Review: EDZ merino base layers
The weather here in the wilds of Yorkshire has turned colder this week and, with wind chill, the forecast temperatures are -7c.
That's pretty cold, even for us hardy Yorkshire folk, so my layering system has to work extra efficiently. Get it wrong and it means that I'll either feel too cold to enjoy being outdoors or, conversely, overheat and then feel the cold because I've been sweating too much.
I've been wearing EDZ merino base layers for a couple of years now and have always been impressed by the performance of their clothing.
You can see some of my thoughts in previous blog posts:
Winter mountain bike layering
Summer bike packing kit list
Their latest crop of women's specific merino includes a lovely grey zip neck base layer with contrasting stitching (either a fab lime green, or a more subtle purple).
I tested this out recently as part of my layering system on a cold bike ride and it performed perfectly. I love the fact that you can zip the neck up when it turns chilly, but if you want a little more venting you can leave it unzipped and let your neck breathe. The thumb loops are a great added extra which used to be missing from the women's clothing, top marks!
The other items I've been testing is their vests, part of the new underwear range. These also come in the new grey (graphite) colour which I love.
I've not sussed out yet whether a merino vest under my merino base layer would feel too much - but suspect that if this cold snap continues, I'll soon be able to answer that question.
Update: now tested this layering on a cold walk and OMG, it was toasty warm but not too hot - perfect!
What I have done is wear the vest underneath my normal clothing for those cold days working from home. We live in an old stone cottage, which is fab in summer (it keeps cool) and in winter when the wood burner is roaring away. However, as soon as the heating clicks off and the wood burner dies down, the old stone walls can make the house feel baltic in the cold winter months.
So, I decided to test out the theory of merino layering while sitting at a computer - and got myself fully kitted out in EDZ merino (base layer leggings and vest), with the Yeti fleece to top it all off. It was rather toasty and much more pleasant that sitting shivering before I deem it late enough to light the wood burner!
Interestingly, I can sometimes find merino itchy against my skin, but find the EDZ range to be nice and smooth and I'm glad to be able to add these extra items to my merino collection.
In terms of pricing, the EDZ merino range compares very favourably with more well known brands. However, do not think this means that you are skimping on quality. I've been wearing and washing EDZ merino since winter 2017 and have no complaints whatsoever with either quality or washability.
To give you an idea of prices, the 200g merino long sleeved zip neck shown above retails at £59.99. If you're not fussy about having the latest range, you can pick up one of last year's colours for a steal at £34.99.
Compare these prices with the equivalent zip neck from Icebreaker which retails at £85 and you can see why I'm so enthusiastic about EDZ.
As an extra bonus, EDZ (who have been going since 1995) are a small family owned independent company based in Cumbria.
Disclaimer: These products were provided free of charge by EDZ Layering as part of product testing. However, this review, as always, is 100% impartial and gives my own thoughts and honest opinions.
