Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

review

dhb Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer

8
£30.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Very good, well-thought-out baselayer at a perfectly reasonable price
Weight: 
86g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

The dhb Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer is a close-fitting under layer for cooler summer days and for spring and autumn. It's nice and airy but thicker across the front where the wind hits you.

  • Pros: Stretchy with extra thickness where you need it
  • Cons: The change in fabric across the stomach

Thicker at the front, mesh elsewhere – that's the main selling point of dhb's Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer. It uses a double-knit fabric for the warmer panel, which stretches from neck to navel, and a more open mesh elsewhere so that you don't overheat from your own efforts.

dhb Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer - back.jpg

The back and sleeves are largely polyester, with a dash of Spandex, while the warmer front is not far off half-and-half polyester and polypropylene. Both materials are soft and light and quick to dry, as you'd hope for a baselayer.

dhb Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer - chest.jpg

The fit is designed to be close. I was testing a medium, which I found tight but forgivingly stretchy. The dhb size guide has me on the medium-large threshold. Perhaps I'd have been better off with the latter, but the material gave enough that it wasn't really a major concern. (It's not me in the photos, by the way.)

> How to dress for cycling in autumn

The only real sizing issue I had was that it tended to ride up a little when I stood – a sensation that was exaggerated by the change in material towards the bottom of the front.

As you can see in the photo up top, the double-knit fabric gives way to mesh again for the last couple of inches. This makes sense when you combine it with a pair of bib shorts, but because the garment's figure-hugging, you'll be aware of that line across your stomach when you first put it on. That said, I can't say I was remotely aware of the issue while riding.

I wasn't really aware of the Aeron Equinox at all on the bike, in fact – which is pretty much what you want from a baselayer. The fabric, shape and stitching are unobtrusive and while you can certainly tax the breathability of the front if you put your mind (and legs) to it, the rest of the thing's plenty breathable enough to compensate.

dhb Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer - sleeve.jpg

Price-wise, this is pretty much par for the course for a short-sleeve baselayer. The Chapeau Mesh Base Layer is £34.99, the Lusso Race Base Mesh Base Layer is £24.99  and the Castelli Pro Issue SS Base Layer is £35. 

> Buyer's Guide: 16 of the best cycling baselayers

You can also get the Equinox's slightly warmer cousin, the dhb Aeron Body Map Short Sleeve Baselayer, for the same price. 

Verdict

Very good, well-thought-out baselayer at a perfectly reasonable price

road.cc test report

Make and model: dhb Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer

Size tested: Medium

Tell us what the product is for:

A short-sleeve baselayer, primarily for spring/autumn.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From dhb:

Back & Sleeves: 93% Polyester, 7% Spandex

Front: 56% Polyester, 44% Polypropylene

dhb says:

Offering a good balance of warmth in the places you need it most, and excellent ventilation where you need to dump heat out, the dhb Aeron Equinox Short Sleeve Base Layer is the one to reach for as the seasons change.

dhb have used a double-knit fabric on the front to trap in heat, and an open mesh elsewhere to effectively regulate your temperature. High-level moisture management means that you will also stay dry and comfortable, which this makes the Aeron Equinox base layer perfect for cooler summer days, or rides where the temperature is just starting to drop.

The fit is close to ensure it fits comfortably under your Aeron jersey, with natural stretch to ensure you can more freely. It is finished with an anti-odour treatment for long-term freshness.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for fit:
 
7/10
Rate the product for sizing:
 
7/10

Designed to be close. It's stretchy, but I'd be tempted to size up if you're between sizes.

Rate the product for weight:
 
8/10

You can find lighter, but we're talking a handful of grams.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10

Unnoticeable once you're riding – which is what you want.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Stuck it in the normal wash. Came out fine.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Warmer at the front, cooler at the back, close fit, comfortable, breathable.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Light, functional, comfortable enough to forget about.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Slightly weird sensation across the stomach where the front changes to mesh when you first put it on.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Average. Alternatives include the Chapeau Mesh Base Layer Short Sleeve, £34.99, dhb Aeron Body Map Short Sleeve Baselayer, £30, Lusso Race Base Mesh Base Layer, £24.99, and Castelli Pro Issue SS Base Layer, £35.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Overall I'd say it's very good: comfortable and adaptable, with the change in feel where the fabric changes across the stomach only a very minor quibble.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 185cm  Weight: 77kg

I usually ride: Scott S40  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

Latest Comments