Mountain Equipment Comfort Zone Tested

Mountain Equipment Comfort Zone Top - Tested

Price: £35.00 (LS Zip neck), £25 (SS tee), £27 Long John

Weight: 191 grammes (men's medium LS zip-neck)

Features: Polyester bi-componal knit fabric, contrast stretch inserts on side panel and under arm, displaced flatlock seams on front of shoulder for comfort with pack straps, heat transfer label for smoothness next to skin, long front zip for venting.

Cut and design spot on. Wicking not quite as good as the market leaders

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The Concept Another technical baselayer designed to wick moisture away from your skin and out towards the outer layers and, eventually, the atmosphere where it can run free. ME have also put a lot of thought into the design to optimise cut and features for technical use.

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Features The fabric is another variant on the bi-polar knit theme, which means that the structure of the material varies between inner and outer surfaces, which helps moisture to move outwards.

Cut is close with stretch panels at side and underarms for efficient fit and better wicking, plus you get a long - really long - front zip and a proper collar which provides decent protection from the sun and chafing from mid and outer layers. They've also thought about the seams, which are flat-locked for comfort and sit on the front of the shoulder rather than on top to minimise any discomfort from pack straps. Finally, the label is a smooth, ironed-on transfer, so no scritchy scratchy there.

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In Action We really liked the cut and features of the ME top, but the fabric isn't quite as good as the top two, Powerdry and Dryflo. It still works well, wicks decently, and is more than adequate in most situations. The fabric also has a slightly slick, shiny feel, that some people won't like.

The cut and featuring though was excellent and worked really well for us. The stretch panels in the side and underarm area help create a snug, efficient fit and for once the 'long front zip' really is long - more like a cycling top - which means you can expose an expanse of chest for enhanced cooling once the going gets tough.

We never noticed the flat-locked seams, which is a good thing, ditto the ironed-on label under the collar. Speaking of which, it's nice to have a bit of sun protection for hot sunny days and glacier descents, which is why our base-layer cut of choice is a long-sleeved zip-neck.

Comfort Zone is also available in other guises. Climbers should note that the pants don't have a fly, which could be problematical when answering calls of nature in full harness mode.

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Verdict

Good cut and design, fabric works well, but isn't quite as good as the very best wickers in the class. We liked the deep chest zip for its cooling properties and the overall fit was also good. The slightly shiny finish won't be to everyone's taste and feels a little slick against the skin, then again it slides easily within mid- and outer-layers.

Details like the displaced flat-locked seams and ironed-on label work too and are the sort of options you'll really appreciate if you've suffered seam rub or been scratched by a badly placed label in the past. Overall a very decent technical base layer and available in black...

Performance
Value

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Mountain Equipment web site

Pushed for time: Good cut and design, fabric works well, but isn't quite as good as the very best wickers in the class. We liked the deep chest zip for its cooling properties and the overall fit was also good. The slightly shiny finish won't be to everyone's taste and feels a little slick against the skin, then again it slides easily within mid- and outer-layers. Details like the displaced flat-locked seams and ironed-on label work too and are the sort of options you'll really appreciate if you've suffered seam rub or been scratched by a badly placed label in the past. Overall a very decent technical base layer.

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