Morvelo Cols women's short sleeve baselayer review

The Morvelo Cols women’s SS baselayer is a lightweight, short-sleeved mesh top for use under any style of mountain bike, gravel or road jersey. It’s a great synthetic layer for use in hot weather or if you're sweating hard, but it’s not the cosiest for winter warmth.

Probably one of the snazziest base layers I’ve worn, this one from Morvelo is covered in aqua-coloured mountains – a ‘col’ is a mountain pass, hence the name. Pattern aside, the polyester/elastane fabric is light, stretchy and unrestrictive.

Morvelo says the mesh has a hydrophilic (water-loving) treatment to help it pull sweat away from the body, spreading it out so it evaporates and dries quicker. The Cols is certainly very efficient at wicking sweat, and the whole thing dries quickly too.

I found it best for those rides where you're working hard and sweating a lot. It’s not as cosy and warm as a merino, meaning I wouldn’t choose it for long cold days spent at lower speeds, but for hot rides in the summer (or the shoulder seasons) it’s ideal.

Elsewhere there are flatlock seams, well-shaped side panels that help the figure-hugging fit, and a dropped hem at the rear. Sleeve length is well-judged, just as with the dbh Aeron short sleeve base layer I reviewed earlier – the extra length over some provides a little extra coverage and prevents underarm chafing. Here there are also no additional labels to either add weight or annoy the skin, and seams are well-placed over the shoulders to prevent any rubbing from packs.

This base is designed to be worn close to the skin to maximise its efficiency at wicking sweat. For information I’m a dress size 8 and wore a size small, which was close-fitting without being tight and plenty long enough to tuck into bibs or chamois.

At £35 the Morvelo Cols SS base layer isn’t the cheapest. It’s also pretty specific in its application of being good for hot, sweaty rides – it's not so good as an all-rounder. But if you like working hard and blasting out miles on pretty much any bike (or if you typically ‘run hot’) then this is a great first – or only – layer.