Odlo Performance Light base layer review

Founded by a Norwegian and based in Switzerland, Odlo is a brand that should know about cold weather insulation. But it also produces lighter weight pieces like the Odlo Performance Light base layer to cope with the hot summer weather in the Alps.

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Odlo has flirted with cycling for years, sponsoring the AG2R La Mondiale pro team a couple of years back. It has a range of cycling kit including bib shorts and jerseys as well as extra-light base layers. But Odlo caters for a range of different sports and the Odlo Performance Light base layer is not marketed as cycling specific and would be just as suitable for alpine trekking and other sports.

Odlo says that it has improved the breathability of its Odlo Performance Light base layer by 20 per cent over its older version. That’s certainly something I felt when out riding: there’s excellent airflow through the lightweight mesh.

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That mesh is different thicknesses in different parts of the Odlo Performance Light base layer. The lighter coloured stripes are thinner than the darker areas. So your tummy, which needs to be kept warmer, is better covered than the chest, back and sleeves. That means that there’s enough versatility in the Odlo Performance Light base layer to cope with the normal lower temperatures at the start of a day ride, followed by the – if luck is with you – warmer riding in the later parts of the day.

Also nice is the total lack of seams in the body of the Odlo Performance Light base layer, with just flatlocked seams over the front and the back of the raglan sleeves. So there’s nothing to rub or chafe as you ride. Length is good too, so there’s good back coverage when riding.

So although it’s not Odlo’s lightest summer undergarment, the Odlo Performance Light base layer is a good weight for the typical British summer, with enough versatility to cope with its inevitable hot and cooler periods.