun solar radiation when things heat up, or provide that first quick-drying layer against the skin under heavier base layers. The L.L.Bean Lightweight Base Layers are a weight we can wear all summer long as sleep clothes, and breathe quite well.

If you want to strip them off altogether, they disappear nicely in a daypack. The downside of the ultralight lineup is they can be fragile. Materials with thinly woven mesh can snag on brush and Velcro tabs.

• Fabric weight: 80-140 g/m²
• Fiber diameter: 17.5 microns

Lightweight base layers can be worn alone in 30-degree temps or paired with another layer when the mercury dips. A lightweight base layer like the Ibex Woolies Tech is your skin’s first line of defense against Old Man Winter. During the colder months, we never leave home without one.

• Fabric weight: 140-190 g/m²
• Fiber diameter: 17.5-18.5 microns

Cooler temperatures require a boost to your base. Midweight base layers strike a balance between insulation and wicking power and are the workhorses of cold-weather pursuits that have you on the stop-and-go.

Wear these base layers for cold days or layer them over a lighter base for added versatility for changing weather conditions. The Patagonia Capilene Midweight Base Layers had a broad range of temperatures we felt comfortable wearing them in, and are great all-around options.

• Fabric weight: 190-250 g/m²
• Fiber diameter: 21.0 microns

If your activities find you ice fishing, ice climbing, or bunkering down in a snow cave at 5,000 m, an expedition-worthy heavyweight layer is what you’re looking for. The heavyweight isn’t used alone; it supplements a lightweight or midweight base layer. The Kora Xenolith Mountain Sweater 2.0 and Freedom Bottoms add a lot of static warmth to a layering system.

• Fabric weight: 250 g/m² and heavier
• Fiber diameter: 24.5 microns

Activity and Use

When purchasing a base layer, consider the activities you want to do. High-aerobic activities (like running, ice climbing, and cross-country skiing) require moisture-wicking capability, where lightweight base layers typically shine.

For those who spend long days outside in more leisurely activities (like downhill skiing), a midweight base in Merino wool or synthetic materials will serve you well. And it can be the most flexible piece in your cold-weather arsenal.

Merino vs. Synthetic

Merino can suck up to 30% of its weight in moisture. This isn’t a bad thing — that water traps heat and keeps you feeling warm. Synthetics hold less than 7% of their weight in sweat, leaving you feeling colder as moisture rapidly evaporates.

Wool is more expensive and typically requires more care and attention. It’s also typically less durable than its synthetic counterparts.

On the flip side, polyester fibers can trap stinky bacterial waste, creating a hard-to-wash funk. For mountaineers (or those who never change their clothes), do yourself a favor and get a stink-resistant Merino or find a brand that includes stink-inhibitors like Polygiene or HeiQ, like the Patagonia Capilene Midweight Base Layers.

Every year we see a slew of new options that leverage synthetic-wool blends with panels of lighter-weight materials. These feel soft and increase the temperature range of the layer.

Cut and Length

Most of these base layers are offered in crewneck, quarter-zip, and even with hoods. To crew or not to crew is a personal preference. Some crewnecks can bind around the neck (which is uncomfortable when sucking air on hill sprints).

And it’s easier to cool off by dropping the zipper on those days when the sun comes and goes. But we did find ourselves inconspicuously sliding the crewnecks into our work wardrobe. It simply looks less sporty than the zipper tops.

Hoods and Thumb Loops

Hoodies are a fickle fit. Some hit it out of the park, and others squeeze awkwardly around the face, limiting your peripheral view. We called out hoodies that fit us well, but we highly recommend you try before you buy any base layer with a hood.

Many of the base layers on the list come with thumb loops. These can make it easier to pull over another layer (you don’t have to fish a sleeve back out). They can also block the intense sun and warm the wrists (our vasculature tends to run shallow in the armpits, elbows, and wrists, close under the skin to dump heat).

Like the hoody, these can run the spectrum of effectiveness. The Ibex Woolies Tech uses a novel approach here, and runs a very light stitch across their thumb holes, meaning you can snip them open for use, or leave them closed if you don’t find them useful. We’ve called out the real winners and faulted them where they don’t quite measure up.

Price & Value

Base layers might not get all the hype, but that doesn’t mean you should settle for any old set. There’s a wide range of applications and prices when it comes to these layers, and you should consider a few things before deciding on a set: What will you be wearing these base layers for most? How warm will you need to be for the coldest part of the day? Or how sweaty might you get?

Budget

Budget base layers are generally going to be synthetic blends instead of Merino wool, but they do retain some good warmth and breathe well enough (certainly lighter fabric weights). These materials can hold onto odor more than Merino wool pieces, so it’s not uncommon to see antimicrobial treatments applied to cut down on the funk.

Expect to pay around $30-40 for each top and bottom in the budget range, but some great values are out there, such as the $29 MEETYOO Men’s Thermal Underwear Set. You’ll give up the benefits of a fly in the pants, but we were still impressed at the stretch and performance for the price. The L.L.Bean Lightweight Base Layers are a bit more at $40 each but include features seen in pricier layers such as thumb loops, a locker loop, and a broad waistband.

Mid-Tier

Bumping up to $100 (per top or bottom) gets you into some much nicer stuff. Merino wool is common, along with blends of nylon or elastane to increase durability and stretch. You’ll also begin to see higher-quality sewing techniques used, such as flat-locked stitches or raglan sleeves that move the seam lines from above the shoulders.

The Ibex Woolies Tech ($115 each for top and bottom) is all of this in a midweight set that works for a huge number of activities. The high percentage of Merino wool keeps them warm, breathable, and stink-free over the long run, and they’ve got small details such as the baste-stitched thumbholes, which can be opened up or left closed depending on the user.

Premium

Paying over $200 for a base layer means its pretty premium, and these may incorporate boutique fibers such as the Himalayan yak wool used in the Kora Xenolith Yak & Merino Wool Mountain Sweater 2.0 ($270). These might also use proprietary camouflage prints for hunters who want to complete an outfit, like the SITKA Core Merino 220 Base Layers ($199 for top, $129 for bottoms). Know that the biggest thing you’ll be getting for your extra money is durability, which can mean buying fewer base layers in the long run.

Frequently Asked Questions