right then. i was going to do reviews but i may be in a home before it might appear.

factor 3 - i like this stuff a lot. i like the smooth face (a la powerfleece) and it's warm.

 factor 2 - like this stuff again although it dries no better than anything else, but then again no worse.

better colours than some e.g. white.

they are worth a try from their substandard/seconds range to see if you like them but the sizing may be all to cock - which is why they are etc.

at full price...well...i'm not so sure they are worth what they are asking for them. even so, i am considering getting some more purely because of the colour choice.

Hi Parky,

I've never tried Factor 3 - perhaps I shall take a look. Did you find it as substandard too? How was the cut?

Factor 2 is a step better than standard polyester microfleece in my opinion. It dries marginally faster in my non-scientific tests, but more importantly has quite reasonable wind resistance without becoming clammy. That makes it great as a warm-up top for sports in cold weather as well as all the usual uses of a microfleece. It has also outlasted (usage & wash cycles) any polyester microfleece I have owned.

For me their price is justified because you can (generally) expect it to last longer than average.

DOH!

factor 3 should read factor 2

factor 2 should read factor 1

sorry!

i think i got myself confused with the cool t - first impression no better or worse than anything else.

interesting point about the factor 2 stuff john if it lasts a long time in its original fluffy state. my powerfleece top is decidely no longer fluffy. perhaps i'll take the plunge for a full price option then; if i can work out what size i actually need as all the "cheap" stuff has sizes all over the shop.

the Angel has taken a shine to a couple of bits so that may be the decider.

Hi Parky,

easy mistake to make!

Ok - so we are both in the dark about factor 3.

Factor 2 eventually goes a bit bobbly on the smooth outer face but my impression is that the insides stay fluffier than a polyester microfleece of similar age. Mine is at least 8 years old and gets used/washed (used perhaps three times before washing) around 10 times per year. It's not often cold enough for me to use it... but ditto the polyester stuff I have of similar vintage.

The reason I keep returning to Factor 1 is its abrasion resistance and durability. I agree that it doesn't dry noticeably faster than polyester baselayer (and certainly isn't as fast to dry as polypropylene). However I climb indoors & outdoors in them and have often used them under rucksack straps. This has taken its toll on my other synthetic baselayers - polyester (Odlo, Patagonia...), Polypropylene (Helly Hansen) - but the yarn and weave of Factor 1 seems to make it far more resistant. I can tell that the whites change colour over time (as I have various vintages to compare) and the fabric gets less supple, but it keeps on doing it's job long after any fibre treatments must have worn off.

Cool T is something that I haven't tested as much as the others. It is certainly less warm than Factor 1 and I reserve it for scorching French summer days. Unfortunately, it clearly isn't as bombproof as Factor1 as I have already got some fibres pulling from a stint on French limestone. However, it saves me using sun cream (which just gets slippery when I sweat) so it comes along for sunny weather belays in the Pyrenees. I have also found that it's less close fitting so carries over into casual a little better than Factor1.

I am not really a 'brand' person, and have cut the external labels off most of my SZ stuff. But I reckon that I wear an item of SZ clothing for sport on average four days a week!

John

Looks like Subzero are now one of the site's partners... next time I want to buy their products I should remember to click through from OM!